Pokémon Trix: Tales of Soot and Ash
by Ohirume
Summary: Imagine a version of the Pokémon world where Ash Ketchum came into possession of the most powerful device in the world of Ben 10. Now imagine that written by some psycho. Yeah... Pokémon/Ben 10 crossover, sort of. Weird censoring. Tell me what you think.
1. Ch 1: Start (fix)

**Omega: So, what about all that whining where you were, 'not sure how to find the spare time.'**

**Ohirume: I wasn't whining! Besides, summer just started. All I have is spare time.**

**Seishin: Rob, we both know that's not true.**

**Ohirume: DON'T CALL ME THAT! USE THE USERNAME!**

**Seishin: What? It's not like it's your real name. And for the record, I am not calling you Amaterasu's mate.**

**Ohirume: Ah yes, card game jokes. Because every single reader will understand those.**

**The story's official now. If you read the one-shot or its description, you know the drill. **

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**One Yvel of a Journey (part 1):**

.

It was a peaceful morning in Pallet town. Dodrio were singing, diglett were digging, and Ash Ketchum was already well awake and getting ready for his journey … wait what?

'Where did I put those gloves?' Ash thought; digging through various drawers. He pulled away a pair of socks to reveal a pair of red, glowing eyes staring right at him. Suddenly, a mightyena popped out from the middle of his dresser and roared in his face.

Ash smiled at the canine, "Good morning to you too, Soot."

Soot stared at him in shock, "Wha- Seriously?! Nothing?! Come on! I hid in there for three hours to do that!" She jumped out of the undamaged dresser; phasing through it.

Ash smirked and rolled his eyes, "It didn't work the last twenty-eight times you did it. Why would it work this time?"

Soot sat on the bed and pouted; eyes back to their natural red and yellow, "Well, it wouldn't hurt you to play along."

Ash chuckled, "Come on, I'm trying to find my gloves. The green, fingerless ones."

Soot raised a brow, "Fire-proof?"

Ash kept searching, "Soot, all of my clothes are fire-proof. You know that."

Soot sighed as her attempt at a joke failed … again, "Bottom left."

Ash smiled as he pulled out the gloves, "Thanks."

Ash finished putting on his outfit and slung on his backpack.

He hurried over to the door, "Come on. If we hurry, we should be back before the others even make it to the lab."

Soot smiled and ran after him, "Coming, dad."

.

*Downstairs

Ash ran by the kitchen and out the front door while calling out, "Morning mom! Be back in a bit!"

Soot ran by soon after, "See ya Grandma!"

The door closed behind them.

Delia sighed, 'And I just finished making breakfast.'

.

*Professor Oak's lab

"Ash, Soot. You two are here early." Professor Oak said; a little surprised.

Ash smiled and shrugged, "Hey, better early than late."

"That's not a saying, dad." Soot argued with a deadpanned expression.

Oak chuckled, "Alright, come on in. I'm pretty sure I know why you're here."

The trio made their way upstairs and approached a large, cylindrical stand in the middle of the room.

Oak turned to face Ash and Soot and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Unfortunately, there's been a bit of a shipping error. I don't happen to have any traditional starters for you, Ash."

Ash sighed and rubbed the back of his head, "Crag, and I was really looking forward to starting today." He perked up when he realized what the professor said and raised a brow, "What do you mean 'traditional starters'?"

Oak picked up a pokéball while sweat dropping, "Well I do have something. Though they're rather aggressive."

Soot smirked, "Aggressive huh? Maybe I can knock some sense into them."

Ash glared at her, "We're not here to pick a fight, Soot. Wait until the first training session."

Oak chuckled again, "Alright, here they are." He tossed the pokéball into the air, releasing the Pokémon inside.

The Pokémon turned out to be a pikachu (duh). The Mouse Pokémon looked up at Ash before deadpanning and glaring at Oak.

"_Freaking Yvel. Really?! This is what you caught me for, geezer?!_" The pikachu complained, "_Well, forget it! There's no way I'm going to be some brat's plaything!_"

The humans only stared in confusion as he ranted.

Ash looked at the Dark-type, "Soot, mind translating?"

Pikachu finally took notice of the canine in the room. The Mouse smirked and looked at Ash like he had just said the dumbest thing imaginable. Which, in his defense, he thought Ash had.

Soot sighed. "He said, and I quote: 'Freaking Yvel. Really? This is what you caught me for, geezer? Well forget it. There's no way I'm going to be some brat's plaything.'" She said monotonously.

Pikachu raised a brow; still smirking, "_Really? You're actually playing along? Lady, they're not gonna-_"

Oak's eyes narrowed, "It's not nice to call someone a 'geezer.' No matter how old they might be."

Pikachu flinched and turned to face the professor in shock.

Ash nodded, "Same here. Being called 'brat' isn't all that hurtful, but it was still mean to say."

Pikachu turned to look at Soot in wide eyed shock, "_THEY UNDERSTOOD YOU?!_"

Soot smirked, "Well, it'd be surprising if they didn't. Afterall, I am speaking their language."

Pikachu looked back and forth between the humans and laughed nervously.

"And another thing." Ash said as he crouched down in front of the Electric-type, "I don't want you to be a 'plaything.' What I want is for you to be my starter. To join Soot and I on our journey and train with us. But most importantly," Ash smiled softly and held out his hand, "I want you to be my friend."

Pikachu looked at Ash curiously. He honestly never thought that he could consider a human as a friend. He still wasn't sure about the idea. Then again, he did have a Pokémon that spoke human, so the language barrier was basically void.

Pikachu shrugged and smiled, "_Ah, what the heck. I'll join your party._" He shifted to a smirk, "_At least until I get bored._"

Soot frowned at the last part and sighed, "He said 'yes'."

Ash couldn't help but smile as Professor Oak handed him Pikachu's pokéball. When he raised it towards the Mouse Pokémon, the Electric-type flinched.

Ash blinked before smiling softly, "You too, huh?" He reached around and put the ball on his belt, "Don't worry, Soot hates them too."

Pikachu sighed in relief as the cage disappeared.

"Here you go, Ash." Oak said as he held out five empty pokéballs and a Pokédex.

Ash happily accepted before placing the pokéballs and Pokédex in separate pockets.

"Thanks, professor. Come on guys, we still have to say goodbye to mom." Ash said before running back downstairs and then leaving the lab.

"Hey! Wait up!" Soot shouted while running after Ash. Pikachu bound after them.

Oak sighed in relief when he heard the front door close. He moved back to the large cylinder and pressed a button on the side. The center dome opened to reveal three pokéballs marked with a water droplet, a flame, and a leaf.

The old professor smiled softly, 'Thank Arceus, they fell for it.'

.

*Soot, Ash, and Pikachu

Soot caught up to Ash and the two talked amongst themselves on their way home.

"So, why do you think Professor Oak lied about the other starters?" Ash said while staring off into the distance.

"Eh, who knows." Soot replied, "Although it was probably important if he put that much effort into rehearsing."

Ash looked at her in confusion, "How do you know he rehearsed?

Soot cocked her head down for a second; her version of a shrug, "I guessed. It makes sense, though. He hardly showed any of his usual signs."

Ash considered that and shrugged, "True."

Pikachu finally managed to catch up to them. He was panting heavily.

"_Why *huff* are you *huff* so fast?_" Pikachu asked before falling over.

Ash sweat dropped before he bent down to pick him up.

Soot smirked, "We're not, you just need to exercise." She stuck her tongue out.

The Mouse glared at her before finally noticing something weird on Ash's right wrist.

"_What's this thing?_" Pikachu asked as he poked the green and black watch.

Ash looked down and grimaced upon seeing what he was doing, "No, wait!"

The center of the watch suddenly turned yellow and started spinning on its own.

Pikachu flinched, "_What?! What did I do?! What's going on?!_"

The watch stopped spinning and turned green again. Ash sighed as a silhouette resembling a pikachu appeared on the center of the watch.

Ash sighed, "It's nothing. Sorry I overreacted."

Pikachu glared up at him, "_Yeah right! You freak out after I touch it and then suddenly calm down after a picture of me shows up on it?!_" He pointed up at him accusingly, "_You're hiding something!_" Pikachu jumped out of Ash's arms and pointed again, "_What did you do to me, human?!_"

Ash looked at Soot. She looked back and her eyes narrowed, "Oh, like you need me to translate that."

Ash sighed again before looking back at Pikachu, "Fine, I'll show you." He raised a hand, "But please wait until we get home, alright?"

Pikachu kept glaring, "_Fine._"

Ash and Soot continued towards home with Pikachu following them from behind. Albeit at a distance.

.

*Ketchum house

"Mom, we're home." Ash called out as he walked through the front door, "I got my-"

"Ashton Satoshi Ketchum." Ash flinched at hearing his full name. He looked over to see his mother glaring at him; still wearing her apron. 'Oh, right. Breakfast.' Ash thought; frozen in place.

Delia continued glaring, "I spend half an hour putting together a gigantic farewell breakfast for you and Soot and you run out the door, saying 'be back in a bit'?!"

Ash looked around for Soot. He found her and Pikachu hiding behind the couch and trembling.

'Traitors!' Ash looked back at his mother and flinched, "W-well, I mean- I just got really excited and wanted to get there early and- uh."

"Breakfast!" Delia interrupted before pointing at the dining table, "Now!" She turned to glare at the couch, "You too, Soot!"

"Yes Mom!" "Yes Grandma!"

The two of them ran to the table and started eating; not wanting to anger Delia any further.

Pikachu was still hiding behind the couch and trembling. He was absolutely terrified of the new human that managed to scare his trainer and the freaking mightyena that much.

"Oh, look at you!" Delia squealed.

Pikachu flinched and looked up to see the woman staring down at him with a smile.

Delia immediately picked him up and started cuddling him, "Aren't you just the cutest little thing!"

'_What the?!_' Pikachu had no idea what was going on.

First, the human gave off a vibe that made him fear for his life. And now, she was acting like the nicest being imaginable. Pikachu was about to shock her … until she started scratching him under the chin. Absolute bliss.

"Chaaaa!" Pikachu cried out in pure joy.

Delia looked over at the table and smiled brightly; still petting the Mouse, "Ash, who is this adorable little fuzz ball?"

Ash quickly swallowed before answering, "That's Pikachu. Professor Oak was out of normal starters."

Delia continued petting Pikachu, "Well, I'm happy he was. You couldn't ask for anything cuter."

Pikachu said nothing. He just laid in Delia's arms with a goofy smile as she petted him. Ash and Soot just continued eating at the table.

This was essentially the next hour.

.

*Later; Ash's room

Pikachu, begrudgingly, recovered from earlier and glared at the only human in the room, "_Alright, spill it!_"

Ash looked at the Mouse in confusion, "What?"

Pikachu pointed at him accusingly, "_You know what! That thing on your wrist! I want to know what it did to me! Don't think I've forgotten!_"

Ash groaned, "Fine. Just don't say I didn't warn you."

Pikachu blinked in surprise, '_Di__d he just-_'

His thoughts were interrupted when Ash started messing with the watch. The middle part popped up and Ash spun it until it revealed the pikachu silhouette again.

Ash looked back at Pikachu with a frown, "Are you sure about this?"

Pikachu nodded. Though he was starting to grow anxious.

Ash sighed before slamming down on the center of the watch. Pikachu flinched and shielded his eyes as a green flash lit up the room. When the light faded, Pikachu looked back at Ash and his eyes widened in shock. Standing there, instead of his new trainer, was another pikachu with the green symbol from Ash's watch on their stomach.

"_Yo._" Ash called out; paw raised.

Pikachu fainted.

"Pikachu. Pikachu. PIKACHU!" Pikachu's eyes shot open at Soot's shouting.

He sat up and held his head, "_Dear Arceus, what the Yvel kind of dream was that?_"

Ash cocked his head, "_What was the dream about?_"

"_That's the weird thing, I dreamt you turned into-_" Pikachu finally looked at who asked the question and his eyes widened, "_Dear Arceus, it was real._" Pikachu muttered in shock.

He got back to his hind paws and started walking around Ash while looking over his new form.

"_H-how did you do this?_" Pikachu asked in a daze.

"_It was the watch._" Ash started while putting a paw on the symbol on his stomach, "_It scanned your DNA when you touched it earlier and gave me this new form. And before you start asking questions, let me just say a few things._" Ash took a deep breath, "_I've had the watch since I was five. I don't know where it came from, aside from a meteor I found in the forest. I can't take it off, no matter what form I'm in. It's essentially the reason Soot exists. And yes, she's actually my hatchling. Does that answer any questions you might have had?_"

Pikachu blinked in surprise, "_Uh, all but one. I guess._" His eyes narrowed slightly, "_Why were you so against me touching it earlier? Were you really that against the idea of being able to turn into a pikachu?_"

Ash grimaced and waved his paws in defense, "_No! No! Nothing like that!_" He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "_I guess, overtime, I've gotten kind of sensitive about Pokémon touching it. Like I said, I overreacted._"

Pikachu seemed satisfied with that but there was still something. He raised a brow, "_What do you mean 'sensitive'? Wouldn't you want Pokémon touching it left and right, if it meant you could turn into them?_"

Ash shook his head, "_Actually no. Having this thing, having these powers, it's a lot of pressure and responsibility. I never really wanted that kind of unfair advantage._" He shrugged with a soft smile, "_Besides, it's not like I can use this thing in a Pokémon League._"

Pikachu was still confused, "_But couldn't you just-_"

The Bite Pokémon chuckled; interrupting the Mouse, "It's not gonna work Pikachu. I've been literally barking up that figurative tree for years. Dad's too stubborn."

Ash glared at her, "_I am not!_"

Soot rolled her eyes with a smirk, "Yeah. Sure. Whatever you say."

It was at this moment that Ash's mother decided to walk in, "Ash, how are things go-"

She stopped and stared upon seeing her son in front of her; still in pikachu form.

Ash gulped, '_Uh oh._'

Delia squealed and immediately picked him up, "Oh, Ashy! Look at you! You're so adorable!"

She went straight for the same sweet spot that Pikachu had. Ash was unable to resist and melted in her arms.

"Chaaa!"

Pikachu and Soot just watched curiously and with a sly smile; respectively.

Pikachu leaned closer to Soot, "_So, she knows about the watch?_"

Soot nodded, "Yup. Professor Oak too."

This continued for the next twelve minutes. Right up until the symbol on Ash's stomach started beeping and flashing red.

Pikachu's eyes widened in concern, "_What's going on?_"

Soot chuckled lightly, "Don't worry. That just means dad'll change back soon."

Pikachu calmed down, "_Oh._"

Delia pouted at the beeping and put her still-dazed son on his bed. A red flash filled the room and Ash returned to normal. He was unconscious from the cuddling session.

Pikachu stared at Ash in surprise, "_Huh. Neat._" He looked at Soot, "_So, what now?_"

Delia looked at the pair in confusion, "What?"

Soot looked up at the woman with a smile, "He asked what's next." She looked at Ash and cocked her head, "Uh, I guess we just wait for dad to wake up."

Pikachu climbed onto the bed and laid down with a relaxed smile and paws behind his head, "_Fine by me._"

Soot jumped up and snuggled up to her father.

Delia smiled and ran to get a camera. She couldn't resist taking a picture.

**.**

**Omega: A bit fast-paced isn't it?**

**Ohirume: Hey, I'm new at this! Cut me some slack!**

**Omega: Said the writer to his 'character.'**

**Ohirume: *sigh* Why am I even doing these things?**

**Omega: Because you have no friends.**

**Seishin: HEY!**

**Omega: Real friends, Seishin.**

**Seishin: Oh, right.**

**…**

**Seishin: Do you think any of the reader's will figure out the connection between us and our usernames.**

**Omega: Yukiro, you know they're not. They aren't usernames, and we're nothing but over-imagined concept's in some idiot's head. They would literally have to be mind-readers. Or would it be techno-paths, in this case?**

**Seishin: *pouts* Kill joy.**

**…**

**Edit notes: Fixed some continuity errors. / Regular touch-ups. / I forgot the pokéball storage pod … thing was upstairs. / I never used the word 'dang' again after this chapter. So, I cut it.**


	2. Ch 2: Start cont (fix)

**Seishin: Alright, readers! Episode 1 part 2! WOO-HOO!**

**Omega: *sweat drops* Yes, because everyone wants a 30-minute episode split up like this…**

**Ohirume: *groan* You know the drill.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10**

.

.

**One Yvel of a Journey (part 2):**

.

Ash had finally recovered from earlier and everyone moved downstairs. Delia was racing through a list of supplies for Ash's journey.

"Spare rope. Rubber gloves; heat resistant of course. Extra sets of clothing-"

Ash chuckled, "Mom, I'm fine. I packed everything before heading to the lab."

Delia sighed before smiling sadly, "I know. But you can't blame me for worrying."

Ash smiled softly and hugged her, "I know I can't."

Delia returned the hug with a sad smile still on her face, "Just promise me you'll stay safe."

"I promise." Ash responded.

Delia shifted to a sly smile, "And don't forget to change your you-know-whats every day."

Ash backed up and blushed, "MOM!"

Pikachu raised a brow in confusion, "_'You-know-whats'?_"

Soot snickered, "Grandma's more embarrassing way of saying underwear."

Pikachu blinked; still not getting it, '_under what?_'

Delia turned to look at them, "That goes for you too, Soot. Remember to brush your fur daily."

Soot rolled her eyes with a smile, "Yeah, yeah. I know."

Delia continued, "And remember to socialize, sweetie. I'm sure you'll find a nice, strong man to-"

"GOT IT!" Soot blurted out in embarrassment.

Delia chuckled. She turned back to her son with a somber expression, "Be sure to come and visit every so often."

Ash smiled and gave a thumbs up, "Of course. We'll be back after getting all eight Badges. It won't be that long."

Delia knew she couldn't drag along the goodbye any longer and decided to get it over with.

"Well, I guess this is it then." She said somberly.

"Yeah." Ash nodded with a sad smile.

He turned towards the door and started walking. He stopped, turned back around, and pulled his mom into a hug again.

"One more time." Ash said.

Delia smiled down at her son. She returned the hug and felt something brushing up against her leg. Soot smiled up at her as she joined in the love. Pikachu just stood off to the side and watched. He started feeling awkward.

"What are you waiting for? Come on, Pikachu." His ears perked up at Delia's words.

He looked up to see everyone smiling at him. Delia had her arm outstretched and was looking at him expectantly. Pikachu smiled and bound over. He jumped onto Delia's shoulder and snuggled the group.

.

*Later; Outside

Ash clenched his fist with a determined smirk, "Alright, guys! This is it!"

Soot frowned with her ears drooping, "Um, actually. Can you give me a minute to … y'know?" She looked off into the distance.

Ash followed her gaze and smiled sadly upon realizing what she meant.

He crouched down to pet her, "Go ahead. It wouldn't be right to leave without saying goodbye."

Soot smiled sadly and brushed up against Ash, "Thanks, dad." She ran off with the destination clear in her mind.

Pikachu flinched as the Dark-type left, "_Hey wait! You're the only one who can tell this guy what I'm saying!_"

"Leave her be, Pikachu." Ash responded casually, "Besides, you don't have to call me 'this guy.' My name is Ash."

Pikachu looked at him in shock, "_SINCE WHEN CAN YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!_"

Ash covered his ears, "Please stop shouting. Look, I still haven't told you everything about the watch yet. With Soot away at the moment we have some time." He sat down on the porch and patted a spot next to him, "Get comfy, there's a lot."

Pikachu complied and sat down next to Ash. The Mouse Pokémon looked up at the human curiously.

Ash took a breath before starting and held up the watch, "So, it's this feature we call Power Integration."

.

*Soot

The canine ran towards her destination as fast as she could; not wanting to waste any time. Along the way, she passed a garden, snatched up a red rose, and stuck it into her fur.

She came up to her destination and barreled through the opened gate, "Hey Dave!" She shouted as she passed the guard. Unfortunately, it was the wrong guard.

"What?! Hey! Get back here!" The guard cried out in alarm. Soot didn't hear him.

He felt a pat on his shoulder and turned to see Dave. "Eh, don't worry rookie. Soot's a regular here. She won't hurt anything."

The rookie was still concerned, "You sure boss? Wouldn't a dog Pokémon try and dig something up?"

Dave's eyes narrowed, "Hey, show some respect! That dog was my son's math tutor for half a year!"

The unnamed rookie just stared at him in surprise.

.

*Soot, again

The Dark-type sat down in the field while laughing, "And then dad had to show Pikachu how the watch worked. The little guy actually fainted!" She laughed again before smiling, "On the upside, I finally have someone on my side about the whole 'dad's too stubborn' thing. And to top it all off, Grandma walked in, saw dad as a pikachu and literally cuddled him into submission." Soot laughed once more before looking down with a sad smile.

"The main reason I came this time is to say: dad and I are heading out today. So, I won't be able to visit for a while." She pulled the rose out of her fur and laid it on the ground in front of her, "I promise I'll come visit as soon as we're back in town. By then, I'll have so many new stories to tell."

Soot stood up and took a deep breath to clear her head. She wiped a tear away and smiled sadly, "I'll see you later, mom."

Soot started walking in the same direction she came; leaving the graveyard.

.

*Ash and Pikachu

"_Wow._" Pikachu exclaimed as he stared at Ash in surprise, "_And I thought you were just some human with ditto powers. Although, it does explain all the fireproof stuff._"

Ash chuckled, "Yeah, like I said. 'A lot'."

Ash looked back in the direction Soot went and found that she was already on her way back. He got up, walked closer, and crouched down in front of her, "You okay?"

Soot nodded with her ears drooping and a sad smile, "Yeah. I'll be fine."

Ash smiled sadly and pulled her into a hug, "It's okay. I miss her too."

Soot rested her head on Ash's shoulder and closed her eyes.

Pikachu started feeling awkward again. He wasn't sure if he should join in like last time. He decided not to chance it.

After about a minute, Ash let go and stood up again, "Alright guys, let's go." He said, trying to lighten the mood.

He paused for a minute when he felt something on his shoulder. He turned and saw Pikachu standing there, trying to keep his balance.

Ash raised a brow, "I thought you still didn't trust me."

Pikachu laughed, "_What?! Why wouldn't I trust a fellow Pokémon?_"

Soot looked at him with a raised brow, "Dad isn't a Pokémon right now."

Pikachu closed his eyes and held is head high, "_Not according to everything he said earlier._"

Soot looked up at Ash, "Power Integration?"

Ash shrugged with a smile, "Why not? He already knows about the big stuff."

The trio made their way to route 1 and by default Professor Oak's lab.

Until Ash remembered something. His eyes widened in shock, "Ah, crag! Give me a minute!"

Pikachu blinked in surprise, "_Wait, wha- AHH!_"

He was cut off by Ash running back into the house. The unlucky Electric-type fell to the ground at his stand suddenly leaving.

Soot snickered.

Ash reemerged a moment later with another pokéball clipped to his belt.

Soot realized it was hers, "Oh, right. We still needed to register me to your trainer account."

Ash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "That'd be one Yvel of a mistake." He noticed Pikachu on the ground and blinked in surprise, "Woah. Are you okay, Pikachu?"

The Mouse Pokémon groaned, "_This will take some getting used to._" He said; voice muffled by the ground.

.

*Outside Oak's lab

A crowd had built up at the professor's lab. Everyone was waiting to see off Pallet town's most promising new trainer. And, for some reason, they thought that was Gary Oak.

Gary was standing out front to take in the praise. He held his new pokéball high into the air as he prematurely announced his victory in the Indigo League. Yes, that prematurely.

As Ash, Soot, and Pikachu approached the lab, they noticed the crowd.

"_Who's the human with brown hair?_" Pikachu asked curiously, "_Everyone seems to like him._"

Ash pinched the bridge of his nose, "That would be Gary. He's one of the other trainers starting today and is also the professor's grandson."

Pikachu raised a brow, "_Huh?_"

Ash chuckled, "Sorry. Grandson is the human word for a hatchling's hatchling. The male version."

"_Oh._" Pikachu said before tilting his head, "_What makes him so special?_"

Soot sweat dropped, "Your guess is as good as ours."

Gary saw Ash, smirked, and walked over, "Well, well, if it isn't Ashy-boy." He said mockingly, "Sorry, but you snooze you lose. Gramps already ran out of Pokémon, and I got the last one." He held up the pokéball in an attempt to show off.

It failed.

Ash just smiled lightly, "Oh, Squirtle. Nice choice."

Gary flinched, "What?! How could you possibly know that?!"

Soot smirked, "You left the water sticker on the pokéball."

Gary looked at the ball; dumbfound. He turned around and started struggling to take the sticker off the ball.

Pikachu snickered; catching Gary's attention. He looked back at them and stared in confusion, "Why do you have that Pokémon on your shoulder?"

Ash raised a brow, "Gary, he's a pikachu. I'd expect you, of all people, to know something like that." Gary's eyes narrowed. Ash continued, "I was here earlier today and got him as my starter. The professor said there was a shipping error with the usual ones." He glanced at the ball in Gary's hand, "Though, judging by you getting one, it looks like the mailman pulled through." Ash lied; not wanting to call out Professor Oak on his bluff.

"Ah, too bad", Gary said sarcastically with a smirk, "Ashy-boy didn't get the Pokémon he wanted."

Ash didn't take the bait and shook his head, "I never said that. I just didn't get a Pokémon I expected." He smiled and started petting the Mouse Pokémon on his shoulder, "Besides, Pikachu's pretty cool. I doubt I'd try and get a different starter if I had the choice."

Pikachu stuck his tongue out at Gary.

Gary looked annoyed but shook it off. His cocky smile returned, "Ah, whatever. No matter what Pokémon you have, I'll still beat you and become a Master first."

Soot smirked, "Oh? Wanna prove it?"

Gary flinched, and laughed nervously, "Hah, yeah right. Like I'd waste my time battling you." He quickly jumped into his car -how is he old enough to have a license?- and drove off while shouting, "Later Losers."

The three of them just watched as he sped off into the distance.

"_I don't like him._" Pikachu said with a glare.

Soot's eye twitched, "Welcome to the club."

Ash sighed at his rival's … everything, "Don't let him get to you, guys." He started walking again, "Let's move. Route 1 awaits."

.

*Route 1, Finally

Ash, Soot, and Pikachu followed the dirt road as they made their way through the tree heavy route. Various wild Pokémon were scurrying around. Including rattata, sandshrew, and mankey. The pidgey and spearow flew around overhead. Upon seeing Ash, they all ran as if there was a forest fire.

Ash noticed and sweat dropped, "Maybe I shouldn't have come here as a human." He thought out loud.

Pikachu smirked, "_Eh, their probably just jealous of me and Soot. Not every mon can say they have a trainer like you._"

Ash chuckled, "Thanks. Let's take a break for a bit. We can get started on training."

Soot smiled brightly, "Finally!" She crouched down into a fighting stance, "Let's do this, dad!"

Ash smiled sadly, "Sorry Soot. Pikachu's the one who needs to train. You sit back and watch."

Soot frowned, "aww."

Pikachu looked over at him in surprise, "_What?! Why me?!_"

Ash raised a brow at the mouse, "Pikachu, you got winded following us from Oak's lab to my house and you've been riding on my shoulder all day. Besides, we're not doing anything big. Just some target practice."

Pikachu groaned, "_Fine._" He then realized something, "_What do we use as targets?_"

Ash looked around and inspected the surrounding trees. Finding an uninhabited one, he looked back towards Pikachu with a smile, "Give me a second." He picked the Mouse up off his shoulder and put him on the ground.

Ash moved over to the tree and held his right arm out to his side. Flicking his hand once, his fingernails all elongated an extra half millimeter; the new portions were a shade of light green. Acting fast, he attacked the side of the tree and carved a full bullseye into the side; around a foot in diameter. Satisfied, his nails returned to normal and he looked back at the, once again, shocked pikachu.

Pikachu stared in shock at the tree his trainer carved with his claws, "_Do I even want to know?_"

"Power Integration." Soot responded matter-of-factly.

Pikachu stared at her with a deadpanned expression, "_That's going to be the answer to a lot of things, isn't it?_"

Soot shrugged with a smirk, "Probably."

Pikachu sighed, "_Whatever. Let's get this over with._"

Pikachu lazily shot a Thunder Shock at the tree and barely scratched the outermost ring. Pikachu frowned and fired again. He was closer than last time but still way off.

"_What?!_" Pikachu cried out in complaint.

Ash smiled down at him, "See? You need to exercise." He raised a finger, "Tell you what, my mom packed some mixed berry brownies. Hit the ring closest to the center and I'll give you one."

Pikachu raised a brow; somewhat interested, "_What kind of berries?_"

"Pecha." Soot's voice responded, "Mostly Pecha."

Pikachu's eyes lit up at the word, "_DEAL!_" He immediately got to work with his goal in mind.

Unfortunately, Ash and Pikachu weren't the only ones to hear what Soot said. An eavesdropping wild rattata peeked out from behind a tree and looked at Ash's backpack. The Mouse Pokémon made sure the trainer was distracted and scurried over. They checked again and saw Pikachu firing away at the tree and Ash watching the Electric-type closely. They managed to open the bag but, instead of the brownies, they met a pair of glowing red eyes.

Ash sighed, "Here we go."

Soot sprang out of the bag and roared at the rattata. The Pokémon screamed in fear and ran away from the laughing mightyena.

Pikachu watched the whole thing happen in surprise. He then deadpanned, "_Y'know what? Not even gonna ask._"

He got back to target practice.

.

**Time skip**

Pikachu had been firing at the target for over an hour now. He finally managed to hit the rim of the smallest ring. He flopped on his back and panted before giving a thumbs up, "_Done._"

Ash applauded, "Not bad. I was kind of hoping you'd hit inside the ring." Pikachu glared at him. Ash smiled, "But you did hit the smallest ring. A deal's a deal."

Ash walked over to his bag, opened it, and pulled out a plastic container. He opened it, pulled out one of the brownies, and handed it to Pikachu. The mouse happily accepted it while drooling. He was about to take a bite when a wild spearow swooped down and stole it.

Pikachu glared at the Tiny Bird Pokémon furiously, "_HEY, GIVE THAT BACK! I WORKED HARD FOR IT!_"

The spearow responded by eating the brownie whole.

Ash glared at the bird, "Whatever, we still have more." He reached into the container and gave Pikachu another.

Spearow swooped in again, only to be caught by Ash.

Spearow's eyes widened in shock, "_Wha-_"

Ash glared at the bird in his hand, "Not happening birdbrain. One was enough." He threw the Normal/Flying-type into a nearby tree and they disappeared into the leaves.

Pikachu watched the bird before looking up at Ash in surprise, "_You're just full of surprises, aren't you?_" He took a bite of the brownie and smiled happily.

Ash shrugged. He heard leaves rustling and looked around. They were surrounded by angry spearow.

Ash's eyes widened in shock, "Uh oh."

Pikachu heard him in the middle of his third bite and looked around. He flinched and dropped his prize, "_Um, hey._"

Soot popped her head out of the bag, "What's going-" She noticed the flock too and her eyes widened, "Oh." She quickly phased out of her hiding place and smiled nervously, "Hey, uh. Look. I'm sure we can work this out."

The flock's glare deepened. The trio grimaced.

"_Sooooo, run?_" Pikachu asked.

Ash and Soot nodded, "Yup!"

The three of them bolted with the flock hot on their tails. In two cases, literally.

Pikachu started falling behind and immediately became the spearows' target. Ash wasn't having that. He stopped in his tracks, decked the nearest spearow, and picked up Pikachu before running again.

'Crag, we can't keep this up for long!' Ash thought. He perked up upon hearing rushing water up ahead.

Ash's eyes narrowed, "Soot, you hear it too, right?"

Soot nodded, "Yeah. Definitely a waterfall. It's not far."

Ash gulped, "I was worried about that. Prepare to jump."

Pikachu's eyes widened, "_Wait, can we discuss this first?!_"

"No time!" Ash called out, "Here it comes!"

Ash and Soot reached the edge of the cliff and jumped. They could see the river below them. During the fall, Ash did the dumbest thing he could think of.

Soot looked over as she felt Ash grab her foreleg. He looked at her with a sad expression and shouted "Sorry!" before twisting and throwing her into one of the trees down below.

"DAD!" Soot shouted as she disappeared into the foliage.

The flock saw this and considered going after Soot. That is, until the bird at the front felt something nick their beak. They looked back and saw Ash pointing his right hand towards the spearow with his claws out again. This time, however, the green portions from his pinky and ring finger were missing.

Ash smirked before he twisted around again and hit his watch. He became engulfed in green light right before hitting the water.

.

*Somewhere down the river

A girl with orange hair sat near the edge of the river with a fishing pole in her hands. She suddenly felt a tug on the line.

The girl smiled brightly, 'Finally!' She pulled with all her might. With one final pull, she pulled out a pikachu and a … vaporeon?! That was too rare to pass up!

She quickly pulled out a pokéball, only to be hit in the face with a Water Gun. She quickly recovered and found that Vaporeon had escaped. 'CRAG!' And … wait where did he come from?

Instead of the vaporeon, there was some kid with black hair; panting heavily.

"Hey, where'd you come from?! Where's Vaporeon?!" The girl shouted angrily.

"What? Vaporeon? What are you talking about?" the boy replied in confusion.

"The vaporeon that I just fished out of the river!" She pointed at the Electric-type without looking, "The one that was holding on to that pikachu!"

The boy raised a brow, "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm the one you fished out of the water -thanks by the way- and-" The boy's eyes widened, "Oh, Crag! Pikachu!" He scurried over to the half-conscious mouse.

The girl looked at him; becoming concerned at seeing the hurt Pokémon, "Is it alright?"

The boy put a hand on the Pokémon's head and frowned, "He's burning up." He looked back at her, "Quick, which way to the nearest Pokémon Center?!"

The girl pointed at a nearby path, "That way. In Viridian City."

The boy looked at the path and was about to respond when a series of angry caws rang out in the distance.

The two humans looked up and saw a swarm of angry spearow approaching.

The boy flinched and stared at the flock in shock, "Are you kidding me?! How persistent are they?!"

Catching on, the girl pulled her bike over and shoved the handlebars into the boy's hands, "Take this. You'll get their faster."

The boy nodded, "Thanks. But you need to hide. They may be after me, but I don't think we should take that chance."

She nodded and ran behind a tree as the boy rode off on her bike with the spearow flock right behind him.

She sighed in relief when it became quiet. Her nerves immediately came back when she heard growling.

She turned around to see a pair of red and yellow eyes staring at her and approaching slowly. She grimaced and tried to back away. Only to end up tripping and falling back. Looking up, she came face-to-face with a large black and grey dog Pokémon. It stared at her with the same eyes from before and growled. She was about to cry out for help. That is, until the Pokémon started talking to her.

"trainer *huff* pikachu *huff*" it said in a feminine voice while panting.

The girl's eyes widened in shock, "W-what?"

The Pokémon spoke again with a tired look, "A trainer *huff* and a pikachu *huff* have you seen them?"

The girl pointed in the direction the boy went, "V-Viridian C-City."

The Pokémon looked in the same direction, turned back, and nodded, "Thank you."

It turned away and started walking in the same direction as the boy. Then it fainted.

The girl just sat there in a daze and stared at the Pokémon in shock, 'What the Yvel is going on today?'

She heard thunder and looked over to see a cluster of gray clouds approaching. She groaned in annoyance and stood up to try and go find shelter. She stopped for a second and looked back. The black Pokémon was still lying in the road.

The girl sighed, 'I can't just leave it there.'

She made her way over to the Pokémon and hoisted it onto her back. Luckily, it was lighter than she expected. Looking at its forelegs -slumped over her shoulders- she noticed something weird.

The Pokémon had a thin yellow zipper wrapped around its right leg; near the shoulder. Thinking again, she remembered seeing one across its spine too. Curiosity got the best of her as she pulled at the zipper on its leg. Her eyes widened in pure shock, as the entire limb fell off and landed on the ground in front of her.

The girl's massive scream rang throughout the forest and scared off ever nearby Flying-type.

.

**Time Skip**

Soot finally started to wake up and found herself in a cave with a massive storm pouring outside. A fire was already set up in the middle of the cave. The redhead from before was sitting on the other side of it.

The girl noticed Soot waking up and ran over, "Hey, are you alright?"

Soot groaned, "I'm fine. Just worn out."

The girl sighed in relief and then flinched with a frightened look when she noticed Soot looking at where her leg used to be.

Soot blinked before looking outside at the storm again. She growled in anger, "Freaking, Arceus!" The girl became scared; unnoticed to Soot, "First, dad gets the 'genius' idea to ditch me during a crisis and have them chase him instead! Then, I lose my arm in a freaking STORM?!" She groaned, "Ugh, the mildew. It'll take forever to clean."

The girl became confused at the Pokémon's words, "Um", She said; catching Soot's attention, "Aren't you upset about your leg falling off?"

Soot looked at where her arm was; the yellow zipper teeth were still attached, "What? That?" She looked back at the girl with a raised brow, "That happened years ago. It zips right back on."

The girl's eyes widened in shock upon hearing that. She shook it off, "Well, um, you might like to know that it's right there." She said while pointing to the dog's limb propped up against the cave wall.

Soot looked where she was pointing and immediately shot towards it before reattaching the limb.

She sat down, held up her foreleg, and started wiggling her claws to make sure nothing happened.

Soot sighed in relief before looking back towards the girl with a smile on her face, "Thanks. Looking for this would not have been fun."

The girl just stared at the talking Pokémon in wary surprise.

Soot took notice and raised a brow, "Hey, are you alright? You seem kind of pale. Wait-" She stopped before chuckling, "it's the talking thing isn't it?"

"Among other things" The girl muttered before looking at Soot curiously, "What are you anyway?"

Soot chuckled again, "It's more of a 'who' than a 'what', miss. My name is Soot Ketchum. I'm a mightyena with banette inheritance. I was raised by humans, hence the talking. Now who might you be?"

"Um, Misty. Misty Waterflower." Misty responded, still coming to terms with the fact that she was talking to a Pokémon.

Soot moved over and shook her hand, "Nice to meet you, Misty."

Thunder crashed outside.

Soot frowned, "Geez, it's really pouring out there. I hope dad's alright."

Misty blinked in surprise, "Your dad?"

Soot looked back at her, "Yeah, he's the trainer I was looking for earlier. He raised me from an egg."

Misty smiled, "I'm sure he's fine, Soot."

.

*Ash and Pikachu

He was not fine. The storm caught up fast and then the bike ended up hitting a rock; making Ash and Pikachu wipe out into the mud. Ash struggled to get back up and looked towards the bike. The chain had broken.

Ash pounded the ground in rage, "CRAG!"

He looked to Pikachu and saw him lying on the ground, motionless. Ash crawled over to his starter and shook him. "Pikachu. Come on. Wake up."

The mouse managed to open his eyes and stared at Ash with a sad smile, "_Hey._"

Ash sighed in relief and smiled back, "Hey."

The spearow started closing in; still not giving up in their chase. Ash glared up at them angrily. Using whatever strength he had left, he forced himself to stand up. He looked back down at Pikachu. The mouse stared up at him weakly. Ash removed Pikachu's pokéball from his belt and dropped it in front of the Electric-type.

"Pikachu," Ash started in a sorrowful tone, "I know you don't like it in your pokéball, but you have to go in. One last time."

Pikachu looked down at the ball in front of him.

Ash gulped, "Please Pikachu. When the rain stops, I'm sure Soot will come looking for us and find it. I promise you'll be safe."

Pikachu's eyes widened upon realizing what Ash was saying. He looked up at the boy in shock.

Ash glanced at his watch. It was still red from using Vaporeon earlier.

'Mom, I'm sorry. I couldn't keep my promise.' He held up his arms, 'Soot, stay safe. I promise I'll be watching over you with Yena.'

Ash glared up at the flock furiously as they dove at him, "You want Pikachu? WELL YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET THROUGH ME FIRST YOU FLYING RATS!"

Ash stood there with arms wide as he prepared for the worst. Without warning, he felt something jump on and off his shoulder. Pikachu was right there, suspended in mid-air when a bolt of lightning struck him. Everything went white.

.

**Time Skip**

The storm had long since cleared. Ash and Pikachu laid there on the soaked path and looked up into the clearing sky tiredly. The spearow flock surrounded them; all either unconscious or twitching from paralysis. Ash looked around and started laughing. Pikachu joined in soon after.

"I guess we made it. Huh buddy." Ash said as he looked over at Pikachu.

"_Yeah._" Pikachu nodded with a tired smile, "_Hey, Ash, you mind helping me up? I can't feel anything._"

Ash chuckled and looked back into the sky, "In a minute." Ash let out a breath, "Soot's gonna be furious."

Pikachu chuckled too, "_Yeah. By the time she's done, you'll need a new tail._"

Ash looked at him in mild confusion, "Pikachu, I'm still human. I don't have a tail."

Pikachu looked at him and squinted, "_Huh? Oh, sorry, everything's kind of blurry._"

Ash managed to get back up and picked up Pikachu. The Mouse reached up and licked Ash's cheek. He regretted it instantly.

"_Ugh, you taste like dirt._" He started spitting out the terrible taste.

Ash chuckled again, "That tends to happen after you fall in mud."

The two friends flinched as they heard a large caw ring out above them. They looked up hesitantly; expecting to see a giant fearow. They were close at least.

A gigantic golden bird Pokémon surrounded by a rainbow aura flew above them. The pair could only stare in awe as they flew across the sky with a huge rainbow behind them.

"_Whoa_." Pikachu muttered in awe.

"I-I think that's Ho-Oh." Ash said in awestruck shock, "They're a legendary who's said to bestow eternal happiness to whoever sees them."

"_Whoa._"

After Ho-Oh disappeared, neither of them could bring themselves to say anything else. Ash just started walking towards Viridian City.

.

**Ohirume: … yeah, I got nothin'. Review at your own leisure.**

**Seishin: What do you mean 'nothing'?! The spearow attack, Misty, and SOOT'S MOM?! That is not nothing. Not to mention you stole 'Power Integration' from Vrains. Wait, Omega, are you … CRYING?!**

**Omega: *sniffle* I'm not heartless y'know. The thing with the dog's mom just struck a chord, alright?**

**…**

**Edit notes: most -if not all- of Soot's 'expressions/action descriptors' involved the word 'respond' or 'replied' instead of her actually doing something. / regular touch-ups. / 'it' was replaced by 'they', 'them', etc. wherever it seemed appropriate.**


	3. Ch 3: Viridian Center (fix)

**Seishin: Pa pa pa-la pa pa pa-la pa**

**A smoky haze and bags under her eyes**

**Pa pa pa-la pa pa-**

**Omega: What are you doing?**

**Seishin: Panda Hero. Rob loves it.**

**Omega: Seishin, he's not here, and this is the pre chat to Trix's story.**

**Seishin: What's your point?**

**Omega: My point is that our author is too lazy to write himself into a fake chat, but somehow has enough interest to write us in. So that we can insult him. And for the record, Matryoshka's better.**

**Ohirume doesn't own Pokémon or Ben 10. Even though Ben Tennyson isn't even in this story.**

.

.

**Enter the Trio  
No, the annoying one**

.

Ash ran as fast as he could with Pikachu in his arms. He was panting like Soot was the last time she tried racing Quick Attack. He finally saw Viridian City up ahead and smiled in triumph. Then this happened:

"Where do you think you're going?" Officer Jenny said as she grabbed Ash by the collar and glared at him.

"Pokémon *huff* Center." Ash said as he tried to catch his breath.

Jenny's stopped glaring, "Oh, sorry. I thought you were stealing that Pokémon. There have been reports of thieves in the area. Also, not a lot of people come into a city with a Pokémon in their arms instead of in a pokéball."

Ash didn't care. He was too focused on Pikachu, "Uh-huh, sure. Can I go now?"

Jenny nodded, "Sure. But I'll need to see some ID first."

Ash quickly pulled out his Pokédex and handed it to the officer. She opened the device and hit a few buttons. Ash's picture appeared on the screen as the device responded, I'm Dexter, a Pokédex programmed by Professor Oak for Pokémon Trainer Ash Ketchum of the town of Pallet. My function is to provide Ash with information and advice regarding Pokémon and their training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced.

Ash looked at the machine with a deadpanned expression, 'Town of Pallet? Really Oak?'

Jenny started talking again, "You know, you're the fourth trainer to come here from Pallet town today."

Ash looked at her; dumbfound, "Officer Jenny, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need to get Pikachu to a Center. Now."

Jenny looked at him with a smile, "Well why didn't you say so?"

Ash's eye twitched, 'She can't be serious.'

Jenny pulled her motorcycle out from behind a wall and jumped on, "Come on. There's no time to lose."

Ash deadpanned and sighed before jumping into the side car. The motorcycle sped off towards the Pokémon Center. It came up in the distance at an alarming rate.

"Hey! Aren't we gonna slow down?!" Ash called up to the driver.

Jenny grinned while looking ahead, "No time! This is an emergency!"

Hearing that, Ash grimaced and crouched down to cover Pikachu. The motorcycle burst through the doors and left skid marks on the floor.

Not hearing any glass break, Ash looked back at the door. It was still standing … and in one piece.

Ash blinked in surprise, "Wow. Strong door."

Nurse Joy glared at Jenny, "We have a parking lot, you know."

Ash ran up before the cop could respond, "It's my pikachu! He's hurt! Please help!"

Nurse Joy looked down at Pikachu with a worried expression. She turned towards the hallway behind her and shouted, "We need a stretcher for a small Electric-type!"

A pair of chansey ran in on either side of the stretcher, placed Pikachu on it, and wheeled him off. Ash sighed in relief.

Nurse Joy took this moment to scold Ash, "Next time, try being more careful. The fact that you got Pikachu here when you did was pure luck. Pushing your Pokémon like this is incredibly irresponsible."

Ash was too tired to argue, "Noted." He pointed back towards a couch, "If you need me, I'll be over there."

He walked over to the couch, laid down on it, and passed out. Nurse Joy blinked in surprise; not expecting that response.

Jenny got back on her bike and saluted with a smile, "Happy to help." She sped off through the doors again.

"Use the parking lot next time!" Joy shouted as she left.

.

*Soot and Misty; earlier

After the rain stopped, the two girls started making their way towards Viridian. Neither were happy.

Misty groaned, "I can't believe I have to walk all the way to Viridian City, just to get my freaking bike back."

Soot sweat dropped, "Yeah? Well I can't believe my dad threw me into a tree."

Misty flinched before laughing nervously, "Right, talking Pokémon. Still getting used to that."

Soot chuckled, "Well, think about it like this. Pokémon are smarter than you might think. If it weren't for the creativity thing, we'd probably be the ones in charge now-a-days."

Misty laughed nervously again before realizing what the Dark-type said. She raised a brow, "creativity?"

Soot looked up at her and nodded, "Yeah. Pokémon aren't naturally as fast thinking and imaginative as humans are. You humans come up with all kinds of crazy ideas and useful gadgets that would take most Pokémon years to understand."

Misty blinked in surprise, "I- Never realized that."

Soot shrugged calmly, "Well, you wouldn't be the first. Most humans and Pokémon have forgotten about that fact entirely."

"Wow, that's a lot to take in all at once." Misty replied; feeling a little dazed.

Soot chuckled again, "Yeah, it can be weird. But, for the record, that rule isn't really set in stone."

Misty looked at her in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Soot looked up at her again, "Well, it's usually in the cases of human-raised Pokémon or Pokémon-raised humans. And yes, it happens. Wild Pokémon gossip a lot." She looked up thoughtfully, "By the time I was 3, I started getting weird ideas … well, in general. It took some getting used to." She smiled softly, "But I'll never forget that huge smile on dad's face when I first told him."

Misty smiled softly, "Your dad sounds like a pretty nice g-" She cut herself off when she saw her bike in the road. The entire thing was burnt to a crisp.

A shadow cloaked Misty's eyes, "Soot. Remind me to kill your dad."

Soot stared at the bike in shock, "Alright. But I get the first hit."

.

*Viridian City Pokémon Center

Ash sneezed and woke up immediately, 'Someone's talking about me. I've got a pretty good idea who.' He groaned.

Ash looked up at a clock and found he'd only been asleep for about an hour. He groaned again as he sat up. He looked towards the ER and saw that the light was still on. He became worried but shook it off, 'Nurse Joy knows what she's doing.' He tried to reassure himself, 'He'll be fine.'

In an attempt to take his mind off it, he walked over to the phone and dialed up his mom.

Delia appeared on the monitor with a smile, "Ash, how are-" She stopped and frowned, "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

Ash smiled in response; not wanting to worry her, "Nothing's wrong. I'm just a little tired."

Delia's eyes narrowed, "Don't lie to me, Ash. What happened?"

Ash frowned before sighing, "It's been a long day. Soot and I got separated, and Pikachu's hurt."

Delia frowned, "Oh, Ash."

Ash looked down with a sad expression, "Maybe I wasn't as ready as I-"

"Stop." Delia interrupted; catching Ash's attention, "Ash, you made a mistake. Just like everybody does. What's important is that you learn and improve. You can't beat yourself up after one bad day."

Ash smirked slyly, "How many fortune cookies did you have to dig through for that?"

Delia turned away sourly, "Not important." She turned back and the pair chuckled for a bit. Delia smile softly, "But, it's true. One mistake isn't going to decide your whole life. You get back up when things take a turn for the worst."

Ash smiled softly, "Thanks mom." He sweat dropped, "I'm not sure how that'll help with Soot, though. She's going to be furious when she finds me."

Delia smiled, "Well, she forgave you for eating all of her favorite-"

"Please don't remind me." Ash interrupted; deadpanned, "I'd rather just forget about that."

Delia chuckled. Her attempts to embarrass her son never failed.

She smiled softly and continued, "But in all seriousness, you're her father, Ash. Nothing you do will ever make her hate you." She stopped and reconsidered her statement, "Well, not for that long."

Ash deadpanned, "Gee, thanks." He sighed, "I think I should go ahead and call the professor. He might want to know about this."

"Alright. Love you, sweetie. And don't forget to change your-"

"Love you too, mom!" Ash jumped in before he hung up while blushing.

After a second, Ash's eyes widened in shock upon realizing what he just did, 'Oh boy. I should not have hung up like that.'

After cooling down, he called Professor Oak.

"Ah, Ash. How are things going?" Professor Oak said while looking the wrong way.

Ash snickered, "Wrong camera, professor."

The man flinched, "Oh, sorry." The screen adjusted to show Oak's face, "There we are. Now, how are things?" He frowned and blinked in surprise, "Wait, where are Soot and Pikachu?"

Ash frowned, "Soot and I got separated on Route 1. Pikachu's hurt and being taken care of by Nurse Joy as we speak."

Oak frowned, "Sounds like a rough day."

Ash sighed, "You don't know the half of it."

"Well cheer up. Nurse Joy's the best of the best when it comes to Pokémon care." Oak said as he tried to lighten the mood, "As for Soot, I'm sure she's fine. You two have been in much larger scrapes."

Ash chuckled lightly, "Well, I can't argue that. Also, I just got off the phone with mom. She just gave me one of her old 'fortune cookie pep-talks'."

Oak laughed, "Good to hear. I'm sure it'll work itself-"

"YOU IDIOT!"

Ash turned to see Soot charging at him. Before he could respond, she headbutted him in the gut, and slammed him into the wall; cracking it in the process.

Misty flinched upon seeing this happen.

Ash looked at Soot and chuckled nervously, "Hey Soot. How's it goin'?"

Soot glared at him, "How's it goin'? HOW'S IT GOIN'? We jump off a waterfall, you throw me into a tree -forcing me to hide in a cave- in the middle of a storm, no less, leave me to wonder if you're still alive, and the first thing you ask is 'HOW'S IT GOIN'?"

Ash looked down in shame.

Soot pushed up against him; softer this time, "Never do that again." She said in a soft, but angry, tone. "I don't want to lose you too."

Ash hugged her, "I'm sorry Soot."

Misty just watched in surprise; her destroyed bike still on her back. She couldn't bring herself to interrupt.

Oak just sat there and watched. Although he couldn't hear anything due to the receiver being on the floor. He hung up; knowing he wouldn't be continuing his conversation with Ash.

Soot looked up at Ash again, "One other thing. You, kind of, microwaved Misty's bike."

Ash looked at her in confusion, "Misty?"

"Hey." Misty said calmly with a raised hand.

Ash looked over and flinched when he saw the bike, "O-oh. Right. Sorry about that."

Misty smiled softly, put down the bike, and walked over to help him back onto his feet, "Don't worry too much, it was an emergency." Ash relaxed a little before Misty continued, "But you're still paying me back for destroying it."

Ash flinched; knowing he didn't have enough money left over for that. Before he could answer, he heard a faint ding and turned to see the light above the emergency room had turned off. Pikachu was wheeled out on the stretcher. He had bandages all over, was hooked up to a car battery, and had a flashing lightbulb strapped to his head.

Ash ran over to the stretcher, "Pikachu. How do you feel?"

Pikachu looked up at Ash with a weird smile on his face, "_Ash! You're here!_" He cocked his head and squinted, "_Why are you a hitmonlee?_"

Ash blinked in confusion, "Pikachu?"

The Mouse Pokémon looked over at Soot. He smiled and waved, "_Hey, the blue persian came back. Hi, kitty._"

Soot stared at him in confusion. She looked over at the nurse, "Is he okay?"

Joy's eyes widened at seeing the Pokémon talk but she recovered quickly, "Oh, we gave him a mild sedative. He should be back to normal in a few minutes."

Pikachu raised a digit on his paw and cried out, "_What the gardevoir said!_"

Ash and Soot started laughing.

Misty looked at them in confusion, "what's so funny?"

The pair flinched; remembering that only Soot should have been able to understand the Electric-type.

Soot looked back at her with a smile, "Oh, Pikachu was just calling everyone another Pokémon. Nurse Joy, a gardevoir. Me, a blue persian. Dad, a hitmonlee."

Misty started laughing, "Okay, that is kind of funny. It must be pretty convenient to be able to understand Pokémon like that."

Ash flinched, "Understanding Pokémon? Whoever heard of something so crazy?"

Soot nudged and glared up at him, "I think she meant me, dad."

Ash chuckled nervously, "Oh, right."

Misty raised a brow, 'weird.'

Before anyone could say anything else, a siren started blaring.

ATTENTION! WE HAVE SIGNS OF POKÉMON THIEVES IN THE CITY. PLEASE BE ON THE LOOK OUT AND BE EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS.

Soot looked up with a frown, "That can't be good."

A pair of pokéballs burst through the roof of the Pokémon Center and smoke started pouring in through the holes.

"Get back!" Ash shouted in alarm. He pulled Pikachu alongside him.

The pokéballs burst open and released a koffing and ekans. They looked towards the group; smiling stupidly and hissing respectively. A pair of voices started laughing from the smoke.

"Prepare for trouble!" a female voice said.

"And make it double!" a male voice followed. They continued switching off like this.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! Dat's right!" a meowth jumped down, finishing the speech.

Everyone just stared at the trio in confusion as they tried to process what the freaking Yvel they just witnessed.

Soot blinked in surprise, "Dad, I know human is my second language, and all, but-"

"Yeah, I'm just as confused as you are." Ash said; scratching his head.

Pikachu started laughing and clapping his paws, "_Ash, make the funny clowns sing again!_"

Meowth glared at the Mouse, "Hey! Who're you callin' clowns ya rodent?!"

Misty looked down at Soot and pointed at the Normal-type, "Do you know him, by chance?"

Soot looked back at Misty and her eyes narrowed, "Does it sound like I have a speech impediment?"

James blinked in surprise and looked towards his teammate, "Hey, Jessie. I think that weird Pokémon can talk like Meowth."

"I'm a mightyena, stupid!" Soot shouted.

Jessie smirked and put a hand to her chin, "I think you're right, James. Just imagine what the boss will say if we brought him something like that.

Meowth glared at Soot, "Hey, quit tryin' ta steal my spotlight!"

"Keep it!" Soot shouted back, "I don't want it if it means hanging out with those two!"

Nurse Joy glared at the intruders and shouted, "What do you think you're doing here?!"

Jessie laughed; trying to sound maniacal, "What does it look like? We're here for rare and powerful Pokémon."

"Well you're wasting your time!" Nurse Joy shouted; still glaring, "This facility is for the sick and injured! You should just leave now!"

James waved a finger with a smirk, "Not so fast." He pointed at Soot, "That mighty-una seems pretty rare to us."

"MIGHTYENA!" Soot shouted in annoyance.

Meowth smirked, "So we'll be takin' it!"

James raised an arm, "Koffing!"

Jessie followed suit, "Ekans!"

The two Pokémon charged forward.

Soot smirked wickedly, "About time I got some action."

She crouched down and prepared to pounce. And then Ash ran over and tackled her out of the way. The two Poison-types shot past as they missed their target.

Soot glared at Ash, "Dad! What are you doing?!"

Ash didn't look back; focusing intently on their opponents, "Think about it, Soot." He whispered, "Their trainers only called out their names and these two knew exactly how to respond. That kind of thing takes a lot of training. These two could be way out of our league."

Soot considered that and nodded, "Okay." She stood up, "So, what do you suggest?"

Ash glanced back at Team Rocket for a split second before looking back at their Poison-types.

"Right now, we should get everyone to safety. We'll need more time to come up with a real plan."

Soot nodded, "Right." She grinned up at him, "So, how about we open up this thing?" Soot said before gesturing to the zipper on her back.

Ash looked back towards Pikachu and the others, "Not yet. Right now, let's just go with a smokescreen."

Soot pouted, "Fine."

Team Rocket started losing their patience.

"Koffing! Ekans!" Jessie shouted, "Why are you just standing there?! Get them!"

The two Pokémon complied and charged again. Ash and Soot dodged. Soot took this chance to fire a Shadow Ball at the ground; kicking up enough dust to hide them.

Ash ran over and grabbed Pikachu's stretcher, "Come on!" He ran down the Center's main hallway.

Misty, Soot, and Joy followed. When the dust settled, Team Rocket stared in shock.

"Did they just-" Jessie started in a daze.

"I think they did." James followed; equally dazed.

The two humans and meowth looked down the hallway; livid, "THEY STOLE OUR MOVE!"

.

*Ash, Misty, Nurse Joy, Soot, Pikachu

Everyone kept running. Except Pikachu who cheered during the whole 'ride.'

Ash glanced at the nurse, "Nurse Joy, please tell me there's somewhere we can hide."

The nurse nodded, "Up ahead. Follow me." She ran ahead of them.

They complied and followed her through a door on the left. Joy closed the door, locked it, and sighed in relief.

Misty looked around the room and blinked in surprise, "Are those pokéballs?"

The nurse nodded, "This is our pokéball storage room."

Ash looked at her in surprise, "Hold on a sec. There are Pokémon thieves outside and you thought it would be best for us to hide in the one room with the most Pokémon?"

The nurse went over to the computer in the room and started typing, "That's not the only reason we're here. In an emergency, we need to transfer all the Pokémon to another center. This takes priority."

Ash blinked in surprise, "Fair enough."

The lights went out.

"What now?" Misty complained.

Nurse Joy glared up at the lights, "They must have found out how to cut the power." She perked up and smirked, "But don't worry, we have pika-power."

She flipped a switch and the glass panel next to them lit up. About a dozen pikachu showed up on the other side and started running on a circular conveyor belt, "Pika pika chu chu. Pika pika chu chu."

Ash blinked and cleaned his ears. They're chanting didn't change. He glanced down at Soot. She looked just as confused.

Misty watched the Electric-types with a smile, "Aww, look at the pikachu. They look so happy." She perked up and looked back, "Hey, Soot, you can tell us what they're saying, right?"

Soot sweat dropped with a frown, "I'd tell you … if they were actually saying anything. You're hearing the exact same thing I'm hearing."

Misty blinked in surprise and looked back at the pikachu in confusion, "huh."

Nurse Joy got back to work on the computer. Another Nurse Joy showed up on the screen, "This is the Pewter City Pokémon Center. What's the emergency?"

"We're under attack by thieves." The Viridian Nurse Joy responded, "Prepare for emergency transfer."

The Pewter Nurse Joy's eyes narrowed determinedly and she nodded, "Understood." She glanced down and rapid typing could be heard on the other side. A few seconds later, she looked back up at the screen, "Ready."

Viridian Joy nodded and pressed a button, "Transferring now."

A mechanical arm unfolded from the wall and started pulling pokéballs off the shelves and loading them onto the transfer device. The pokéballs teleported the instant they reached the machine.

Soot blinked in surprise, "Wow. They have this stuff down to a science. I'm impressed."

Ash blinked too, "ditto."

Pikachu laughed hysterically at Ash's reply, "_Hah! I knew you were a ditto!_"

Ash sweat dropped. He was thankful none of the other humans could understand Pikachu. He was also wondering when the laughing gas would finally wear off.

A bang on the door snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Crag!" Misty shouted in alarm, "They found us."

Ash looked at the door and grimaced, 'It won't last long. We need to do something before they blow the door open.'

Ash's eyes widened, "That's it!"

Misty looked at him in surprise, "What?"

Soot looked too and smirked, "I know that look. You have an idea."

Ash frowned while pulling off his backpack and placing it on the floor, "Yeah, but it's one you guys might not like. Especially you, Nurse Joy."

The nurse glared at him, "What do you mean by that?"

Ash reached into his bag, "Well, it involves the door."

.

*Outside the room; Team Rocket

James looked at the beat-up door with a grin, "Keep it up, Koffing! We're almost through!"

Koffing complied and kept ramming the door. Jessie, Meowth, and Ekans stood off to the side and watched.

"Dis is poifect." Meowth said with a sly smirk, "Once we get in, we'll nab dose Pokémon and da boss'll promote us big time."

Jessie grinned, "I can just imagine the look on Cassidy's face when I end up out-ranking her."

The snake just nodded.

All was going well until they heard a 'hiss.' And not from Ekans.

Meowth blinked before calling out, "Hey, James! Did Koffing spring a leak or somet'in'?!"

James shook his head, "I don't think it's Koffing."

Jessie frowned, "Well, what else could it-"

She was cut off when the metal door burst from its hinges … in the wrong direction. James barely had enough time to grab Koffing and jump out of the way as the door became implanted in the wall behind him.

Inside the room, Misty stared at where the door was in pure shock, "Why do you even have those?!"

Ash shook the flames off the red gloves he was now wearing, "It's easier than matches. RUN!"

Ash ran out the door with Soot hot on his tail.

Team Rocket stared at the door in the wall and back at the escaping duo.

James growled, "I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THAT TWERP!"

He ran after Ash with Koffing right next to him. His allies watched in surprise.

"I don't think I've ever seen James that mad before." Jessie said; wide eyed.

"Me Neit'er." Meowth responded, "Come on!" He shouted as he joined in the chase.

Jessie and Ekans followed.

Ash and Soot continued running back down the hallway and towards the lobby.

Soot looked up towards Ash worriedly, "Dad, are you feeling okay?"

Ash kept running, "Yeah. I'm fine."

Soot frowned, "Are you sure? It was risky using those gloves. You know what they do to you."

Ash still didn't look away from the hall ahead of them, "I'm fine, Soot. I didn't use that much."

Soot was still unsure, "Fine."

They reached the lobby, only to be cut off by Koffing and Ekans. The pair flinched and skidded to a halt.

Ash grimaced, "Crag! I forgot about the airducts!"

"We got you now, twoip!"

Ash turned around to see the rest of Team Rocket glaring at him. His eyes narrowed and he quickly raised his hands towards them.

"No way!" Soot argued as she grabbed Ash's arms and pulled them down, "You are not burning off any more blood!"

Team Rocket stopped glaring when they heard that, and their eyes widened in shock. Meowth looked up at his partners, "Did she jus' say blood?"

Ash sighed, "fine." He tore off the gloves, shoved them into his bag, and pulled the green one's back on. "What do you suggest?"

She looked over at the Poison-types, "You take Ekans and I take Koffing?"

Ash cracked his knuckles, "Fine, just be careful."

Team Rocket heard this and composed themselves.

"Koffing, let's do this!" James called out.

"Ekans, be ready!" Jessie called out as well; expecting Ash to send out another Pokémon.

Ash didn't do that.

The trainer ran forward, faster than they expected, and punched Ekans clean in the jaw.

Soot followed and threw a Sucker Punch at Koffing.

Both Pokémon were knocked out instantly.

Ash blinked in surprise, "Wow. We really overestimated them."

Soot glared at him, "No, you overestimated them." She sighed and sat down, "We let this drag out for so long."

"HEY, YOU CAN'T JUST DO THAT!" Jessie screamed at Ash.

Ash looked at her with a deadpanned expression, "You attacked a Pokémon Center. The rulebook went out the window a while ago."

James glared, "THAT STILL DOESN'T MAKE IT RIGHT!"

Soot looked up at Ash, "Why did we need to be careful, again?"

That was the last straw. Team Rocket had had it with Ash and Soot.

Jessie growled, "You know what?! Forget it! Maybe we can't get that wimpy-eyena-"

"YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!" Soot interrupted.

"-but we can still get all the Pokémon in the room back there!"

Ash smirked, "You sure about that?"

James glared at him, "What do you mean?!"

Ash raised a finger, "Fun fact about Pokémon Centers: in the event of a crisis involving invasion and/or an attempt at mass thievery, the faculty's main priority is to evacuate all Pokémon to another center. The only downside is that it can take some time."

Meowth grimaced, "What?! You mean dat-"

Ash gave a huge, toothy grin, "Yup. There all gone. Soot and I were just here to give them time."

Soot snickered, "Why do you think we used the door like that? We needed to provoke you into chasing us." She stuck her tongue out.

Team Rocket just stood there; shocked beyond belief. They were outsmarted by some twerp and his dog.

"You'll pay for dat twoip!" Meowth brought out his claws and charged Ash.

Ash was about to retaliate with his own claws when a bolt of electricity nailed Meowth in the side.

"Meowth!" Jessie and James cried out before running over to him.

"_Yeah, take that!_" Looking to the side, Ash saw Pikachu standing there triumphantly.

Ash smiled, "Pikachu! You're okay!"

Pikachu raised a paw -giving a V-sign- and smirked, "_Duh, it'll take more than a few dozen spearow to put me down. Now, what the Yvel is going on here?_"

Soot responded, "Pokémon thieves, they call themselves Team Rocket."

Pikachu glanced at the thieves, "_Are they tough?_"

Soot shook her head, "not at all."

"HEY!" Jessie cried out.

Pikachu frowned, "_Bummer._" He shrugged, "_Alright, I'll get rid of them._"

Meowth managed to recover and looked at the Mouse Pokémon warily, "w-whadda ya mean by dat?"

Koffing and Ekans came too and made their way over to their trainers. They stood guard in front of them.

Pikachu smirked, "_Oh, nothing special. Just a few thousand volts._"

Meowth grimaced, "W-w-wait a sec! Can't we talk about dis?!"

Pikachu's eyes narrowed, "_We crossed that line when you attacked my trainer._"

He snapped with the digits on his right paw and the pikachu from the conveyor belt jumped down from the wall behind him.

"_Alright, guys. Let's do this!_" Pikachu shouted with a raised paw

"PIKA!"

"_NOW, THUNDER SHOCK!_"

Pikachu and the others fired a massive Thunder Shock/Thunderbolt/whatever-they-knew towards Team Rocket and hit them dead on.

Team Rocket shouted as the electricity covered them. Koffing panicked and started using Smog. The volatile gas particles became heavily disrupted by the-

You know what? I'm not even gonna pretend you wanna know exactly how this works.

The Smog went Boom.

.

*Officer Jenny

Jenny heard the alarm and had been searching the entire city to try and find the thieves. She wasn't having any luck. And then, a massive explosion erupted in the direction of the Pokémon Center.

Turning towards the source, Jenny could see five small objects being thrown from the smoke and into the night sky.

She blinked in surprise, 'What was that?'

She sped towards the source of the explosion at top speed.

.

*Pokémon Center

The smoke cleared. Team Rocket was gone, the roof of the Pokémon Center had been completely annihilated and the glass door was, somehow, still there. The same couldn't be said for the windows.

Pikachu stared at what used to be a roof in shock, "_Woah. We may have overdone it._"

One of the pikachu looked at him; wide eyed, "_We?! No-no-no, this is all on you!_"

"_Yeah, we were just following what you said. It's not our fault this happened._" A female pikachu added.

Another pikachu pointed at him, "_We were never here._" The Center's pikachu all started walking back to the generator room.

Ash's pikachu stared in surprise as they walked away, "_Wait! You guys can talk?!_"

Ash put a hand on Pikachu's head, "Forget about them. They're not worth the effort if they just go and ditch you like that."

Soot walked over and sat next to them, "Yeah. With friends like them, who needs enemies?"

Pikachu cocked his head, "_I'm not sure I'd call them friends at all._" He said; not getting it.

Ash and Soot laughed.

"WHAT THE YVEL HAPPENED HERE?!"

The trio turned to see nurse Joy staring at the wreckage and gaping like a magikarp. Misty was standing next to her; too shocked for words.

Officer Jenny pulled up on her motorcycle, "Woah!"

Ash gulped, "This'll take some explaining."

.

.

**Ohirume: In hindsight, Officer Jenny's comments in the anime wasted a lot of time.**

**Seishin: Hey, you're back! Is the headache finally gone?"**

**Ohirume: Yukiro, it's never gone. Why do you think you exist?**

**Seishin: 'Exist', being a relative term, in this case.**

**Omega: Don't I know it.**

**?: Hey, what's going on here?**

**Omega: I'd tell you, Faux, but we just ran out of time.**

**Faux: But I-**

**…**

**Edit notes: Time passage errors – the part about Misty and Soot heading towards the city happened three hours before Ash fell asleep. But, Ash reacted to their conversation immediately, despite having been asleep for only a half hour … I don't know what I was thinking. / regular touch-ups.**


	4. Ch 4: Viridian Forest & Samurai (fix)

**Faux: So we're doing Trix's story?**

**Omega: Yup. Starting all the way back in Kanto.**

**Faux: But why Trix? He's not even the strongest or the most impressive among us.**

**Omega: Are you jealous?**

**Faux: NO, I just- Well my story's pretty interesting too. Why does Trix get to be first?**

**Ohirume: He's the only one of you I've developed as a character.**

**Faux: GAH! WHO ARE YOU?!**

**Seishin: Woah, calm down foxer. This is Rob, he's our author.**

**Faux: Wait, really? Awesome, so when are we doing my story?**

**Ohirume: Uhhhh, good question. But for now, how about you do the disclaimer.**

**Faux: The what?**

**Omega: Just read the script.**

**Faux: Um, okay. "Ohirume does not own Pokémon or Ben 10." Wait, who's Ohirume?**

.

.

**First Catch, Second Catch and … A Samurai?**

**.**

"_I still say you're bluffing._" Pikachu said in annoyance.

Ash chuckled, "'fraid not buddy. You were conscious during the whole thing. Just hyped up on laughing gas."

Pikachu glared, "_That still doesn't explain why I would say all those things. Plus, why would humans make something that forces others to laugh?_"

Ash and Soot laughed.

It had been two hours since the group left the Pokémon Center. After an excruciatingly long interrogation, they started making their way towards Viridian Forest, en route to Pewter City. Also, they were being followed.

Ash stopped, turned around, and called out, "You know you don't have to keep hiding like that, right?"

Misty walked out from behind at tree.

Ash frowned, "Care to explain why your following us?"

Misty glared, "You destroyed my bike! I still want you to pay me back for it, uh … I still don't even know your name."

Ash chuckled, "I'm Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town. As for the bike; I'm sorry but I don't have enough to pay for a replacement."

Misty crossed her arms, "Well then, I'll just have to keep following you until you do."

Ash rolled his eyes, "Fine. Just please stop hiding. It's creepy." He started walking down the path again.

Misty blinked, "wha- hey, wait up!" she hurried to catch up.

The trio, now quartet, continued on their way to Viridian Forest. As the trees came into view, Misty flinched.

"Wait! We're going in there?!"

Ash turned to look at her, "Yeah. Why?"

Misty looked over at Ash, "Well, couldn't we go around or something? So, we can avoid all the creepy bugs?"

Soot smirked, "Misty. Are you afraid of Bug-types?"

"Hey, Bugs are one of the three most disgusting things in the world." Misty shouted; not denying her fear.

Ash raised a brow, "what are the other two?"

"Peas and Carrots."

Pikachu snickered, "_Oh, this'll be good._"

Ash looked at Pikachu in confusion before looking back at Misty. He frowned as he saw what Pikachu meant, "Oh no."

Misty blinked, "what are you-" before she could finish, she felt something brushing up against her leg. She looked down shakily and saw a caterpie clinging to her ankle.

She screamed.

Ash, Pikachu, and Soot were forced to cover their ears to keep from going deaf. When it quieted down, they looked again to find Misty on the ground and trying to kick the caterpie off her.

Feeling bad, Ash walked over and pulled the Pokémon off the screaming girl. She relaxed but flinched again when she saw the caterpie in Ash's arms.

Ash frowned, "Wow, you really are afraid."

"J-just get rid of it already." Misty stuttered.

Ash turned towards the forest and put the Bug-type down, "Here you go little guy."

The Worm Pokémon turned to face him and stared. They didn't leave.

Ash raised a brow, "You're free to go." No change. "You can go back home now. We won't bother you anymore." They still didn't budge.

Ash frowned before perking up upon realizing something. He smiled softly, "Do you want to come with me?" The Bug-type's eyes lit up before they ran up to Ash, nuzzled his leg, and cried out in joy.

Ash chuckled, "Alright, I guess that's a 'yes'."

Misty stared in shock, "Wait! You're not actually going to catch it are you?!"

Ash looked back at her, "Caterpie's the one who wants to come with me. Who am I to argue?"

Ash pulled out a pokéball, enlarged it, and held it in front of Caterpie. Not hesitating, the Bug-type tapped their head against the ball and let themself be caught instantly.

Soot ran over, "Alright! Your first real catch!"

Ash chuckled, "Thanks Soot. Hey, Pikachu, we have a new teammate."

"_Sweet!_"

Ash tossed the pokéball into the air and released Caterpie.

Misty flinched again, "What are you doing?!"

Ash looked over, "Well, I just caught him. It's only right that I get to know him."

Ash held out his left arm to let Caterpie climb on. Caterpie approached it but turned to Misty at the last second and charged at her immediately.

The small bug chased her around for 5 straight minutes before Ash picked him up again.

'This'll take some getting used to.' Ash turned to the others, "Let's go. Pewter City awaits."

Ash made his way to the forest. Soot and Pikachu followed shortly after. Misty took a second to calm down and followed as well.

.

**Time Skip**

After traveling through the forest for about 3 hours, the gang decided to break for lunch.

Ash pulled out a picnic blanket, a box lunch, three bowls, and a container of Pokémon food.

He set everything up in a matter of minutes. The Pokémon all ran over to their bowls and started digging in immediately. Ash was quick to join them.

He was half-way done when he noticed Misty sitting off to the side and not eating.

He pulled out another box lunch, "Misty, heads up."

Making sure he got her attention; he tossed the box over to her.

Misty caught it and scowled, "I can take care of myself." She put the box to the side.

Ash didn't look back at her, "Just because you can, doesn't mean you have to. I'm not gonna hold it against you, if that's what your worried about."

Misty was about to argue but was cut off by her own stomach growling. Blushing, she glanced at the box, picked it up and turned around. She started eating a.s.a.p.

Ash smiled and continued eating.

He ended up finishing first and got up to stretch. His Pokémon followed not long after.

Ash smiled, "Alright, let's go."

Misty heard him and glared, "Hey, can you be a little patient? I'm not done eating."

Ash shook his head, "Training, not traveling. You can take your time, if you want. The rest of us are gonna head into the woods to exercise."

Ash started walking towards a bush with his Pokémon following. Soot called back, "We'll be back soon."

Misty watched as they left and sighed. She continued eating.

.

*Ash's team

"So, dad, what's on the agenda today?" Soot asked.

Caterpie cocked his head, "_What's a dad?_"

Pikachu looked at the Bug-type, "_It's what humans call their male meemas._"

Ash nodded, "Yeah. That's also part of why we're actually out here."

Caterpie looked at Ash in surprise, "_Did you understand me?_"

Soot shook her head, "Sorry but no. Dad can only understand a few species. Pikachu's is among them, though."

Pikachu frowned, "_That's something I wanted to ask about, actually. Pokémon language is universal between species. If you can understand one, you should be able to understand all of them._"

Ash shrugged, "I've been wondering the same thing for a while. Somehow, Power Integration puts that weird limit on the translation thing. I still can't explain it."

Caterpie was completely lost. His new trainer could apparently understand Pokémon, just not all of them, and was blaming it on something called power inte- inte- well, power something.

Soot noticed Caterpie's confused stare, "Dad, I think Caterpie could use an explanation."

Ash heard her and looked at the Bug-type, "Oh, right. Just warning you now, what I'm about to do will either clear everything up or make everything five times more confusing." Ash pushed the button on the side of his watch.

Finding a form that wouldn't scare the Bug-type, Ash smiled and slammed down on the watch.

When the green light faded, a vaporeon stood in Ash's place with the watch's symbol attached to their chest.

"_So, what do you think?_" Ash asked.

Caterpie cocked his head, "_About what?_"

Soot blinked, "You're not confused at seeing your trainer turn into a Pokémon?"

Caterpie turned to her, "_Lots of things can transform. How is this any different?_"

Ash and Soot looked at each other, not expecting that reaction.

Pikachu groaned, embarrassed that he fainted when he found out.

They all heard a cry from above and turned to see a pidgeotto charging down at them. Well, at Caterpie.

Before she could reach him, Ash tackled the bird in the side, "_Hey, what do you think you're doing?!_"

The bird glared at him, "_What does it look like I'm doing?! Stay out of this, fish!_"

Ash glared, "_Not happening. If you want him, you'll have to go through me._"

Pikachu stepped forward, "_Count me in._"

Soot joined in, "What he said."

Pidgeotto took off. Everyone relaxed until a Gust knocked them off their feet.

Ash glared again, '_I'm taking this battle to the air._'

He looked down at the symbol on his chest and hit it with his forepaw.

.

*Pidgeotto

Pidgeotto looked down at the clearing that the group of Pokémon were in. She saw a flash of green light and tensed; expecting an attack to come shooting at her. She became confused when the light faded, and nothing happened.

Suddenly, something came flying up towards her. It stopped in mid-air in front of her and was revealed to be a braviary. It had the same symbol on its chest that the vaporeon had.

Pidgeotto blushed at seeing the Flying-type, "_uh, h-hi._"

The braviary glared at her, "_So, are we gonna do this or what?_"

Pidgeotto's blush deepened, "_W-what?_"

Ash continued glaring, "_You know what. You attacked my team._" He looked down to the Pokémon below.

Pidgeotto stopped blushing and followed his gaze, "_Wait, those are your friends?!_"

Ash looked back at her, "_Yeah, and I don't appreciate you ambushing us like that._"

Pidgeotto became confused, "_Us? I didn't see you down there._"

He gestured to the symbol on his chest, "_I was the vaporeon._"

Pidgeotto fumbled in the air before recovering, "_Wait! So, you're actually a ditto?!_"

Ash glanced away, "_Something like that._" He sighed and looked back at the Bird Pokémon, "_Look, I'll forgive you for attacking us, if you apologize. To all of us._"

Pidgeotto nodded and the pair flew down to the clearing. When they landed, Caterpie was hiding behind Soot and Pikachu was crouched down in a fighting stance. Ash nudged Pidgeotto with a wing.

She put her head down, in a sort-of bow, "_I'm sorry for attacking you all. It wasn't right to do that._"

Everyone seemed to calm down when they heard her. Caterpie was still unsure and remained behind Soot.

Ash looked over at him with a soft smile, "_It's okay Caterpie. She won't hurt you._" Ash turned to glare at Pidgeotto, "_Right?!_"

Pidgeotto nodded begrudgingly, "_right._"

Caterpie crawled away from his hiding spot and slowly made his way towards the Normal/Flying-types.

"_uh, hi._" Caterpie said to Pidgeotto; still feeling unsure.

"_hi._" Pidgeotto replied. She felt awkward to be talking to the Bug-type.

She looked around the group, "_So, what's the story with you guys? Are you some kind of weird pack or do you all share a trainer?_"

"The second one." Soot responded casually.

"_Really?_" Pidgeotto asked in surprise before looking around, "_Where are they, then?_"

Caterpie cocked his head, "_What do you mean?_" He gestured to Ash, "_He's right there._"

Pidgeotto stared at the Worm Pokémon in surprise. She then looked over to Ash. He flinched at her gaze and put a wing behind his head sheepishly. She looked over at Soot and Pikachu. They just shrugged.

She stared at Ash again, "_What?_"

Ash sighed, "_This'll take some explaining._"

Ash ended up giving her the same explanations he gave Pikachu back home. Both of them.

Pidgeotto stared at Soot then back at Ash, "_So, she's actually your hatchling?_"

Ash nodded, "_Yup._"

Pidgeotto considered something before nodding, "_Alright, sounds good._"

Ash cocked his head, "_What?_"

Pidgeotto looked at him with a smile, "_I'll be joining your team from here on. You need a Flying-type and, I have to admit, it'll be interesting to have a trainer that's stronger than me._"

Ash was shocked at hearing that. He looked to the others. They were about the same.

Recovering, he hit the symbol on his chest and became engulfed in green light. It faded to reveal Ash back in his normal state.

Pidgeotto stared for a bit. Being told that a human could turn into Pokémon was a lot different from actually seeing it happen.

Ash pulled out a pokéball, enlarged it, and held it out towards Pidgeotto, "You can still change your mind if you're not comfortable."

Pidgeotto chuckled and tapped the ball with her beak.

.

**Time Skip**

Ash and the others made their way back to the campsite.

Misty was still there and was glaring impatiently, "What took you so long?"

Ash looked up towards the sun, then back at her, "Misty, we were only gone for half-an-hour. That's pretty good, considering we got ambushed."

Misty jumped, "What?! Ambushed?! By who?!"

Ash tossed a pokéball into the air and released Pidgeotto. She landed on his head before Ash smile, "Our new teammate."

"Woah." Misty said in surprise, "You just caught that pidgeotto?"

Ash grinned before he realized something, "Hold on a second."

He rushed over to his backpack, pulled out a fourth bowl and the can of Pokémon food again. He poured a new bowl and set it down.

Ash looked up at the large bird on his head, "All yours girl. It's one of the perks of having a trainer."

Pidgeotto jumped down and happily dug in.

.

**Time Skip**

The group continued on their way through the forest. Pidgeotto and Caterpie had been returned to their pokéballs, Pikachu decided to sunbathe on Soot's back, and Misty was bugging Ash about all the bugs.

"Come on." Misty begged, "Can I please just borrow them?"

Ash pinched the bridge of his nose, "Misty, for the last time, you cannot borrow my gloves."

Misty pouted, "Well, why not? What's the worst that could happen?"

Ash looked back at her, "You catch a small glimpse of a passing weedle and burn down the whole forest."

Misty glared, "I would not! And if your so worried about me messing up, why don't you just use them and play bodyguard or something?"

"Not happening!" Soot called out harshly, "Those things put too much strain on dad."

"Okay, you keep saying that but not what it means." Misty looked at Ash, "Why do they put strain on you?"

Ash groaned as this had been going on for almost an hour. He was about to respond when a round of laughter made everyone stop dead in their tracks. They recognized those voices.

Ash's eyes widened, "You can't be serious."

Misty looked around, "They couldn't have followed us, right?"

Soot growled, "Freaking Arceus."

Pikachu tilted his head, "_Where have I heard those voices before?_" He asked himself.

Team Rocket jumped down in front of them and started their motto:

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! Dat's right!"

Everyone just groaned at their words. Except for Pikachu.

The Electric-type just stared in shock, "_W-what was- what just happened?_"

Misty glared at them, "What do you guys want?!"

"Take a guess." James said while pointing at Soot, "We'll be taking that Pikachu and the toughy-anga."

"GET LOST!" Soot shouted.

Jessie followed up, "And this time, we won't fail."

The two of them tossed their pokéballs into the air and released Koffing and Ekans.

Soot and Pikachu ran over and got into their fighting stances while Ash pulled out Pidgeotto's pokéball. And then, for some reason, Misty intervened.

"Ash, wait!" She cried out, "You can't use more than one Pokémon at a time!"

Ash looked at her; stunned, "I'm sorry, what?! You do know they're here to steal our Pokémon, right?!"

"That still doesn't make it right to gang up on them." Misty argued.

James looked over at his team, "Oh, I like her."

Ash ignored him, "Misty, they are here to steal our Pokémon. This isn't a Gym Battle, or a League Battle, or a Contest, or Frontier, or even a random trainer we came across. They are trying to rob us."

Misty still frowned, "Well that still doesn't make it right."

"Thank you!" Jessie shouted.

Ash rubbed his temples as he started feeling a headache, "Fine. Whatever. Pikachu, you're up first."

James smirked, "Not so fast. Koffing, use Sludge!"

Koffing complied and Pikachu and Soot were suddenly hit in the face with the Poison-type attack.

"_Ah, my eyes!_" Pikachu cried while trying to get rid of the gunk.

"I hate you guys! So much!" Soot growled.

Misty glared at Team Rocket, "Hey, that wasn't fair!"

Ash gave her an annoyed look, "Now do you see what I mean?!" He sighed, "Forget it. Just please take care of Soot and Pikachu for now."

"Dad, I can still fight!" "_So can I!_"

"Not like that you can't." Ash responded with a glare. He turned to Misty, "I'm trusting you here."

Misty nodded and ran over to the blinded Pokémon. She pulled out a rag and got to work on getting rid of the gunk.

Ash looked back at Team Rocket. He pulled out two pokéballs and tossed them into the air, "Caterpie, Pidgeotto! Enter the fray!"

The two Pokémon emerged and glared at Team Rocket.

Jessie glared, "Hey, we went over this! One Pokémon per trainer!"

"SHUT UP!" Soot shouted with the sludge still in her eyes.

Ash glared, "What she said. Let's get this over with."

James glared, "Koffing, use Sludge!"

Jessie followed, "Ekans, use Dig!"

Ash's eyes narrowed, "Pidgeotto, grab Caterpie and fly."

Pidgeotto complied and flew into the air with Caterpie in her talons. The Sludge missed but Ekans was still underground.

Ash looked up at his Pokémon, "Stay up there for now. Ekans will come up any minute."

Caterpie took this moment to climb up Pidgeotto's leg and get onto her back.

"Hey!" Meowth shouted up at them, "Get back down here yous!"

Caterpie fired a String Shot in Meowth's face. The Scratch Cat freaked and started struggling to get the silk off his face.

Ash blinked in mild surprise, 'nice aim.'

Ekans jumped out of the ground; right where Caterpie was. The snake was shocked to see its target on the back of the Bird Pokémon.

Ash smirked and took advantage, "Pidgeotto, use Quick Attack on Ekans."

The bird nailed the snake.

"Ekans, no!" Jessie cried out in alarm.

James glared at the duo, "Koffing, use Smokescreen!"

"Caterpie, wrap Koffing with String Shot!"

Caterpie hopped off Pidgeotto, fired, and tied up Koffing effortlessly. The Poison Gas Pokémon was unable to attack and plummeted to the ground. Their levitation was cut off … somehow.

James stared at his Pokémon in shock, "Oh no! Koffing!"

Ash smirked, "Caterpie, use String Shot! Wrap them up! Pidgeotto, help him out!"

Pidgeotto grabbed Caterpie again and flew around the rockets and their Pokémon. During this, Caterpie tied them all up with String Shot. By the time they stopped, all five members were bound together in a thick layer of silk.

Ash raised an arm forward, "Pidgeotto, blow them away with Gust!"

That happened too.

Ash and the others watched as the thieves flew off into the distance.

.

*Team Rocket

The trio -or quintet I guess- flew higher and higher into the air. The String Shot had been blown apart by the Gust.

James sighed, "Well, this stinks."

"We were so close this time." Jessie whined.

"Don' worry, we'll jus' try harda next chapta." Meowth commented; not knowing how wrong he was.

They shouted this in unison: "Looks like we're blasting off again!"

.

*Ash and friends

Ash squinted as Team Rocket flew off into the distance. They disappeared with 'ding.'

"Aww, we missed it." Soot whined in annoyance.

Ash turned to look at them and found that Misty had gotten the Sludge out of Soot and Pikachu's eyes. Soot was staring at the disappearing Rockets with a pout.

Ash chuckled and turned back to Pidgeotto and Caterpie, "You two were great out there." Ash said as he petted Pidgeotto. Ash moved to pet Caterpie when he started shooting String Shot out of nowhere.

Ash backed up in alarm, "Caterpie, what's going on?"

The string started to take shape around the Bug-type. A shape that Ash soon recognized, "Caterpie, you're-"

The string hardened and Metapod sat there; looking at Ash in confusion, "_What?_"

Ash smiled and crouched down to hug the Cocoon Pokémon, "Caterpie, you evolved!"

Soot ran over and stared in shock, "Woah! You actually evolved the same day you joined us." She grinned, "Sweet!"

Misty walked over with Pikachu on her shoulder, "Congratulations Ash."

Ash looked up at her; still smiling, "Thanks."

Pidgeotto sighed at being overshadowed by the now motionless Bug-type.

Ash pulled her into a one-armed hug, "Don't think I've forgotten about your part in the battle. You were really impressive out there. I'm proud of you."

Pidgeotto perked up and nuzzled up against Ash. The image of Ash in braviary form flashed through her head, causing her to turn away and blush.

Soot noticed her reaction and grinned, 'oh, this'll be good.'

After that mess, Pidgeotto and the newly evolved Metapod returned to their pokéballs. Everyone continued their journey through Viridian Forest.

.

**Time Skip**

The group traveled until the sun started setting. They decided to set up camp for the night.

Ash laid out his sleeping bag, "Alright, I'll go find us some firewood."

Misty stepped in front of him, "Hold on. You've been the one doing everything lately. I'll take care of the firewood and you relax. You've more than earned it."

Ash blinked but shrugged and sat down next to where they planned to set up the fire. He decided not to argue. Misty nodded with smile and went off into the woods.

She came back three seconds later, "Hey, can someone come with me. Y'know, bugs." She shivered after saying that last part.

Soot got up, stretched, and followed her.

.

*Misty and Soot; later

They had already gotten a decent amount of wood. Before heading back, Soot came up with the idea to gather some fruit. So, they were doing that now.

Soot poked her head out of the tree she was in and looked down at Misty, "Hey, how does Aspear sound?"

Misty looked down at the woven basket on the ground. They had already collected Sitrus berries, Pecha berries, and a few apples. Misty looked back up at Soot, "Maybe just a couple. The basket's almost full."

Soot nodded and disappeared into the tree again.

Misty smiled; they'll be set for a whole week at this rate. Misty froze when she heard the bush behind her rustling.

Fearing it was a bug, she turned around slowly, "h-hello?"

Instead of a gross bug, a small man covered in weird armor jumped out of the bush; wielding a sword.

He landed in front of Misty and pointed the sword right in her face, "You there. Would you happen to be a trainer from Pallet Town?"

Misty stared at the sword in her face frightenedly, "N-no."

The stranger sighed and sheathed their sword, "Alas, my search continues."

He walked away before Misty could say anything else.

Soot jumped down from the tree, carrying a smallish branch with a few berries attached. This made Misty jump; still on edge from the crazy guy with the sword.

Soot blinked in surprise and put down the branch, "Are you okay?"

Misty smiled nervously, "Yeah, kind of. This weird guy just jumped out of a bush and pointed a sword in my face. He asked if I was from Pallet Town."

Soot blinked, "As in the town dad and I are from." She stated matter-of-factly

Misty's eyes widened in realization, "Oh, crag! He's after Ash!" Misty ran off; back towards the campsite.

Soot sighed, scraped the Aspear berries into the basket, picked it up by the handle, lifted the firewood onto her back, and ran after Misty.

They made it back to the campsite and saw something … well, unexpected. To one of them, at least.

The sword-boy was there, like Misty feared, but instead of him threatening Ash, he was on his back with his sword skewering a tree. Ash just stood over him.

He noticed the girls returning and smiled, "Hey, your back. How'd it go?"

Soot put down the basket and smiled, "Pretty good. We got enough firewood to spare and then decided to pick some berries."

Ash nodded, "Good idea. That'll help in the long run."

Misty stared at the downed sword fighter, "Wait a second. What happened here?"

Ash looked down at the man, "Oh, him? He jumped out of nowhere and pointed a sword at me. So, I kicked him in the gut and threw his blade into that tree." Ash said while pointing to the weapon.

Ash moved over to pick up the firewood off Soot's back, "Alright, I'll set up the campfire. You can tie him up if you want, Misty."

Misty just blinked in shock. She wasn't sure how to respond to that.

With the firewood propped up, Ash pulled on his red gloves again. Although, technically, it was just the right one this time.

Soot glared at him, "Daaaad."

Ash chuckled, "Calm down, Soot. I'm only using it as a lighter."

Ash snapped and a small flame lit his thumb, "See?"

He moved over to the wood and ignited the pile quickly. Satisfied, Ash shook away the flame and removed the glove before shoving it back into his backpack.

"There." Ash said, "No problem, I only used a few drops."

Soot sighed, "Fine. Still doesn't mean I have to like them."

Misty finished tying the crazy guy to a tree and joined the others at the campfire, "Nice work with the fire."

Ash smiled, "Thanks." He handed a stick to Misty, "How do berry kabobs sound?"

Misty accepted the stick with a smile, "Pretty good. We definitely have enough."

He was about to offer a stick to Pikachu when he noticed the mouse was already half-way through a Pecha berry.

Ash chuckled and released his other Pokémon to let them join in.

Sword-boy was still knocked out and tied up.

.

.

**Faux: Huh, I'm realizing now that Trix has a really good point. Why follow the rules against criminals?**

**Omega: Did that Misty girl actually say all that?**

**Faux: Actually, it was the opposite. It was uh … not my proudest moment.**

**Seishin: Yeah, the early anime had its weird moments.**

**Faux: Ani-what?**

**Omega: The world of origin, Faux. It's impossible to interact with it, remember?**

**Faux: Oh, right … Hey, is there any objection to inviting Gem into this.**

**Seishin: Oh, he's already here.**

**Faux: What? Where is he?**

**Seishin: Broom closet.**

**Faux: Why is he in-**

**Omega: He took his Pikachu with him.**

**Faux: Oh. Right…**

**…**

**Edit notes: regular touch-ups. / 'it' was replaced by 'they', 'them', etc. wherever it seemed appropriate. / In the post chat – I had Faux's second line backwards. It was "More or less, it wasn't that exactly." I didn't remember the episode correctly.**


	5. Ch 5: Samurai2 & Pewter (fix)

**Omega: Gem, get out of there!**

**Gem: NO! Not until something interesting happens!**

**Omega: Gem, the only thing you're interested in is fusion. That is not the kind of story this is.**

**Gem: Then tell the author to fix it!**

**Faux: That isn't how it works. Trust me, I tried.**

**Ohirume: *sigh* Why did I design him like that?**

**Seishin: You wanted to experiment with Pikashipping, remember?**

**Ohirume: It was rhetorical, Yukiro.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10**

.

.

**Samurai Zwei / Trial by Pewter**

.

Samurai was woken up by the morning sun shining directly onto his face. He tried to get up but found that impossible. Looking down, he saw a rope tying him to a tree. He struggled to get free. But he failed.

"Hey, you're finally awake."

Samurai looked to where the voice came from and flinched when he found himself face-to-face with a large, black canine.

He stared at it warily, 'at least it's not growling.'

The dog blinked in surprise, "Are you okay?"

Samurai flinched again and muttered, "Great. First I get tied up and now I'm hallucinating."

Soot's eyes narrowed; feeling a little offended, "Rude."

Ash overheard and walked over, "Everything alright, Soot?"

Soot pouted, "More or less. Short stuff here thinks I'm a mirage."

Ash raised a brow, "Really? Why would he think that?"

Samurai looked up at Ash in shock, "Wait! You can hear it too?!"

Soot stuck her tongue out with a smirk.

Ash deadpanned, "Yes, I can hear her too." He shifted to a glare and crossed his arms, "Now, care to explain why you tried to rob me yesterday?"

"I wasn't trying to rob you!" Samurai argued, "I was challenging you to a battle!"

Ash and Soot stared at him in confusion.

"So why the sword?" Ash asked.

Samurai's eyes narrowed, "Not important! Just untie me already!"

Ash sighed and raised his right hand, "Fine. Just hold still."

Samurai raised a brow in confusion. He was about to ask what Ash meant until the boy flicked his wrist and three green claws appeared on the tips of his thumb, middle, and pointer finger; making Samurai flinch and grimace. Ash shot his clawed hand forward.

"No! Wait! Don't-" Samurai cried out frightenedly. He closed his eyes before he heard a slashing sound.

"Don't what?" Ash asked in confusion.

Samurai's eyes shot open to find Ash looking back at him in confusion. He looked down at the rope and found that only the knot had been cut before it completely lost its hold and fell off him.

Misty watched in wide-eyed shock from the background, "I'm sorry, what?"

Ash looked back at her and held up his clawed hand, "It's the gloves. The green ones add short, retractable claws to my nails. They're a lot easier to control than the red ones. That's part of why I always wear them." Ash lied before retracting his enhancement.

Misty continued staring and blinked, "How many of those crazy gloves do you have?"

Ash shrugged, "A few."

Samurai stared at Ash in surprise. He shook it off, stood up, and pointed at Ash with a determined smirk, "Alright, lets battle!"

Ash smiled innocently and nodded, "Okay. But how about breakfast first?"

Samurai was about to argue but was cut off by his own stomach growling, "Fine. But we battle right after."

Everyone moved to the picnic blanket. Ash divvied out the berries from yesterday and filled up the bowls with Pokémon food and various diced berries.

When he released Pidgeotto and Metapod, Samurai chuckled, "What a novice. I can't believe you would be so dumb as to reveal your team to me before the battle."

Ash frowned at him, "Pokémon need to eat too, y'know. I'm not going to make them go hungry to gain the element of surprise; especially not for a trainer battle."

Misty frowned upon realizing she hadn't brought her Pokémon out since meeting Ash. She pulled out her pokéballs and released her staryu, starmie, and goldeen.

Ash looked at the trio of Water-types and blinked in surprise. He looked at Misty, "I didn't know you had any Pokémon."

Misty chuckled nervously, "Sorry. Do you have enough food for them too? I forgot to restock."

Ash frowned slightly at hearing that, "Sure, just give me a second." He looked back and called out, "Soot, get the pool! We've got a Water 2 with us!"

"On it." She called back. She pulled a small, compressed pool out of Ash's backpack and pulled the cord on the side. The pool burst out into a square shape; 7 feet across, 3 feet deep.

Soot looked at the Star Shape and Mysterious Pokémon, "Staryu, Starmie. Do either of you know Water Gun?"

Both nodded and started filling up the pool. After they finished, Misty picked up the flailing Goldfish Pokémon and moved her to the pool. She immediately started swimming around happily.

Misty smiled, "Thanks Ash. Thanks Soot. You two are lifesavers."

Ash smiled softly and shrugged, "We try to be prepared." He filled up and handed two more bowls to the amphibious Water-types and dropped a large handful of food into the pool. Misty's Pokémon started eating immediately.

Samurai watched everything happen. He was starting to feel a little guilty but shook it off and started eating his share of the berries, 'I'm going to be ready for this battle.'

.

*After breakfast

Ash and Samurai stood on opposite ends of a clearing. Pikachu stood on Ash's shoulder. Soot and Misty stood off to the side with Misty's Pokémon all in the pool next to them. They wanted to watch too.

Ash smiled, "Let's do this right. My name is Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town."

"I am known as Samurai. I have made it my mission to battle all trainers from Pallet Town. You shall be the fourth one I will face." Samurai said.

Ash nodded, "Alright, let's do this." Ash pulled out a pokéball before realizing something. He raised a brow, "What kind of match up should we do?"

Samurai pulled out a pokéball and held it out, "I propose a two-on-two, single. Is that acceptable?"

Ash nodded again, "Fine by me." He tossed the pokéball into the air, "Metapod! It's your move!"

The Bug-type appeared in a flash of white.

Misty stared in shock, "Ash! Why are you using Metapod?! It can barely move!"

Ash looked at her with a smile, "Well, why not? He could use the experience."

Soot nodded, "He'll never get anywhere if he just sits on the sidelines all the time."

Samurai snickered, "This'll be too easy." He tossed his pokéball as well, "Go, Pinsir!"

The Stag Beetle Pokémon materialized on the other side of the field and stared down Metapod.

Ash looked at his opponent's Pokémon and frowned, 'Their spikes are dull.'

Samurai took the first move and held out a hand, "Pinsir, end this with Vice Grip."

Ash sighed, "Metapod, Harden."

Metapod's body took up a green sheen for a moment. Pinsir then lifted Metapod into their horns and attempted to squeeze him into submission. Instead, the spikes on their horns crumbled against the Cocoon Pokémon's reinforced body.

Samurai flinched, "Oh no, Pinsir!" He pulled out a pokéball and returned his Pokémon immediately.

Ash sweat dropped, 'Pinsir was still conscious.'

Samurai glared, "You'll pay for that! Go, Metapod!"

The opposing Cocoon Pokémon appeared in a flash. Everyone stared blankly at Samurai's choice.

Misty sweat dropped, "Um…"

Soot sighed, "Yup. Metapod v. Metapod. The battle where almost nothing happens."

Pikachu frowned and glanced at Ash, "_Maybe you should switch._"

Ash sweat dropped, "Agreed." He pulled out two pokéballs and held out the first one, "Nice work, Metapod! Return!" The Bug-type disappeared in the red beam before he threw the second ball, "Pidgeotto, come on out!"

The Bird Pokémon appeared in a flash. She glared at Metapod. The Bug-type flinched slightly.

Samurai stared in shock, "What?! Why would you just switch like that?!"

Ash deadpanned, "We'd have been here all day if I hadn't."

Samurai frowned, "Whatever, I'll still win this! Metapod, use Harden!"

Ash smirked, "Pidgeotto, Gust!"

The Cocoon Pokémon's hardened shell did nothing to defend against the wind blowing them back. The Bug-type laid on the ground with their eyes in swirls.

Samurai stared in shock, "What?! B-but, Harden should have protected against that!"

Ash raised a brow, "Harden increases a Pokémon's physical defense, not their special defense. You can use that move all you want, but it won't help against Gust."

Samurai sank to his knees in despair and looked down with a frown, "I have lost."

Ash walked over and held out a hand to his opponent with a soft smile, "It was a good match."

Samurai shook his head, "No. It is clear that I was the novice. It was hopeless before we even started."

Ash sighed before crouching down, "Look. A wise woman once told me, 'What's important is that you learn and improve. You can't beat yourself up after one bad day.' You may have lost, but that just means you work to get better."

Samurai looked up at Ash in surprise before smiling, "Thank you." He stood back up, "I promise to be better for our next battle." He held out a hand to Ash with a determined smirk, "But do not expect to win next time."

Ash smiled and shook his hand, "Deal. But you'd better be ready, I won't hold back."

Samurai smiled at the banter, "Neither will I."

Misty ran over to Ash with a smile, "Way to go, Ash! You won!"

Soot followed suit and smirked, "Nice one, dad."

Ash smiled, "Thanks, but Pidgeotto and Metapod did all the work. I was just barking orders."

He released Metapod again to congratulate him. As soon as The Cocoon Pokémon appeared, he started glowing white.

Soot's eyes widened in shock, "You can't be serious."

Butterfree emerged a moment later and flew over to Ash excitedly.

Samurai watched in surprise before smirking, "Very impressive. I didn't know your metapod was that close to evolving."

Ash just stared at the Butterfly Pokémon in surprise, "Uh … neither was I. He actually just evolved into Metapod yesterday."

Samurai flinched and stared at Ash in shock, "What?! How could it have evolved that fast?! I've had my metapod for over a month!"

Soot sighed, "If you think that's shocking, then you might just faint knowing that he, also, joined our team yesterday."

Samurai didn't faint but was still speechless.

.

**Time Skip**

The group separated from Samurai and continued on their way to Pewter City. After a few, thankfully uneventful, days they reached the city limits.

"Alright, we finally made it!" Misty cheered. She looked around before blinking in surprise, "Wow, there are a lot of rocks here."

Ash was about to respond when another voice beat him to it, "This city is known for its rocks, ma'am."

Everyone turned to see a man sitting on a large rock with a few rock covered shelves next to him. He was wearing a fake beard and had a hat shrouding his eyes.

Ash raised a brow. He could swear he'd seen him before but couldn't put his finger on it, "Who are you?"

"Name's Flint." The man responded, "I sell rocks here."

Ash's eyes widened in realization, 'He's the previous Gym Leader! That's why he looks so familiar!'

Soot stared at Flint in surprise, 'What the Yvel is he doing out here?'

Misty glanced at the rocks on the shelves and sweat dropped, "You actually sell rocks?"

Soot shook it off and looked up at Misty, "It's not that weird. They could be rare or only indigenous to this area."

Flint looked at Soot in surprise before saying, "Quite the Pokémon ya got there."

Ash glared at him, "She's not for sale or trade or anything of the sort."

Flint frowned, "I didn't think she was. I was just goin' for a compliment."

Ash sighed and scratched the back of his head, "Right, sorry. We ran into some thieves in Viridian. It put me on edge."

Flint chuckled, "Quite alright. I can escort you all to the Pokémon Center if ya want."

Ash nodded with a kind smile, "I'd appreciate that. Thanks."

.

**Time Skip**

The group made their way to the Pokémon Center and rented a pair of rooms. Flint left a while ago.

Ash and Misty had just loaded all of their pokéballs onto a pair of trays. Pikachu jumped down to sit on the tray with Ash's pokéballs and Soot stood next to the nurse.

Joy turned to head towards the back, when-

"Excuse me, Nurse Joy." Ash said; catching her attention, "I can sign up for the Indigo League here, right?"

Misty looked at Ash in surprise. Pikachu raised a brow in confusion.

The nurse nodded happily, "Of course." She gestured to a small platform next to the counter, "Just place your Pokédex on the scanner over there."

"Thank you." Ash said before walking towards the scanner and placing his Pokédex on it. He saw a loading bar appear on the screen above it.

Joy continued walking towards the back. Soot followed.

Misty blinked in surprise, "Wait, your only just signing up for the League?"

Ash remained focused on the loading screen but still nodded, "Yeah. I didn't get the chance to back in Viridian."

Misty raised a brow, "No, I mean. I kind of assumed you signed up a while before we met."

The scanner finished loading and Ash put the Pokédex back in his pocket.

Ash looked back at Misty in confusion, "Misty, that was the day I started my journey."

Misty's eyes widened in shock, "What?! Seriously?! But you've been on top of everything this whole time! How could you just be starting out?!"

Ash just smiled, "Well I read a lot and I've had Soot since I was five. Plus, I lived down the street from one of the world's top Pokémon researchers. I had a lot of resources at my disposal." He said as if it wasn't anything special.

Misty continued staring in shock, "So, you're here to get your first Gym Badge?"

Ash shrugged, "Pretty much." He put a hand to his chin and looked down thoughtfully, "Although, I think we should get some training in first. Most of Brock's Rock-types are also Ground-types. So, I'm thinking about teaching Pikachu Iron Tail and Pidgeotto Steel Wing." He looked back at her with a kind smile, "It'll take a lot of effort, but I have faith in them."

Misty just blinked as she continued staring, 'He even knows about the Gym Leader already.' Her eyes widened and she flinched slightly, 'Wait! Could he know about the others too?! Does he know who I am?!'

Ash noticed the flinch and blinked in surprise, "Are you alright, Misty?"

Misty sighed in relief, 'Or maybe not.' She perked up and smiled, "I'm okay. I guess I'm just surprised, is all. Not a lot of starting trainers are this ready so soon."

Ash shrugged again with a smile, "Like I said before. We try to be prepared."

The pair perked up when the door to the back opened and they looked over. Pikachu ran out and jumped onto Ash's shoulder. Soot walked over and sat down next to him.

Ash smiled and kneeled down to her level, "Hey, Soot. How'd it go?"

Soot shrugged, "Pretty well. Joy said that Pikachu and the others were fine." She sweat dropped, "Though she kind freaked out after checking my pulse and finding my heart beating at two-thirds the natural rate." The Bite Pokémon snickered, "She ended up calling Professor Oak to figure out what was 'going on with me.' It turned into an improv Inheritance lecture."

Ash chuckled and pet her, "Hey, at least it worked itself out in the end."

Nurse Joy blushed and glanced away, "Your mightyena is right. I must admit, it was rather surprising to take care of a non-Ghost-type Pokémon like her." She looked back at Ash with a smile, "From what the professor told me, she's very healthy." She sweat dropped, "By her standards, at least."

Ash smiled at her, "Thank you nurse Joy." He retrieved his pair of pokéballs from the tray and clipped them back onto his belt. He then started walking towards the door, "Alright, we'll be in the forest."

Misty blinked in surprise, "But we just got here."

Ash stopped, looked back at her, and nodded, "I know. But I wanted to go ahead and get started on training." He turned back towards the exit and continued walking before waving, "We'll be back before curfew." He exited with Soot following him.

.

*Ash and his Pokémon; edge of Viridian Forest

Ever since entering the forest, Pidgeotto and Pikachu had been working on their respective Steel-type moves. Though, Ash's methods were nothing like they expected. Mostly because Ash had been the one teaching them the moves. Personally.

For Pikachu, Ash went Vaporeon and demonstrated Iron Tail repeatedly. He also relayed the exercises he had to go through to learn it in the first place.

For Pidgeotto, it was about the same, but with Braviary. The problem, however, was that Ash wasn't able to properly explain how to learn Steel Wing. The braviary he scanned already knew the move to begin with.

Their training had been going on for the last four hours. The two trainees were regretting all of their life decisions.

Ash watch from the sidelines in vaporeon form and supervised. The Mouse and Bird Pokémon were panting heavily from the constant exercise.

Soot glanced at Ash with a smirk and raised brow, "You sure you're not being a bit harsh, dad? They are just starting out."

Ash's ears drooped and he frowned, "_You may have a point._" He spoke up, "_Alright guys! That's enough for now!_"

The two Pokémon fell over; never wanting to move again.

Ash hit the symbol on his chest, returned to human, and smiled, "You guys made a lot of progress today. You should have those moves under control in no time."

Pikachu raised a paw and gave a thumbs up.

Soot smirked slyly, "Yeah. Just a few more days should do it."

Pikachu's paw dropped to the ground. He sat up enough to glare at Soot and he stuck out his tongue. Pidgeotto shot Soot a harsh glance.

Ash rolled his eyes with a smirk, "Don't worry, we're done for the day. We'll head back to the Center so you can rest."

Ash returned Pidgeotto and picked up Pikachu. Ash started walking out of the clearing with Soot next to him. Upon reaching the edge of the forest, they noticed a familiar figure.

Ash and Soot flinched slightly, "Flint?!"

Ash glanced back towards the clearing they were in before looking back at the man, "You weren't watching, were you?"

Flint shook his head, "Naw, not my place. Your friend told me you were out here, so I waited."

That wasn't creepy at all.

Soot sweat dropped, "Care to explain why?"

Flint looked at Ash, "You're plannin' to battle Brock, right?"

Ash raised a brow, "Yeah. Why?"

The man turned around, "Follow me."

Ash and Soot shared an unsure look. In the end, they decided to give Flint the benefit of the doubt and followed. Though, they kept their guard up the whole way.

They stopped on a hill overlooking a two-story house. They could see a man cooking something through the window. Ash recognized him immediately.

Flint frowned as he stared at the figure, "You see that man in there?"

Ash nodded, "Yeah, that's Brock. The current Pewter City Gym Leader. Rock-type user."

Flint looked at Ash in surprise. He shook it off and looked back at the window, "Well, keep watching."

Ash watched as a little girl ran over to Brock with a ripped pink skirt in her hands and tears forming in her eyes. The Gym Leader smiled softly before taking the skirt and moving to a nearby table with a sewing kit on it.

Flint took a deep breath before saying, "That's one of Brock's siblings. He has nine in total and Brock's the oldest."

Soot glanced at Flint, "What about his parents?" She asked. Though, she and Ash already had an idea about one of them.

Flint frowned and clenched a fist, "A few years ago, his dead-beat father left them to go on a journey. His mother was heartbroken and left soon after. Brock's been taking care of those kids ever since."

Ash gave the man next to him a sorrowful look, "Why did you want to show me this?"

Flint looked at Brock sadly, "Thing is, Brock dreams of becoming a breeder. But he can't bring himself to leave. He cares about his siblings too much to do that to them."

Pikachu looked at the man in confusion, "_How does he know that?_"

Soot shushed the Electric-type.

Ash thought for a moment before looking at Flint, "Has he heard from his parents at all?"

Flint looked down sadly, "It would just make him angry. He probably hates his parents for leaving them like that."

Ash frowned, "How do you know for sure?"

Flint went back to looking at Brock, "Why wouldn't he hate them? They abandoned him and his siblings for their own selfish desires."

Soot looked at Flint, "I'm not so sure about that. Yeah, he'll be mad, but I don't think any child can truly hate their parents. Not forever."

Flint looked at the canine; expression mostly hidden under his hat. He didn't say anything and turned back to look at the house.

Ash sighed and stood back up, "I'm heading back to the Pokémon Center." He started walking away with Soot next to him. After a moment, he stopped and glanced back at Flint, "Soot's right by the way. I don't think Brock will hate you if you go back."

Flint flinched and jerked around to see Ash and Soot already walking away.

.

**Time Skip**

It had been three day since Ash talked with Flint. He'd seen the man sitting on his rocks every so often but didn't approach. Today was the day of his first Gym Battle.

Ash stood at the entrance to the Pewter Gym. Pikachu was on his shoulder, Soot stood next to him, and Misty was about a half foot away and looking up at the Gym.

Ash took a deep breath, "Today's the day."

Misty put a hand on his shoulder, "You've got this Ash. You'll win, I'm sure."

Ash smiled and nodded. He pushed the doors to the Gym wide open.

The inside was shrouded in darkness.

Misty looked around in confusion, "Is this Gym Leader here yet?"

"Who goes there!" A voice rang out from the darkness; making Misty and Pikachu flinch.

Ash smirked; knowing a few things about scare tactics, "Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. I'm here to challenge Brock Slate for the Boulder Badge."

"Very well!" The lights started coming on in the warehouse sized Gym. Brock stood on the other side of the room with his arms crossed.

"So, you think you have what it takes to beat me?!" Brock called out.

Ash smiled and shrugged, "That's what I'm here to find out."

Brock chuckled upon finding that his usual tricks wouldn't work this time, "Fair enough. Let's get started."

Brock snapped his fingers and the center of the floor started opening in front of them. A large rocky terrain started to rise from underneath.

Brock pointed to his left, "I'd like to ask all spectators to go up on the balcony during the battle."

Misty nodded, "Good luck, Ash." She made her way to the stand on the wall. When she arrived, she was surprised to find nine kids of varying ages next to her; all resembling Brock. She also saw Soot sitting next to her.

Misty blinked in surprise, "Wait, Soot? Shouldn't you be down there with Ash?"

Soot sighed, "No. Dad wants to give the others a chance." She pouted, "So unfair."

Brock looked up at the talking Pokémon in surprise before looking back at Ash, "I have to admit, a talking Pokémon is pretty rare. Also, she calls you 'dad'?"

Ash shrugged with a soft smile, "I raised her from an egg, it only makes sense. Besides, I doubt I could stop her even if I wanted too."

Brock smiled softly when he heard that, "Alright, first things first. How many Badges do you have at the moment?"

"None yet." Ash responded as he took his spot on the other side of the field, "I'm here for my first."

Pikachu jumped down from Ash's shoulder after he said that.

Brock perked up in surprise to hear that after everything else. He shook it off and smirked, "Very well."

A referee walked over to a platform on the side of the battlefield, "This Gym Battle will be between the Pewter City Gym Leader, Brock Slate, and the challenger, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town. Both sides may use up to two Pokémon, but only the challenger may substitute. The battle will be decided when one sides Pokémon are unable to continue. Should the challenger be victorious, they shall be awarded the Boulder Badge. Are the rules clear?"

Ash and Brock nodded.

The ref held up a hand, "Very well. Let the battle-" The ref brought his hand down forcefully, "BEGIN!"

Ash threw a pokéball forwards, "Pidgeotto, it's your move!"

Brock followed suit, "Go, Geodude!"

The Pokémon materialized on the field and glared at each other.

Ash looked at the opposing Rock Pokémon and his eyes narrowed, 'Geodude, huh? This'll be tough, they're not that fast, but their physical defense is pretty decent. We may have to save Steel Wing for a finisher.'

Brock looked at Ash's Pokémon in mild confusion, 'A pidgeotto? Doesn't he know that Flying-types are weak to Rock-types? Maybe I overestimated him.'

The ref spoke up again, "And, Start!"

Brock raised his arm, "Geodude, use Tackle."

Ash followed suit, "Pidgeotto, Gust the ground."

Pidgeotto complied and kicked up a thick sheet of dust into the air. Geodude stopped in his tracks as his opponent disappeared.

Geodude looked around warily in the makeshift smokescreen. He floated aimlessly and ended up tapping a rock.

"Two feet, 9 o' clock!" Ash called out.

Geodude was suddenly hit by the Normal/Flying-type's Quick Attack. She disappeared before he could retaliate.

Starting to panic, Geodude used Rock Throw in the direction that Pidgeotto went. This was met with another Quick Attack in his left side.

Brock stared at the cloud with his teeth clenched as he tried to find a way out of this situation. Geodude didn't know any moves to clear the dust and the pidgeotto was hitting them every few seconds.

Ash smirked, 'He's had enough.' "Pidgeotto, clear the field!"

Pidgeotto fired another Gust into the center of the field. The dust dispersed enough to make everything visible again.

Geodude was on the ground and panting. He was still conscious but covered in scratches. Pidgeotto hovered over Ash's side of the field without a single scratch on her.

Brock smirked, "That was a mistake. Geodude, use Rock Throw!"

Ash held out his hand, "Dodge with Quick Attack! End it with Steel Wing!"

Brock grimaced and took a step back in shock, "What?! Steel Wing?!"

Pidgeotto swerved around the rocks and charged Geodude with her wings glowing. She hit her mark and took the Rock/Ground-type down. Hard!

Geodude tumbled back and crashed into the ground. He laid there with his eyes swirling.

The ref raised his arm in Ash's direction, "Geodude is unable to battle. Pidgeotto wins."

Brock stared in stunned shock, 'He was hiding a Steel-type move this whole time?!'

Ash cheered, "Alright, way to go Pidgeotto!"

The Flying/Normal-type cried out to join her trainer in the cheering.

Misty cheered too, "Go, Ash!"

"You've got this!" Soot followed.

Brock pulled out and held a pokéball towards his Pokémon, "You did well, Geodude. Return."

Brock smiled as he pulled out another pokéball, 'Guess I ended up underestimating him. But that's not happening again.' He threw the pokéball, "Onix, Go!"

The Rock Snake Pokémon materialized and took up about a quarter of the field.

Ash looked up at the large Pokémon warily, 'He's pulling out his ace. Faster than Geodude with a LOT more defense.'

Ash looked at Pidgeotto, "You good to continue, girl?"

Pidgeotto nodded. She wasn't planning to let her trainer down.

Ash smiled softly and looked at the referee, "Pidgeotto's staying in."

The ref nodded, "Then, begin!"

"Onix, use Rock Throw."

"Pidgeotto, dodge and use Steel Wing."

Pidgeotto copied what she did against Geodude and hit her mark. Only this time-

Brock smirked slyly, "Onix, Bind!"

Unable to react in time, Pidgeotto became bound in Onix's tail. She cried out in alarm as Onix squeezed her.

"Pidgeotto!" Ash called out in alarm, 'Crag! She's stuck! She can't do anything like this.'

Ash growled when he couldn't think of anything to get her out of this.

Onix finished the Bind by slamming Pidgeotto into the ground.

Brock didn't let up, "Onix, Rock Throw!"

Pidgeotto could do nothing but stare in shock as a handful of large rocks rained down and buried her.

Ash stared in horror, "Pidgeotto!"

The dust settled and Pidgeotto could be seen under the rocks with her eyes in swirls.

"Pidgeotto is unable to battle! Onix wins!"

Ash ran into the field and shoved the rocks off Pidgeotto. She looked up at Ash sadly before turning away in shame. Brock stared in surprise as this happened.

Ash smiled softly and pet her, "It's alright, girl. You were amazing out there."

Pidgeotto perked up and nuzzled up against Ash.

Ash chuckled, "We'll finish this." He pulled out her pokéball, "But for now, get some rest. You've more than earned it."

Pidgeotto smiled and nodded before returning to the ball.

Ash stood up and made his way back to his side of the field.

Brock smiled as he saw how Ash handled the loss, 'I really underestimated him.'

When he got back to the trainer box, Ash turned to face Brock. He looked down at Pikachu, "Your turn buddy."

Pikachu nodded with a determined smile, "_Got it!_" He ran out onto the battlefield and crouched down into a fighting stance.

Brock put a hand to his chin, 'A pikachu. Another type disadvantage. No doubt, he has something prepared.' He smirked, 'But, I'll be ready this time.'

The referee spoke up, "This will be the final round! BEGIN!"

"Onix, use Tackle!"

"Pikachu, Agility!"

Onix charged at Pikachu and carved the ground as he did. He missed completely as Pikachu lit up white and rocketed out of the way.

Ash held out a hand with a smirk, "Now Pikachu, Quick Attack and Iron Tail."

Brock grimaced, 'Crag! Another Steel-type move!'

Onix cried out as the attack struck him in the horn and he started to flail in pain. He lost control and ended up hitting the spectator's balcony.

"Ahhh!" Misty cried out.

"Brock!" Brock's siblings cried out as the balcony shook.

"NO!" Brock shouted in alarm before holding out a pokéball, "Onix, return!"

The Rock Snake Pokémon disappeared in the red beam. Unfortunately, the damage was already done.

The balcony started to crumble from the attack. It broke in half with each side hanging from the wall.

Misty clung to the railing for dear life. Forrest grabbed Billy and Tilly and managed to pull them to safety. Salvadore grabbed onto Suzie's arm and the railing. Yolanda caught Timmy and grabbed the railing as well. Tommy and Cindy managed to out-run the collapse and ran to the other side of the balcony that was still standing; the one opposite to Forrest. Soot couldn't get a grip and plummeted to the floor.

"SOOT!" Ash cried out in alarm and ran over to her.

She got up slowly, but shakily, "I'm alright, dad."

"HELP!" Ash looked up to see Misty and the others trying to hold on. Some of Brock siblings were starting to lose their grips.

Brock ran over to a ladder that led to the balcony, "I'm coming!"

Ash grimaced, "Crag! We have to help!" He turned to Soot, "I think it's time, Soot."

Soot managed to stand up and nodded, "Got it." She closed her eyes and opened them to reveal glowing red slits; the same as a banette's.

Ash grabbed the zipper buckle on Soot's back and pulled.

From the opening, ten translucent, purple strings shot out of Soot's back. Each one latched onto the tips of one of Ash's fingers.

Ash crossed his arms with the purple strings still clinging to his fingertips, "Soot, Marionetter!"

Soot then- wait, what's going on?

.

**Seishin: Allow me to explain! **

**When a banette's zipper mouth is opened, its life force will leave its doll body forever. **

**Soot is a mightyena with banette Inheritance, which gives her more of a mortal tie to her body. When the zipper on her back is opened, the phantasmal strings emanating from the opening will latch on to the fingers of whoever is closest to her and give them full control over her body. However, Soot can still talk and use her eyes.**

**During this time, Soot is put into a ragdoll-like state that renders her bones, joints, and even pain receptors completely irrelevant. This allows her body to be used in countless, unnatural ways with no consequence.**

**However, this technique is not perfect. The wielder needs to be experienced enough, or she might not even be able to stand. Also, while Soot cannot feel any pain, she can still take damage. If she takes too much, the strings will fade, and she will be rendered motionless. **

**Once the zipper is closed, Soot will return to normal.**

**The use of this technique has already been made illegal in all forms of traditional battles, unless permission is given by the opponent.**

**Ohirume: WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT?! **

**Seishin: A parody of the Buddyfight Ace announcer.**

**Ohirume: That guy is an idiot! All he does is state the obvious and interrupt at the worst moment!**

**Seishin: Exactly.**

**Ohirume: Grr. Back to the chapter.**

.

Okay, sorry about that.

Ash ran out of the way of the falling debris and moved his fingers, making Soot stand on her hind legs.

Ash moved his hands wildly and Soot did a standing jump up to the balcony, lifted Misty into her forelegs, jumped down to the ground, and landed five feet away from the collapse. She put Misty down.

Misty stared up at the now bipedal Bite Pokémon in shock, "Soot?! How are you-"

"Tell you later!" Soot called out before Ash flailed again.

Soot ran over to the nearby wall, jumped off it, and backflipped onto the balcony. She ran across the platform at top speed, scooped up Yolanda and Timmy, and got them to the ground safely.

Brock had already gotten Forrest, Billy and Tilly down from the balcony. He stared in awe from the way Soot moved. As his siblings were helped down, they ran over to join him.

Soot made her way to Salvadore and Suzie when the balcony started shaking. Ash and Soot grimaced and Ash slowed Soot down. They moved to the pair cautiously.

Once close enough, Soot held out a paw to them, "Come on!"

Salvadore looked at Suzie and nodded. The scared little girl shakily moved to grab Soot's paw with a terrified frown. The balcony slipped again and Salvadore lost his grip.

Soot lurched forward to grab Suzie, but just barely missed, "NO!"

"SUZIE!" Brock called out.

Ash ran forward and moved his hands again. Soot grabbed Salvadore and moved him to safety.

Ash jumped into the air, grabbed the girl, and fell to the ground. He twisted around in the air to land on his back and cushion her from the fall. Ash grimaced and let go of her.

Brock ran over, "Suzie!"

"Brock!" The little girl called out as she got off Ash and ran over to her big brother. Brock pulled her into a hug as she started crying.

"Dad, look out!" Ash looked up and his eyes widened in horror. The part of the balcony Suzie and Salvadore held on too was starting to break off.

Ash tried to move but grimaced in pain. He was about to get Soot to come down and grab him, until he noticed the side Tommy and Cindy were on was getting ready to collapse. Ash gritted is teeth before moving his hands.

Soot shot over to the kids, scooped them up, and got them to the ground.

Soot glanced back and stared in horror as the balcony broke off, "DAD!"

The broken balcony crashed down on top of Ash.

"NO!" Misty cried out.

"PIKA-PI!"

Soot lost control and collapsed. She grimaced at the sight of her father trapped under the giant sheet of metal.

Soot glanced over at Misty, "Misty!"

The girl snapped out of her shock and looked over.

"Zipper! Quick!" Soot called out.

Misty ran over to her and closed the opening.

Soot's body corrected itself and she stood back up. She shook off any weird feelings before charging towards the collapsed balcony. She went intangible and phased into it. A minute later, she dragged Ash out of the sheet.

Everyone stared in fearful silence as Soot put an ear to Ash's chest.

A second later, Soot looked back up with a smile, "He's alive!"

Brock perked up and looked at his oldest sibling, "Forrest, call an ambulance!"

"Right!" Forrest nodded and ran to the back.

.

**Time Skip**

Ash started to stir and looked around. He found himself in a hospital bed with bandages littering his entire body.

Soot was laying on the side of the bed and Pikachu was curled up at the foot.

Ash moved to pet Soot. She jerked and looked at him in shock.

Soot smiled brightly and nuzzled up against Ash, "Dad!"

"_Ash!_" Pikachu ran over and nuzzled him as well.

Ash smiled softly, "Hey. I'm glad to see you two are okay."

Pikachu backed up and stared at him in shock, "_Your glad __we're__ okay?! You got hit by a half ton sheet of metal!_"

Ash raised a brow, "Really? It felt a bit lighter than that."

Soot glared at him, "That doesn't make us feel better. You scared us half to death."

Ash frowned, "I know and I'm sorry for worrying you. But Brock's siblings were still in trouble, I couldn't just-"

Soot interrupted with a sigh, "I know you couldn't. That's just who you are." She nuzzled up against him again, "I'm just happy you're okay, now."

Pikachu followed suit, "_Me too._"

A doctor walked in, noticed Ash hugging the pair of Pokémon, and flinched, "YOU'RE AWAKE?!"

Ash looked at him with a deadpanned expression, "Gee, thanks."

The doctor fumbled, "No, I didn't mean it like that. You were … well-"

"Hit by a balcony, I know." Ash interrupted.

"U-um, right, that." The doctor stuttered before holding up a clipboard, "When we got you here, you were only covered in a few scrapes and bruises. No broken bones. No internal bleeding. Not even a sprain." He stated before sweat dropping, "I'm still not sure how to explain it."

Soot looked at the man with a sly smirk, "Told you he was tough."

He sighed, "We were hoping to keep you here for observation, but somebody already paid off your bill. You're free to go at any time."

Ash chuckled, 'Oak, you old fruit.' He smiled and nodded, "Thank you."

Ash got out of bed, got dressed, and made his way down to the front.

Misty, Brock, and Brock's siblings were waiting in the lobby. Most of them had 'get well' cards and/or flowers. It was lucky that none of the flowers were in vases, though. Namely because everyone flinched and dropped everything they were holding when they saw Ash walking towards them.

Misty ran up and pulled Ash into a hug, "You're okay!" She let go and stared in shock, "How are you okay?!"

Soot smirked, "Dad's tough."

Brock stared in shock for a moment. He shook it off and walked up to Ash with a soft smile on his face, "Soot told us what you did. I can't thank you enough for saving Suzie, Tommy, and Cindy like that." He reached into his back pocket and pulled something out, "But, I hope this is a good start." He opened his hand to reveal a Boulder Badge in his palm.

Ash stared at the Badge in surprise before looking Brock in the eye, "But, I didn't win the battle."

Brock smiled, "You would have. You had a strategy laid out and outsmarted me repeatedly. Add that to what you did for my siblings and … well-" Brock chuckled a bit, "I'm not going to take no for an answer."

Ash smiled, "Alright, I accept." He took the Badge.

"_Alright, our first Gym Badge!_" Pikachu cheered, "_We did it!_"

Ash smiled and reached up to pet the mouse, "Yeah."

.

*Later

Ash and Misty stood out in front of the entrance to Pewter City. Brock decided to see them off.

Brock smiled, "It was nice meeting you two."

Ash smiled back, "Same. It was a tough battle."

Brock chuckled, "Maybe, but admit it. You would have beaten me a lot faster if you used Soot."

Soot smirked, "I wouldn't say 'beaten.' 'Destroyed' or 'annihilated' might be more appropriate."

Everyone chuckled at the comment.

Ash looked at the Gym Leader with a sad smile, "So, I guess this is it."

Brock nodded, "Yeah. Thank you again, for everything." He looked out into the forest with a sad smile, "My dream is to actually become a world renown Pokémon breeder. Ash, if it's not too much to ask, I'd like you to fulfill my dream for me."

Ash blinked in surprise. Glancing to the side, he noticed a familiar figure approaching them.

Ash smiled, "Hold that thought." He pointed at Flint as he approached.

Brock looked at where Ash was pointing and stared at the man in confusion, "Who are you?"

Flint took a deep breath and pulled off his hat and fake beard.

Brock jerked, "DAD?!"

Misty's eyes widened in shock and her jaw dropped. She looked at Ash in surprise. He responded by putting a finger to his lips; signaling to stay quiet.

After a long, painful few years, Flint finally spoke to his son, "Brock, I failed on my quest to become a great trainer. I came back home but was too ashamed to confront you all. I promise to be a better father from now on. I promise to look after the Gym. And most importantly, I promise I'll never leave again. Go live your dream, son."

Brock walked towards him, "Alright, but there are some things I need to tell you first."

Flint looked down shamefully with a sad smile, "I understand. Go ahead, I know I deserve it."

Brock handed the man a sewing needle and a spool of thread.

Flint stared at it in confusion, "huh?"

Brock started listing things off about his siblings, "Suzie always rips her dresses, so you'd better learn how to sew. And Timmy only eats cold spaghetti for breakfast. Tommy likes corn flakes for dinner-"

"Wait! Slow down, I can't write that fast." Flint begged as he tried to write a list.

Brock didn't let up, "Cindy sleepwalks, so you have to tie a bell on her wrist. The twins never want to take a bath, so you have to-"

Ash, Misty, Soot, and Pikachu tuned out at this point.

.

**Time Skip**

"So, you guys are sure I can join you all?" Brock asked as he walked alongside Ash and Misty.

Ash turned to him and smiled, "I don't see why not. The more the merrier."

Misty smiled, "Yeah, and it'll be nice to have someone who knows how to cook."

Ash looked at her with a frown, "Hey, the berry kabobs weren't that bad."

Misty smirked slyly, "Didn't say they were. They just get boring after a while."

Soot looked up at Ash with a smirk, "She does have a point, dad."

Brock chuckled, "I have to admit, hanging out with you guys will be a new experience."

"You'll get used to it." Misty commented, "Just try not to get too freaked out by Ash's crazy gloves."

Brock looked at Ash in confusion, "Gloves?"

Ash chuckled, "I'll show you when it's time to set up camp."

.

.

**Gem: Alright, finally!**

**Omega: What? Gem, they didn't fuse. That was a technique where they fight in unison … sort of.**

**Faux: Yeah, kinda like my synchro evolution.**

**Gem: That's not what I saw. They came together in body, mind, and soul, just like fusion.**

**Omega: No, they didn't. You're reading way too far into this. That's like saying I fuse whenever I use 3XK, Ghost Killer, or Olsen. Only, you know, Soot's actually alive.**

**Seishin: Aw, let the hybrid dream, right Rob?**

**Ohirume: *grumbles***

**Seishin: Oh, come on. You can't still be mad about earlier.**

**Ohirume: Yes, I can! You interrupted the story for a rip-off of that idiot.**

**Seishin: I'm a figment of your imagination. It's your fault even more than mine.**

**Ohirume: **** you.**

**Seishin: Wha- Hey! This is rated K. You can't say 'four star.' It implies the real word too heavily.**

**Ohirume: It only implies something if I put a working letter at the beginning … or anywhere, really.**

**…**

**Edit notes: Samurai didn't really react to Ash sprouting claws before the fix. Seemed a little hard to believe. / The thing about Professor Oak "sucking at explaining Inheritance" didn't really sound right. / Pikachu's unkind gesture seemed like a bit … much. / I have no idea how much a section of metal balcony weighs AND APPARENTLY NEITHER DOES GOOGLE! But even I can assume that it's more than 120lbs. / Regular touch-ups.**


	6. Ch 6: Mt Moon

**Omega: I know I should have commented this earlier, but I'm kind of impressed by Trix's puppetry skills.**

**Ohirume: What can I say, I like Karakuri Circus. But in all honesty, marionetter was a last-minute thing. I planned the zipper on her back from the get-go, just not what it would do.**

**Seishin: Oh, that's why you named it after an altergeist. I thought that deck got on your nerves.**

**Ohirume: It does, but I like the name.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Seymour, The Mount Moon Nutcase**

.

When Brock heard about Ash's 'weird gloves' from Misty, he expected them to be awkwardly colored or confusingly decorated. Not this.

Soot returned earlier with a decently sized log she happened to find. Brock just stared, speechless, as Ash chopped it into firewood with his 'claws.' Short, green nails seemed to protrude from Ash's own nails. With each swipe, the trainer would split the thick pieces of log in half, never faltering or getting stuck.

Then he propped up the firewood and lit it … by snapping.

Brock watched as Ash shook to flame from his thumb, "Where the Yvel did you get those?"

Ash removed the red glove and put it into his backpack, "Actually, I made them."

Misty spit out her drink, "What?!"

Ash pulled on his green gloves and looked at her confused, "huh?"

Misty walked over, "How could you have possibly made those?"

Ash cocked on eyebrow, "A needle and thread."

Misty's eye twitch, "No the thing with the claws and the flames."

"And the electricity manipulation." Soot called out

"Yeah and the- what?" Misty stared at the bag, then back at Ash, "You have gloves for that too."

Ash scratched the back of his head, "Well, not yet. They're a work in progress."

Brock spoke up, "Ash, why would you make all of these?"

Ash shrugged, "I try to be prepared for anything."

Brock was about to say something when Soot spoke up, "Sorry, but that's as good an answer as your gonna get. Dad's too stubborn."

Ash glared at her, "I am not stubborn!"

.

**Time Skip**

The next day, the group continued down the path. They planned to cut through Mt. Moon on their way to Cerulean City. When they made it to the mountain's entrance, they saw a guy in a lab coat being attacked by zubat.

"Help!" he cried out, panicking.

Ash raised a hand, "Soot, warning shot!"

Soot complied and fired a Shadow Ball at the screaming man. It detonated about a foot away from him and scared away the zubat.

Ash walked over, "Hey, are you okay?"

Honestly, he did expect the man to thank him. Just not like this:

He jumped up and pulled Ash into a hug like a Vice Grip, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I thought I was done for!"

Ash tried to struggle but failed to escape. He heard a small explosion that startled the nutcase enough for Ash to slip free.

He turned around to see Soot glaring at the man, "Sorry to do that but I'm pretty sure dad wasn't breathing."

He man adjusted his glasses and stared when he saw Soot talk.

She rolled her eyes, 'here we go again.'

The man had a huge smile on his face when he shouted, "YOU'RE THE PHANTOM CHILD!"

Soot flinched when she heard that, 'I thought everyone forgot about that.'

"Then that means-" he turned around to look at Ash, "You're Ashton S. Ketchum!"

Brock and Misty stared at each other, confused. Misty spoke up, "How do you know Ash?"

The man turned to look at her, shocked, "Are you kidding?! This boy and his Mightyena were blessing upon the scientific world!" He paused and gazed off into distance "Five years ago, a young boy was wandering in the forest and came across in injured Pokémon. The boy immediately brought it home, not knowing what it was. After the Pokémon was healed, it rewarded the boy with an egg. This egg hatched into a Pokémon like no other, the worlds first and only inherent Pokémon. The offspring of the Phantom Pokémon itself, the Phantom Child."

The crouched down and grabbed Soot's head, "I can't believe I actually have the honor of meeting you."

Soot growled, "Let go of my face."

Brock and Misty looked at Ash, stunned.

He responded by rubbing the back of his head, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys before. I honestly hoped everyone forgot about that."

Soot nodded, "Same. The publicity got annoying fast. Can we just focus on the bigger picture for now? Mister, why were those zubat attacking you?"

He looked insulted when she said that, "Do not call me mister! I am Seymour, Seymour the scientist!"

Everyone groaned.

"As for the zubat, follow me!" Seymour ran into the mountain's entrance.

Pikachu grumbled, "_That guy gives me the creeps._"

They, eventually, decided to follow Seymour through entrance. For the sake of the zubat, not him. Inside the cave, there were hanging light strung up everywhere, illuminating the tunnels.

Ash frowned, "What's going on here?"

Seymour looked at him with a bright smile, "I knew you would notice! Someone has been hanging up these lights in here for the last few days."

Ash looked at him, "You've tried taking them down, right?"

Seymour nodded vigorously, "Yes, of course I have. But they're always back up the next day."

Soot looked around. There were wild Pokémon all over, disoriented by the light in their home. Zubat were flying around aimlessly and crashing into the walls. Paras were wandering around and planting their mushrooms everywhere. A sandshrew was even becoming dehydrated by the heat.

Ash brought out a bowl and a bottle of water. The drying Pokémon came over immediately.

She growled, "How could someone do this? These Pokémon are suffering."

Seymour became sorrowful, "I'm afraid it's because of the moon stone."

Soot's growl intensified, "Someone did this for one crummy evolutionary stone?!"

Seymour shook his head, "No, not A moon stone. THE moon stone. Whoever set up these lights must be here for it."

"That's horrible!" Misty commented with a frown.

Brock followed, "Is there anything we can do to help?"

Seymour perked up again and ran over to Ash, "Would you really help?!"

Ash nodded, "I'm not letting whoever's responsible get away with this."

The scientist pulled Ash to his side, "YES! With Ash Ketchum and the Phantom Child, by my side, we'll put an end to this horrid attack!"

Ash sweat dropped, "Brock and Misty can help too y'know."

Seymour let go and ran deeper into the cave, "Come on! There's no time to lose!"

Everyone sweat dropped.

Ash turned to his friends, and shrugged, "He's not wrong, I guess."

The group sighed and followed the hyperactive man. They caught up to Seymour, who had tripped and fallen immediately after he started running.

Misty spoke up, "So, what's so special about this moon stone, anyway?"

Seymour looked down to Soot, "It's a meteor that crashed here centuries ago. It belongs to the Pokémon! Humans have no place in taking it!" He looked off into the distance, again, "When I was young, I always believed that Pokémon came from outer space, traveling to earth aboard the moon stone. I still believe it to this day."

One thought rang through everyone's head, 'This guy is completely nuts!'

Ash didn't want to discourage him. Too much, "That's … quiet the theory."

Seymour's smile didn't faulter, "Thank you! That means so much coming from you!"

They group heard cheering up ahead. They looked ahead and saw a pink Pokémon, about Pikachu's height. It was holding a rock and skipping happily.

Ash's eyes widened, "That's a clefairy!"

Seymour nodded, "Yes, they live here in the mountain."

Misty looked at Pokémon, happily, "Oh, it's so cute!"

Seymour ran in front of her, glaring, "You must not try to catch it. These Pokémon must remain here."

Misty's eye twitched, 'This guy is starting to bug me more than bugs.'

Ash looked at him, "We promise not to try and catch any of them."

Seymour smiled again, "Thank you for understanding, sir."

Ash sweat dropped, 'great, now he's calling me 'sir'.'

They heard a cry up ahead. "Hand ova' dat moon stone." a familiar voice said.

Soot was livid, "YOU CAN NOT BE SERIOUS!"

Ash scowled and ran towards the source. He came across Meowth, who had the clefairy cornered. The other followed.

"You again!" Misty shouted.

Meowth was alarmed to see them, "What are you doin' here?!"

"Forget them Meowth, just grab the rock" Jessie and James could be seen further into the cave.

"Here!" Brock picked up a rock and threw it at the idiots, "There, you have your rock. Now scram!"

Jessie glared, "That's not what I meant!"

Seymour looked at Meowth, "Another talking Pokémon? Wait, Ms. Soot, could he be-"

Soot glared, "If your about to suggest the he and I are connected in any way what-so-ever, I will fire fang your ears off."

Seymour flinched and covered his ears.

Koffing and Ekans emerged and stared down the group.

Ash tossed a pair of pokéballs, "Pidgeotto, Butterfree, let's go!"

"Go, Zubat!" Brock called out.

Ash blinked, "When did you get a zubat?"

Brock pointed at the way they came, "It's one the one's Soot scared off earlier."

Ash blinked again, "Nice." Ash glared at Team Rocket.

They glared back, "How many times do we have to say it? One Pokémon per trainer!" Jessie shouted.

James looked at Misty, "You know what we mean right?"

Misty glared and pulled out a pokéball, "Misty calls Staryu!"

The Star Shape Pokémon emerged in front of her.

James blinked, "huh?"

Misty glared at them and pointed, "You crossed a line when you blinded Pikachu and Soot last time. I'm not gonna make the same mistake."

Brock looked over, "Wait, you've faced these guys before?"

Ash looked at him, "They attacked a Pokémon Center and then us in Viridian Forest. We won, but the Center took a lot of damage."

Seymour was still ecstatic, "Of course you did! Who else could do something so impressive?!"

Ash was getting tired of this, "Misty helped. Also, you realize that Brock is a gym leader, right?"

Seymour looked at Brock, "Oh, is that so?" he said in bored tone.

Team Rocket flinched, "Wait, gym leader?"

Brock smirked, "That's right. And I'm not letting you get away with this. Zubat, use Whirliwind!"

Ash followed, "Butterfree, Pidgeotto, help him out!"

The three Pokémon flapped and summoned a huge gust of wind that propelled the Poison-types back to their trainers.

Ash didn't let up, "Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Soot follow with Shadow Ball!"

Misty followed, "Staryu, help Pikachu with Watergun!"

The two humans and three Pokémon were shocked mercilessly. Soot followed and sent them flying. The intruders flew out of the cave faster than a Goodra on an ice rink … with a jet engine strapped to it.

The clefairy watched from the side. Seeing the attackers gone, it jumped for joy and ran over to the group.

She hugged Soot, "_Thank you! That bad guy was trying to steal the moon stone piece. We couldn't begin the ceremony without it!_"

Soot chuckled, "We were happy to help." She blinked "What ceremony?"

The other looked over when they heard this. Ash spoke up, "A ceremony?"

Clefairy flinched when he said that. Soot nodded, "Yeah, Clefairy said they couldn't begin without her piece of the moon stone."

Clefairy blinked and stared at Soot, "_You speak like humans?_"

Soot nodded, "Bingo." Clefairy tilted to the side. "That means yes."

Clefairy perked up and looked up at the surrounding humans. She ran over to Brock and pulled on his pants, "_Come on. I want to show you the ceremony._"

Brock looked at the Mightyena, "Uh, Soot?"

She chuckled, "Clefairy wants us to follow her. She said she wants to show us the ceremony."

Seymour ran over and crouched down, getting directly in the fairy-types face, "Will you really show us?!"

Clefairy became startled and hid behind Brock.

Ash put a hand on the freak's shoulder, "Calm down, Seymour. You're scaring her."

Seymour became embarrassed and started bowing. Yes bowing, "I'm so sorry, sir."

Ash was nearing his limit. He wanted to tell the man off but there were more important things to worry about.

Ash took a deep breath, ignored the man, and walked over to Clefairy. He crouched down to her level, "Clefairy, I'm grateful but, right now, we need to get rid of these lights. They're hurting the other Pokémon here."

She looked around, seeing what he meant. She looked back at him and smiled, "_I'll help. That'll make it go faster._"

Soot blinked, "She said she'll help."

Ash chuckled as he looked at the Fairy-type, "You really want us to see this ceremony, huh? Alright, let's get to work and we'll head there right after."

He turned back towards his friends, "Brock, Misty. Think we can get Starmie and Geodude out to help too?" The two of them nodded and brought out their respective Pokémon.

Ash smiled, "We'll work from either side of the tunnels and meet at the entrance. If you see any kind of light source, don't hesitate to check. Also, take a flashlight, we don't want any accidents."

Everyone nodded and got to work.

.

**Time skip**

With everyone helping, the lights were down in a matter of minutes. They were about to rest but Clefairy-

"The _lights are down. Now, Ceremony._" She pulled on Ash's shirt as he sat.

Ash chuckled at the puffball, "Alright, alright. We'll come see it."

Everyone groaned as they were forced to stand up. They made their way through the cave and came across a massive cavern. On the other side stood an oval shaped boulder that rivalled a snorlax in size.

Misty stared, "Woah."

Brock followed, "Is that?"

Seymour looked at the rock with stars in his eyes, "It's the moon stone!"

Ash was speechless at the sight of the stone. He looked down when he felt Clefairy pulling on his pants leg. She pointed to a pathway leading to the floor of the cavern and ran down it; motioning for the group to follow.

Ash spoke up, "Come on. Clefairy wants us to follow her."

They followed to the ground below. Clefairy ran over to the stone and placed her moon stone fragment into it. It was like a puzzle piece.

The completed moon stone began to glow. "_Let the Moon Stone ceremony begin!_" Clefairy called out.

Multiple clefairy started pouring into the cavern. The grouped watched as most of the Fairy Pokémon began dancing around the moon stone, with a few others standing off to the side. Their escort walked back over to them.

Soot looked over at Clefairy, "You're not going to dance, too?"

Clefairy shook in disagreement, "_I'm waiting for the end. For the chance to evolve._"

Soot was surprised before remembering something, "That's right. Your kind evolve when you come into contact with a moon stone." She looked at the boulder, "I guess the rules are different for a stone like this one."

Ash overheard, "So that's it. This ceremony is about the clefairy evolving."

Clefairy looked up at him, "_More than that. It's about honoring those before us. Their memories live forever in the moon stone._"

Soot smiled sadly and relayed the message. Ash mimicked Soot's expression and looked over the moon stone.

And, of course, Seymour had to say something, "What a discovery! It's incredible that these Pokémon could have such a rich culture."

Nobody responded, deciding to enjoy the display before them. But it didn't last long.

Three familiar laughs rang through the cavern. Everyone's eye widened at the sound. Team Rocket was up at the entrance looking down at the moon stone.

Jessie smirked, "So, this is where the moon stone has been hiding."

James smirked as well, "Once we take it, our Pokémon will be powered up like crazy."

Ash glared, "Beat it! A moon stone doesn't have any effect on koffing, ekans, or meowth. You're wasting your time here."

Jessie laughed, "Even if that's true, we'll surely be able to sell it for a good price."

Brock glared, "Forget it!"

Misty glared as well, "You're not getting anywhere near the moon stone. It belongs to the clefairy."

Meowth smirked, "We'll see about dat."

James tossed a pokéball into the air, "Koffing, Smokescreen!"

Smokescreen quickly filled the area, obscuring everyone's vision. Ash was about to send out his Flying-types when the ground started rumbling. He could hear motors and a diesel engine through the smoke. He quickly released Pidgeotto and had her get rid of the smoke with whirlwind.

But it was too late.

The smoke cleared. Team Rocket and the moon stone were gone, and a gaping hole sat next to where the boulder was.

Ash sank to his knees in shock as he saw this, "n-no." he said weakly.

The clefairy all broke down at seeing the relic had been stolen. Most began crying from the loss.

Misty was shocked, "How could they do this? That moon stone meant everything to the clefairy."

Ash started trembling.

Brock noticed, "Ash?"

Ash looked up and glared at the hole Team Rocket's machine made. His hair seemed like it was being lightly blown upward and his pupils had constricted into slits. The humans started shaking in fear at the sight and not knowing why.

Pikachu stepped forward, confused, "_Ash, what's going on?_"

Soot put a leg in front of the mouse. He looked up at her. She shook her head and point to Ash's watch.

Pikachu understood, "_Power Integration?_"

Soot nodded, still not saying anything.

"That stone was the only thing tying the clefairy to their ancestors." Ash declared, voice dripping with rage, "I'm not letting them get away!"

He broke into a sprint and jumped straight into the hole. Everyone felt their fear vanish as he did.

Seymour fell back, "W-what on earth was that?!"

Misty was still trembling, "It felt like I was being stared down by a rabid scyther."

Brock couldn't bring himself to speak.

Soot ran in front and faced them, "That's not important! I promised I'll explain later, but right now we need to stop Team Rocket before they get away with the moon stone."

Their clefairy overheard and walked over, tears in her eyes, "_Y-you'll really help?_"

Nobody needed Soot to translate that; already getting the message. Everyone shook themselves out of it and nodded. They began the chase to stop Team Rocket.

.

*Team Rocket

The tRio's drill burst out of the ground with the moon stone in the back.

"We did it!" Jessie cried out in joy.

"We finally won!" James joined in.

Meowth was just as excited, "Just imagine how da boss'll react ta dis."

Their cheers were cut short when they heard a screech from behind them. They turned to see a banette coming out of the hole they made. It had a green symbol it's stomach and was glaring at them.

It shot into the air and jumped on to Jessie's head.

She panicked and started trying to hit it, "Get out of my hair you dumb doll!"

Meowth jumped up, "Eat Fury Swipes!"

The banette smirked and hung in front of Jessie's face. It held on by her hair. Meowth was shocked when his claws went straight through the Pokémon and hit Jessie in the face. The woman was out like a light; face covered at scratches.

The Marionette Pokémon jumped off the falling woman and sat on the control panel, laughing at Meowth, "_You don't know much about Ghost-types. Do you?_"

James released his partner, "Koffing, Tackle that thing!"

The banette sat there and took it. Koffing hit the panel and destroyed it. Banette was unfazed.

It laughed again, "_Wow, you guys are dumb._"

Meowth pulled out a remote from James's pocket, "I'll show you who's dumb!"

He hit a button and several metal arms popped out of the machine and started swatting at the Ghost-type. It was forced to dodge repeatedly.

During this, an onix burst out the hole, carrying Brock, Misty, and everyone else. Except for Pidgeotto who flew out shortly after.

She looked at the scene before her, "_Wait, where's Ash? And who's that Pokémon fighting Team Rocket?_"

Pikachu squinted, "_I think that is Ash. Look, the symbols on him and everything._"

Brock looked around, "Where did Ash go? I thought he was ahead of us. And where did that banette come from?"

Soot spoke up, "I noticed in the tunnel that there were additional holes, probably dug by Ekans. Dad might have taken a wrong turn. As for the Banette; Team Rocket might have disturbed it with all the digging, or maybe it's a friend of the clefairy." Everything she said was a lie.

Luckily, the humans bought it. Misty spoke up, "So what do we do?"

Soot looked at scene, "I'm pretty sure Banette's already noticed us. It hasn't thrown an attack at us, so it knows we're here to help. I say we do just that!"

She ran into the mayhem and spat a Shadow Ball at one of the arms.

Meowth glared and pointed the remote at her, "Take dis!"

He pressed a button and Soot was batted away by one of the arms. She fell to the ground, landing on her left foreleg. She tried to stand up but failed. Ash was still flying around, trying to stop Team Rocket's machine. He couldn't get any good hits in with all the arms in the way.

Soot growled, 'Crag! I need to do something. Marrionetter should do the trick, but I need a user.'

Soot looked over at the others. Seymour was just- no, and Misty's nice but she might mess up after seeing a bug. That left Brock.

Soot looked to him, "Brock, get over here! Hurry!"

Brock ran to her side, "Don't worry, I'll help you."

Soot shook her head, "No, I need you to open the zipper on my back!"

Brock was shocked, "What?! But I saw what Ash was doing back in my gym. There's no way I could do that as well as him."

Soot managed to roll over, her back facing Brock, "I'm not asking you to. I just need a user. I'll guide you through it." Soot closed her eyes and opened them to their Banette design.

Brock was still unsure but opened it anyway. The strings shot out Soot's back and latched on to Brock's finger.

Soot smiled, "Listen closely. Curl you fingers like your halfway through making a fist. Then cross your arms with your left is over your right; from your perspective. Make sure they're touching each other half-way between your wrists and elbows."

Brock complied and Soot stood on all fours again.

She smiled, "Good. Now, without uncurling you fingers and with your arms still touching each other, rotate them clockwise into a cross shape with your right pointing upward. Then quickly pull you left hand to your left so that it's directly in front of your shoulder."

Brock followed again. Soot stood on her hind legs.

"Now, position your left hand so that your palm faces your right hand and straighten the fingers on your left hand. Rotate your right wrist and arm clockwise so that the back of your hand faces your left palm. Pull the two together directly in front of you so that your right wrist lays in your left palm."

Brock followed again, albeit shakily. Soot's forepaws were now pointing on in front of her, claws pointing upward and pads showing.

Soot smiled, "Alright this is easy part. Your connected hands are now acting as a guide for me, like a joystick. I'll fire shadow balls on my own, you just focus on the aiming."

Brock was speechless, 'All of this just for targeting?! And Ash made it look so easy.'

Brock pointed his hands at Team Rocket's machine. Soot followed and started firing Shadow Balls from her paws and mouth.

Ash dodged as the barrage hammered at the machine. He looked over to see Soot being controlled by Brock. He smiled, '_that's my girl._'

He moved over to Soot's side and started firing as well, "_So, I got lost in the tunnel and this guy attacked out of revenge?_"

Soot blinked twice, their sign for 'yes' in this situation.

Ash nodded, "_Good call. Fake tunnels or bad at directions?_"

She blinked once.

Ash sighed, "_Thanks_"

Team Rocket's drill was starting to lose its arms fast. The treads were the next to go.

James grimaced, "Oh, man! This is bad!"

They were out of mechanical arms to attack or defend. They were left without treads and had nowhere to go. They were … confused when the Shadow Balls stopped suddenly.

Meowth looked up from behind the broken wall he hid behind, "Huh?"

Brock became confused, "Soot, what's wrong?"

Soot was still facing the drill, forelegs forward, "We can't damage the moon stone. It's too important."

Brock grimaced, "So, how do we get it back?"

Soot's ears twitched. Ash turned around and saw the clefairy jumping out of the hole by the dozens.

Soot grinned, "I think they have it covered."

The clefairy all gathered around the destroyed drill and started waving their pointer fingers in the air.

Misty was confused, "What are they doing?"

Seymour adjusted his glasses, "I think that's Metronome. A move that can result in anything."

Soot's frowned, 'Metronome?! Why would they use such a risky move? And why all of them? The combined effects could be catastrophic.'

Ash was staring too; unsure of what to do next.

The fairy-types stopped and pointed at the drill. They all started glowing white.

Soot's eye widened, "EVERYONE, GET DOWN!"

The drill exploded violently.

Team Rocket flew through the air. They weren't any worse off than before the explosion … yeah, I don't get it either. If you want to argue, take it up with the anime.

Jessie woke up, "Ugh, my head- wait, what's going on?!"

Meowth was right next to her, "What's it looks like? We lost."

James held his head in sorrow, "I really thought the drill would work."

Jessie growled, "Those twerps are really starting to get on my nerves."

"Looks like we're blasting off again!"

The moon stone shattered in the explosion. Fragments flew everywhere. Everyone watched in horror, thinking they failed the clefairy. Turns out they were completely wrong.

The clefairy cheered and ran around trying to catch a piece. The moment one of them did, they become engulfed in white light.

Seymour watched in awe, "OF COURSE! The moon stone exploding must be how the ceremony ends. That's why Clefairy had a piece of it when we found her."

Misty blinked in surprise, "But I thought it was part of their heritage."

Soot sweat dropped, "They sure have an interesting way of showing it."

She looked back as best she could, "Can someone go ahead and zip me back up?"

"Banette could probably-" Brock paused when he saw the Ghost-type had vanished, "Where did it go?"

"Probably back to its home. Team Rocket's gone, so it might've stopped caring, or something." Soot responded.

Brock shrugged and reached out to close the zipper. The problem was that he was still in control.

His movements caused Soot to do a triple front flip and land on her face.

"Maybe someone else should close it." She said, voice muffled by the dirt.

Misty moved over to close it. The strings vanished and Soot gained control again.

Brock became sheepish, "Sorry about that."

Soot shook her head and smiled, "Don't be. You were really impressive out there. And besides, I've had to do way worse things because a simple mistake. A Pokémon should not have to swallow her own tail." She shivered after saying that.

Everyone tried to hold in their laughs. Soot rolled her eyes and grinned, "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up."

She tried to stand up but yelped and fell to the ground. That stopped the laughs.

Brock ran next to her, "Soot!"

She pulled in her left foreleg up in pain "Don't worry, it wasn't you. I landed on it earlier. Now might be a good time to patch me up."

Ash emerged from the hole behind them, trying to catch his breath.

Seymour immediately noticed, "Mr. Ketchum, you're okay! What happened?"

Ash looked up at him, "Got *huff* lost. *huff* Lots of *huff* fake tunnels."

Ash noticed Soot and got his second wind, "Soot!"

He ran over to her and got to on his knees, "Are you okay?!"

Soot looked up at him and put on a smile, "I'm fine. Just landed on it funny."

"Don't worry, I'm almost done." Brock reassured him.

Ash sighed in relief, "Thanks, Brock."

Ash looked over at the remains of the drill, "Geez, what did I miss? Wait, where's the moon stone?!"

Soot chuckled, "Everywhere, kind of. Turns out the ceremony ends with the clefairy blowing it up and using the pieces to evolve."

Ash blinked and looked around, "That explains all the clefable."

Ash spotted their clefairy friend from earlier, sitting on ground. She was still a clefairy.

Ash frowned and walked over to her. He crouched down to her level, "Hey, are you okay?"

Clefairy looked up at him with tears in her eyes. She ran over to him and sobbed as she hugged his right arm.

Ash started petting her with his left hand, "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll evolve next time."

Clefairy kept holding on to Ash as she cried softly.

.

**Time Skip**

The group decided to set up camp near the Rocket-made entrance to the mountain. Clefairy was still with them, sitting on the ground next to the soon-to-be firepit.

Ash turned to Seymour, "Hey Seymour, do you think you could get some us some firewood?"

Seymour lit up at the request, "Yes, of course sir! It would be my honor!" The scientist ran off into the woods.

Misty blinked, "I thought we still had firewood from last night."

Ash turned to look at her, "We do, I just wanted to get rid of him for a bit."

Brock and Misty couldn't argue that. Brock still felt the need to ask, "Any reason why?"

Ash raised an eyebrow, "Your kidding, right? He's been ignoring, if not insulting, you guys all day and bugging Soot and I because of that 'Phantom Child' stuff."

Misty chuckled, "I'm kind of happy you noticed too." She frowned a bit, "What is a Phantom Child anyway? And what about that thing you did in the cave that, um-"

"Made you guys fear for your lives." Ash replied somberly, "Yeah, I have some stuff to explain."

Everyone sat in a circle as with Soot sitting next to Ash and Pikachu on the other side.

Ash took a second to remember the story and began, "Seymour wasn't wrong about that story earlier. The one about where Soot came from. I didn't tell you guys because I was worried that you'd start going crazy. Kind of like Seymour, now that I think about. It was less than a year after we found out about Soot's abilities that professor Oak published his findings on inheritance."

Brock perked up, "I've heard about that before. I read about it some old articles about breeders trying to replicate it. All of them said that the attempt was a failure, but not what inheritance actually was."

Ash nodded, "That sounds about right. The easiest comparison to inheritance is actually egg moves. Moves that a Pokémon can inherit from a parent. Inheritance is when a Pokémon inherits traits or abilities from a parent that don't naturally show up in their species. The traits would be from the father."

Misty spoke up, "Like Soot's zippers and the way she can walk through stuff."

Soot nodded, "Don't forget my eyes. They can change to match my inherent species. Oh, also I can turn invisible."

Ash chuckled and continued, "Soot has Banette inheritance, which shouldn't even be theoretically possible. Banette and Mightyena are in no way compatible."

Soot shrugged while smiling, "I'm an enigma."

Ash pet her head, "After news got out, a lot people started coming around to try and study Soot or to get me to trade or sell her. We ended up with a lot of restraining orders. Attempts to replicate it all failed and the news died out fast. Or so I thought." Ash sighed.

Brock frowned, "So that's why Seymour has been so interested in you guys."

Ash nodded, "Yeah. I accidently founded the concept of inheritance when I was five. People all thought I was some prodigy." Ash didn't look happy about saying that.

Misty was still uneasy about earlier, "And the thing you did in the cave?"

Ash frowned. He was always scared about people finding out about that.

Soot jumped in, "It's because of marionetter." Brock flinched, "Calm down Brock, nothing will happen to you. It was because we practiced too much when we were younger. The prolonged exposure and over consistent use affected dad forever."

Ash frowned, but Soot continued, "The shape of his pupils is from my Banette side, the fear you felt is from my intimidate ability, we still haven't figured out the connection to his hair floating, and it only works on humans. There haven't been any other effects."

Ash spoke up; not wanting to hear Soot blame herself anymore, "I'm sorry about earlier. Normally, I can control it and use it at will, but sometimes it just happens when I get too angry." He looked down sadly, "It makes it hard to make friends." Ash wasn't lying about that part.

Pikachu's ears drooped at hearing that.

He heard someone walk over and felt them put an arm around is back. Ash looked up to see Misty smiling at down at him. Brock followed suit. Pikachu jumped into his lap.

Ash was surprised, "You guys aren't mad?"

Misty chuckled, "Please, compared to every other crazy thing about you, this is a cake walk."

Brock smiled too, "We're your friends, Ash. Nothings going to change that."

Ash smiled softly as he heard that and pulled them into group hug, "Thanks guys. I promise I'll try harder to control it."

Soot nuzzled up to Ash and even Clefairy walked over to join them. Everyone sat in silence until-

"Hey, I got the firewood!" Seymour yelled upon his return.

Ash sighed, "Thank you, Seymour."

"Way to ruin the moment" Misty muttered, not loud enough for the man hear.

Ash walked over and was about to prop it up for the fire, but, "Seymour, this wood is soaking wet. Where did you find it?"

The man looked up, "Down by a river. Why? Is something wrong with it?"

Ash deadpanned, "You've never been camping before, have you?"

Seymour threw the wood into the firepit, "Well it can't be that hard, right?"

Everyone groaned at hearing that.

Soot sighed, "This is going to be a long night."

.

.

**Omega: Wow. I am thankful that I never met that guy.**

**Faux: I envy you.**

**Gem: Same.**

**Omega: Okay, if you guys are actually saying that, then I'm even more thankful now.**

**…**

**Ohirume: For the record, I actually acted out all of the movements Soot instructed of Brock. Y'know, to make sure it was possible for a human to move like that. Nonfiction human anatomy is not my best subject.**


	7. Ch 7: Cerulean

**Ohirume: *yawn* Yeah, we're running out of ideas for these things.**

**Omega: The sad part is - this only chapter 7. Pathetic, isn't it.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**The Sensational Cerulean Screw-Ups**

.

Everyone woke up exhausted. Everyone except for- do I even have to say it?

"Good morning!" Seymour shouted.

Everyone groaned at being woken up by the scientist. Last night was a nightmare.

After the 'firewood incident', Seymour tried to help with a tent they never intended to set up, tried collecting berries without knowing which ones were rotten or ripe, and then he nearly started a forest fire with a smore. They didn't even have marshmallows. He almost started cooking until Brock intervened.

The group stood outside the original entrance to the cave and were about to separate from the man. The clefairy and clefable all stood around the entrance to see them off.

"I've decided to live here with the clefairy." Seymour announced.

They haven't told him off yet, why would they now?

Ash sweat dropped but gave a thumbs up, "Good to hear."

Misty waved, "So sorry to see you go."

Brock nodded, "It's been an experience."

Seymour's eyes were bright, "Thank you, Mr. Ketchum. It's always been my dream to find the moon stone. I hope that someday I can travel to the stars with the clefairy, aboard the moon stone."

Nobody knew how respond to that. The clefairy and clefable started looking at each other, confused. The oldest among them just shrugged when asked what the human meant.

Ash and friends left the mountain and Seymour far behind. Luckily, they wouldn't be leaving the mountain with only bad memories.

Ash heard heavy breathing coming from behind, he half expected to see Seymour running over to ask if he could join them. He was thankful when he turned around. The clefairy that they befriended was running towards the group, struggling to keep up with them. She ended up tripping and falling on her face.

Ash ran over, "Hey, are you alright?"

Clefairy looked up and jumped into his arms. She started chattering away in her native tongue, way too fast.

Ash blinked at the Fairy-type and looked to his side, "Soot?"

"I think she wants to join us." Soot responded, at bit shocked.

Ash looked down at the extremely rare Fairy Pokémon, eyes wide, "You want to join my team? Really? You're not pulling my leg here, right?"

Clefairy blinked and looked down at Ash's legs. Soot snorted, "He meant to ask if you were joking."

Clefairy looked back and shook wildly in disagreement, "_I want to travel with Ash. I promise to be strong and loyal._"

Ash blinked, 'why did I understand that?' Thinking back, he remembered that Clefairy hugged his right arm after the ceremony. Ash frowned, 'great.'

Clefairy noticed the frown and started tearing up, "_Does Ash not want me to join?_"

Ash flinched, "That's not it. I swear."

Brock became confused, "What?"

Ash flinched again, "I mean, she sounded sad. I kind of feared the worse."

Clefairy perked up, "_So Ash does want to me to join?_"

Ash responded by pulling out a pokéball, "It's completely up to you, Clefairy."

She smiled and hit the ball.

.

*Pallet Town

Professor Samuel Oak was sitting at his desk when an alert went off.

Trainer Ash Ketchum has captured a new Pokémon

Oak smiled and went over to the computer. Ash catching something didn't happen that often, as opposed to Gary.

"Let's see what we he's caught now." He said to himself as he hit a button on the computer.

The image of the Pokémon appeared on the monitor. Sam blinked as he saw it. He turned the monitor off and back on; no change. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"Either I need a new computer or Ash just caught a clefairy."

.

*Back with the twerps

Clefairy rode on Ash's shoulder, opposite to Pikachu. Apparently, Pokémon that hated pokéballs were drawn to Ash.

She looked at everything, with a sense of wonder in her eyes, "_Oh, what's that?!_"

Pikachu looked at where she pointed and chuckled, "_That's another pidgey._"

She looked confused, "_But it's a different color._"

Pikachu double checked, "_Oh yeah. I think they're shiny. If you've met clefairy that was colored differently, then you probably already known what that means._"

"_Oooooh_"

Ash chuckled as he overheard their conversation. He was starting to wonder how Clefairy would react to the watch.

"_What's that up ahead?_" She called out again.

Ash looked, "It looks like a sign."

Brock looked at the sign, "It's for Cerulean City. We're getting close."

Misty sighed, "greeeaaaat." She looked at sign to and noticed something, "There's something scribbled on it: 'Gary was here, Ash is a los-' huh?"

Ash checked too and sighed, "Of course Gary would do this."

Pikachu pouted, "_Not him again._"

Misty looked at Ash, "Who's Gary?"

Soot spoke up, "He's the professor's snobby grandson. Real full of himself. He got on Pikachu's nerves pretty fast."

Pikachu glared at the sign. Clefairy did too, "_Meany._"

Ash crouched down, "He shouldn't be vandalizing signs like this." Ash pulled out the claws on his right hand - the last two finally grew back - and started scraping away at the message. He was being careful not to cut it in half.

Clefairy stared. Pikachu patted her shoulder, "_Trust me, this is nothing compared to the rest._"

Misty took a chance, "Ash, can we not go to Cerulean City? There are lots of other gyms in Kanto to choose from."

Brock was confused, "Misty, I thought you were from Cerulean City. Why wouldn't you want to go home?"

Misty crossed her arms, "It's … personal."

Ash was still focused on the sign, "About your sister's or the gym?"

Misty stared at him, "You knew?!"

Ash shrugged, "I told you, I studied the gyms."

She blinked, "Why didn't you say anything before?"

Ash finished with the sign and looked at her, "It wasn't my place to call you out on it."

Misty sighed, "No use trying to hide it, I guess. Yeah, it's my 'sensational sisters'. I left home with a promise that I would return as a Water Pokémon Master. Well, more of a bet that a promise."

Brock frowned, "Do you not get along with them?"

Misty pouted, "That's one way of putting it. They see me as the runt of the family. Always talking down to me because I'm not as pretty as them."

Soot frowned, "They sound nice." She said sarcastically.

Ash glared at the path ahead of them, "They need to get their acts together."

Misty blinked, "huh?"

Ash looked back at her, "You haven't heard? The Cerulean gym has been getting a bad reputation among league trainers. Your sisters have actually been refusing most of their challenges in favor of their water ballets and handing out a lot of badges for free."

"THEY WHAT?!" Misty shouted; eyes wide. "We are heading straight there, NOW!"

She stormed of towards the water city.

Soot looked up, "You heard the woman."

Everyone broke into sprint.

.

**Time Skip**

The sun started setting, so the group stopped for the night, much to Misty's disappointment.

She paced around the clearing, "I cannot believe those three. When I get my hand on them, I'm gonna-"

Sorry, gonna have to cut her rant short. No amount of censoring will make it appropriate. And if you're not buying that: I'm sorry for being lazy.

The others decided not to interfere.

Soot frowned, "geez, I'm starting to feel sorry for her sisters."

Clefairy was confused at Misty's words, "_Hey, what does-_"

Pikachu interrupted, "_It's probably best you don't know._"

Ash spoke up, "I'm gonna head into the woods to train. Come on guys."

Pikachu and Clefairy ran over. Soot laid down next to the fire.

Ash was confused, "You're not coming, Soot?"

Soot yawned, "Nah, I think I'll rest. I'm still tired from last night."

Ash chuckled, "Fair enough. We'll be back later."

Ash and the others disappeared into the woods.

Soot continued to lay down by the fire, enjoying the warmth. Brock sat down next to her, looking like he had something on his mind.

Soot looked up, "You okay, Brock?"

Brock seemed nervous, "Well it's kind of about that puppet thing from yesterday."

Soot sat up, "You mean marrionetter? Brock, I already told you. Only using it once for such a short amount of time won't have any ill effects. You'll be fine so long as we don't do it more than two more time within the next week or so."

Brock seemed to calm down, "Thanks, but there was something else."

Soot raised a brow.

Brock continued, "Despite all the mayhem, I did see how Ash used, well, you back in my gym. The movements he did were a little more subtle than what you had me doing and he pulled off a lot more stuff."

Soot chuckled, "Marionetter is kind of weird with its margin for error. My user, at the time, actually has two options for how they control me. The movements you did were the clunkier ones that are easier to pull off and are much more accepting of errors. Dad's technique was a lot more advanced and effective but there's little to no room for error. One twitch in the wrong way and I could end up with a new zipper around my neck."

Misty stopped ranting when she heard that, "What? I thought those zippers were a part of you?"

Soot nodded, "They are but I wasn't born with them. Before I evolved, I was a poochyena with shuppet inheritance. My zippers are actually my bodies version of scars."

Brock flinched, "Wait, what?!"

Soot nodded again, "Yeah, the zipper on my back happened shortly after I evolved. We ran into a hurt scyther and it attacked me out of confusion. The one on my leg happened about a few months later. Some poachers got me while they were trying to catch the same scyther. That was awkward."

Brock and Misty were shocked beyond belief. Ash and Soot have really been through that much?

.

*Ash

Clefairy's jaw nearly hit the floor as she stared at the male clefairy in front of her. Her new teammates were all around her.

Pikachu nudged her, "_Told ya._"

Butterfree glided over, "_Ash, this is so cool! I didn't know you could turn into new Pokémon just by letting touch your wrist … thing._"

Ash chuckled, "_It's called a watch, Butterfree. Yeah, it's a pretty cool feature, I guess. Check this out._"

Ash hit the symbol on his stomach. He flashed green and emerged in Pikachu form.

Ash smiled, "_Ta da!_"

Clefairy fainted. Pikachu laughed in triumph, "_Hah! I wasn't the only one!_"

Pidgeotto cocked her head, "_If that's true, then why haven't you had me or Butterfree touch it, yet?_"

Pikachu responded, "_According to Soot, it's because he's too stubborn._"

Ash glared, "_No, I am not! It just doesn't seem fair to have that kind of power. Like I said, I can't use this in an official battle._"

Butterfree nodded, "_Yup, too stubborn._"

Ash hissed.

.

**Time Skip**

Morning rolled around and the group continued on their journey to Cerulean City. The entire time, Clefairy asked Ash about what all he could turn into and what Power Integration let him do; now that she knew he could understand her. Pikachu was given the 'honor' of answering because Brock and Misty were there.

The two humans said nothing during the walk. They were still thinking about what Soot told them last night and how she was so nonchalant about it. Every so often, they would look at the zipper on her back and grimace at the thought of how she got it. Not to mention what all Ash said about making friends and the 'Phantom Child' mayhem. Ash and Soot usually seemed so calm and easy going, when Team Rocket wasn't around. It was hard to believe that they'd been through stuff like that.

Misty's home city came into view after a few hours.

Soot smiled, "There it is!"

Ash smiled too, "Come on, the Cerulean gym awaits."

The pair and shoulder riding Pokémon made their way down the hill. Brock and Misty followed a few feet behind them, in no rush.

Brock looked over to Misty, "So, what's your plan for your sisters?"

Misty looked at him, confused, "What?" she perked up as she remembered what Ash said, "Oh, right! I nearly forgot about that. I just can't help thinking about- well."

Brock nodded, "Yeah, me too."

Misty looked at the ground, "It's just- It's hard to believe how rough they had. Especially with how calm they always are."

Brock frowned, "I know what you mean."

Ash looked back, "Hey guys, is everything alright?"

Misty looked up and forced a smile, "Yeah, we're good."

Soot looked back too, "Well then, come on. We're almost there."

Misty sighed as they turned back around.

Brock watched as they kept walking, "Lets just try not think about it for now. We'll just focus on being there for them."

Misty nodded and smiled, "Yeah, sounds good."

The humans picked up their pace. After a few more minutes, they were finally at the city limits.

Ash turned to face his friends, "So, how should we split up?"

That caught them off guard. "What do you mean?" Brock asked.

Ash raised an eyebrow, "Well, we need to restock. I was thinking we could split up and get it done faster."

They couldn't argue that. At least, not without Ash questioning it.

Brock spoke up, "I'll get it done. I'm used to big shopping trips."

Ash smiled, "Thanks." He turned to Misty, "So, I guess we're heading to the gym then?"

"Yeah! I still need to give my sisters a piece of my mind!" Misty said, determined.

Clefairy blinked, "_Humans can do that?!_"

Soot chuckled, "It's an expression Clefairy."

Ash nodded, "Sounds good."

They made their way into the city. It didn't take long to notice the crowd.

Ash turned towards Misty, "Is this normal?"

Misty frowned, "No, its really not." She walked over to the crowd to try and get a better look. The others followed.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Misty asked.

A man turned around, "Last night some criminals broke into a warehouse and stole something."

Ash frowned, "what did they steal?"

"How suspicious of you to show up here." The group turned around the see Officer Jenny glaring at them.

Ash spoke up, "Officer Jenny, do you know what's going on here?"

Her glare deepened, "How do you know my name?"

Misty blinked, "Your joking, right?"

Ash pinched the bridge of his nose at the question but answered anyway, "I met another Officer Jenny back in Viridian City."

She kept glaring "If that's so, then you met my sister-in-law. Perhaps it was to ask for directions or find your lost wallet. Or maybe it was after you all broke out of Jail!" She whipped out a pair of handcuffs, "You're all coming with me!"

Soot's eyes widened, "You cannot be serious. We only just got to town. We saw the crowd and came to see what was going on."

Jenny looked at Soot, "And you have a mightyena. That must mean you're from Hoenn's Team Aqua or Team Magma."

"THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE!" Soot shouted.

Ash patted her head, "Calm down, Soot." Ash turned towards Jenny and pulled out his pokédex, "Look, I'm a licensed trainer from Pallet Town. The mightyena's name is Soot and she's is one of my Pokémon."

"And I used to be the Pewter City gym leader" Brock pulled out a badge.

Jenny glared at Misty, "And what about you?"

Misty deadpanned and held up a Cascade Badge, "My name is Misty Waterflower."

Jenny flinched and backed up, "Oh, I'm sorry about that miss Waterflower. Your family's gym is very, well-"

Misty interrupted, "In need of fixing. I know. Now, can you please tell us what's going on here?"

Jenny sweat dropped, "Yes, of course. It's the weirdest thing, really. They left all the money behind and just stole a gigantic vacuum and hose."

Ash raised an eyebrow, "Why the Yvel would anyone steal that stuff?"

Jenny sighed, "I've been trying to figure that out, too. It's put me on edge lately. I'm sorry again for accusing all of you."

Ash chuckled, "No harm done, right?"

Soot muttered something that only Ash and Pikachu heard. Pikachu blushed.

Jenny sighed, "Thank you for being so understanding."

Brock walked up to her, "Perhaps after your shift, you could make it up to me with a date." He said charmingly, holding a rose.

"Sorry, but I'll be working long past your bedtime."

Brock fell to his knees in despair. Clefairy giggled. Soot raised a brow, 'How long has he had that rose with him?'

Jenny continued, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work on this case."

Ash nodded, "I wish you luck in finding the culprits."

The group separated from the crowd and continued walking towards the gym. They noticed a Pokémart along the way.

Brock spoke up, "Well, this is my stop. I'll meet you guys at the gym right after I'm done."

Ash nodded, "Sounds good. See ye later."

The group split; Brock towards the Pokémart and the rest to the gym.

Ash and Misty made it there in no time flat.

Misty sighed, "Welp, I'm home."

Ash put a hand on her shoulder.

She smiled at him and turned to glare at the door, "Alright, let's get this over with."

She pushed her way through and was ready to shout at her sisters. She was not ready for the music and spotlights.

The group stared at the scene from the top row. Misty was flabbergasted, "What. The. Yvel."

Ash sighed, "It's like I said. Water ballets."

Soot propped herself up on the railing, "This looks a lot more like a Pokémon Showcase than a gym. No offence."

Misty kept staring at the performance, "None taken."

Clefairy eyes lit up in amazement, "_Soooo pretty._"

Pikachu was about the same, "_And so graceful._"

Misty grabbed Ash's arm, "Come on. We're putting an end to this!"

She led them down a hallway with massive aquarium tanks on either side. Water Pokémon could be seen swimming all around without a care in the world.

Clefairy put her face up to the glass, "_Woah. Hey, who's that Pokémon?!_"

Soot looked, "That would be a Luvdisc."

"_And that one?_" she said, pointing to another fish.

Soot checked, "Goldeen. Misty actually has one."

Clefairy's eye lit up, "_Really?! It's so pretty._" She looked again, "_Oh, what's that one over there._"

Soot chuckled, "That's a-" she stopped when she noticed the Water-type in question, "Woah. Misty, you guys have Basculin? Those are really rare in Kanto."

Misty smiled proudly, "Yeah, it's pretty impressive."

They heard giggling from up ahead. Misty's sisters came into view.

"That dive you did was super, Daisy!" the pink haired one, Lily, announced.

"Yeah, practice really paid off!" the blond, Daisy, responded.

"Totally!" the blue haired one, Violet, squealed.

They let out a collective high-pitched squeal that made Ash and all of the Pokémon cover their ears. It even scared away all of the fish near the sisters.

Soot recovered after they stopped, "Ow."

The girls noticed Ash and his Pokémon, but apparently not Misty.

Violet went first, "Sorry but if you, like, want an interview, you'll have to call our manager."

Ash frowned, "I'm not here for an interview."

Daisy went second, "We don't, like, do autographs either."

Ash's frown deepened, "I don't want that either. I'm here for a gym battle."

Lily went third, "Sorry, but we don't, like, do gym battles anymore."

Soot sweat dropped, 'why do they keep throwing 'like' into their sentences.'

Misty jumped in, "And why might that be?"

The sensational sisters finally noticed their youngest sister.

Daisy walked over, "It's surprising to see you so soon, little sister."

Lily followed, "The little big-mouth who swore she would, like, become a great trainer."

Ash was already tired of this, "How do know she's not?"

Violet laughed, "She hasn't been gone for that long. And we've seen her account; she hasn't, like, caught any new Pokémon."

Ash laughed mockingly, "That's your justification? What on earth makes you three the judges?"

The sisters glared at the comment. Misty actually felt a little touched that Ash would stand up for her like this.

She was also confused because condescending remarks were usually Soot's thing, 'Guess I know where she got it from.'

Lily smirked, "Well, why don't we prove our point with a battle."

Misty glared at her sisters, "Bring it! I'll show you all just how far I've come."

They all made their way to the gym's main battlefield, and by default the pool. And then-

"Sorry but we, like, can't" Daisy said with a shrug.

Ash blinked, "I'm sorry, what? You're the ones who challenged Misty."

Lilly spoke up, "We just got beaten three times in a row by these kids from some nowhere place called Pallet Town." Ash and Soot's eyes narrowed at that. "It was just one defeat after another. My eyes are still spinning from all the losses.

Daisy pouted, "We had too, like, rush all of Pokémon to the Pokémon Center."

Lily pulled out a pokéball, "All we have left is this."

The ball opened and a goldeen emerged on the floor. It started flailing next to the pool.

Lilly continued, "It would help if it would evolve into seaking. So far, it only knows Horn Attack."

Ash ignored them and walked over to the flailing fish. He picked it up effortlessly and dropped it into the pool. The sister's stared, not sure how to respond.

Ash noticed and frowned, "Most Pokémon from the Water 2 egg group need to remain in water, unless they learn how to levitate." He glared "I'd expect a trio of Water-type gym leaders to know something so simple."

Misty could barely hold in her laughs as Ash belittled her sisters. She stopped, a little embarrassed, when she remembered what happened in Viridian Forest.

Daisy recovered, "Well, anyway. Now do you get it? There's no point in battling."

Soot laughed hysterically at her response, "Sorry, its just- You belittled Misty because you thought she wasn't a good trainer. Yet, this is your excuse?" She laughed harder, "Oh man. No wonder your reputation's in the toilet."

The sister's stared. "Did that Pokémon just talk?" Violet asked.

Misty got in their faces, "Not important! You challenged me to a battle, so you owe me a battle."

Daisy pointed at Ash, "Well why don't you just battle him?"

Misty glared at her sisters.

Ash frowned, "First you challenge Misty to a battle and now your trying to pass it on to me? Fine."

Misty turned to look at him, confused, "Huh?"

Ash shrugged, "Well, why not? I'd still rather earn my badge in a battle and these three sure as Yvel aren't gonna do it."

Misty grinned, "Alright, you're on. But don't expect to win."

Ash smiled, "I look forward to the challenge." He turned to face the sister's, "The battlefield still has trainer platforms, right?"

Lily raised a brow, "Of course, why wouldn't it?"

Soot deadpanned, "After seeing how you three treat battles, it seemed like a fair question."

The girls glared. Violet returned her goldeen and pressed a button on the wall. Large platforms rose up on either side of the pool.

"There, happy now?" Daisy pointed at one of the platforms, "Misty, you take red. Boy, you take blue."

Misty glared, "His name is Ash."

Soot glared too, "And for the record, I don't appreciate you calling our home a 'nowhere place'."

Ash and misty took their positions on the battlefield. The referee's area was still empty.

Misty looked over to her sister's, "Hey, where's the ref?"

"We gave him the day off." Daisy called out.

Misty blinked, "What?! But the gym is still open!"

Soot sighed and walked over, "I'll handle it. I still remember what the guy in Pewter said."

Lily blinked, "Wait, a Pokémon is going to be the ref?"

Violet followed suit, "Wouldn't it just root for its trainer?

Ash glared, "Soot isn't that biased."

Misty followed, "And, besides, we need a referee. Your good to go, Soot."

Soot nodded, "Sweet." She cleared her throat. She was about to start when something occurred to her, "What's the protocol for a second badge battle?"

"Same as Pewter City's first badge." Misty replied.

Soot nodded, "Alright, this gym battle will be between the Cerulean City gym leader, Misty Waterflower, and the challenger, Ashton Satoshi Ketchum of Pallet Town. Both sides may use up to two Pokémon, but only the challenger may substitute. The battle will be decided when one sides Pokémon are unable to continue. Should the challenger be victorious, they shall be awarded the Cascade Badge. Are the rules clear?"

Ash and Misty nodded.

Lily, Violet and Daisy blinked in surprise. "Whoa, she's better than our usual guy." Violet commented.

Soot held up a paw, "Very well. Let the battle-" she brought it down forcefully "BEGIN!"

Ash looked down at Pikachu, "Alright Pikachu, let's- what's wrong?"

Pikachu looked up at Ash, "_I don't really want to battle Misty. She's our friend._"

Ash smiled and crouched down to pet him, "Don't worry buddy, I understand." He turned to the other Pokémon he had out, "Clefairy?"

She became nervous and started poking her pointer fingers at each other, "_Well-_"

Ash pet her too and smiled, "I get it. You guys can sit this one out. I promise I'm not upset."

That seemed to calm them down.

Ash pulled out a pokéball.

Misty blinked, "You're not using Pikachu?"

Ash shrugged, "He doesn't want to. Same goes for Clefairy."

Daisy blinked, "How do you know that?"

Soot looked towards the stands, "I can vouch for them. Now shush."

Ash tossed the pokéball into the field, "Butterfree, it's your move!"

Misty followed suit, "Misty calls Staryu!"

The Pokémon emerged. Staryu stood on the platform, took note of its surroundings, and turned to face Butterfree. Butterfree stared in surprise and looked back at Ash.

Pikachu responded, "_It's a gym battle. Turns out Misty is one of the gym leaders._"

Ash narrowed his eyes, 'Staryu first. The only move I've seen it use is Water Gun. Whereas Misty knows just about all of Butterfree's moves. That puts me at a disadvantage. I just need to be careful and pray that it doesn't know an Ice-type move.'

Misty frowned, 'Great. He had to choose a Bug-type. At least Butterfree isn't gross looking like other bugs.'

Soot began again, "Now, Start!"

Ash acted first, "Butterfree, use Sleep Powder!"

Misty snapped out of her thoughts, "Staryu, dodge!"

Misty's command came too late. The blue powder shrouded the starfish; it started to sway from exhaustion.

Ash didn't let up, "Butterfree, Tackle!"

"Staryu, get into the water!"

Staryu managed to get to the edge of the platform and fall in. Butterfree shot by, missing.

Misty smirked, "Hah, Sleep Powder doesn't do anything if it gets washed off! Staryu, stay under and use Water Gun."

The stream of water shot out of the pool and hit Butterfree right in the chest. He managed to recover.

"Butterfree, Sleep Powder! Don't let up!"

Butterfree complied.

Misty grinned, "It's not gonna work Ash. Staryu's still underwater."

Ash smirked, "You sure about that?"

Misty frowned and looked at the water. It was starting to turn blue, and not the normal shade.

Misty flinched, "What's going on?!"

Ash raised a finger, "You were right, Misty. Sleep powder doesn't work if you wash it off. But, while the effects won't be as efficient, it's a decent contaminant."

Misty's eye widened, "Staryu, get out of the water, now!"

The Water-type emerged slower than expected. It wasn't as drowsy as before, but it was still sluggish.

"Now, Butterfree, Tackle!"

Misty wasn't done, "Staryu, you Tackle too!"

The combatants shot at each other and met at the center of the field. Staryu got the upper hand and knocked Butterfree on to the opposing platform. Its eyes swirled.

Soot raised a paw towards Misty, "Butterfree is unable to battle. Staryu wins the round."

Misty cheered, "Alright, Staryu."

Daisy watched in amazement, "Woah! Misty actually won!"

Lily wasn't far behind, "Alright! Take him down little sis!"

Ash smiled slightly, "Good work, Butterfree, get some rest."

The butterfly disappeared and Ash pulled out another pokéball.

"Pidgeotto, come on out!"

Pikachu spoke up, "_Pidgeotto, we're-_"

"_Battling Misty. I heard. Pokéballs aren't exactly soundproof._" The bird stated as she looked ahead.

"What did she say?" Ash whispered.

Clefairy looked up, "_That pokéballs aren't sound roofs._"

"_She means soundproof_" Pikachu responded.

Soot looked at the field and nodded, "Alright. Begin!"

Misty raised an arm, "Staryu, use Swift!"

Ash grimaced, "Pidgeotto, Quick Attack!"

Staryu, still drowsy from the sleep pool, fired a barrage of stars towards the oncoming bird. Pidgeotto swerved through the attack and hit staryu right in the core.

Ash didn't let up, "Now, Steel Wing!"

Misty could respond soon enough. Pidgeotto batted Staryu into Misty herself.

Ash flinched, "Woah. Sorry Misty!"

Misty raised hand, "I'm good. Believe it or not, this has happened before."

She held out a pokéball, "Thanks Staryu, return."

Misty got back up and smiled, "Get ready Ash. Here comes the finale." She pulled out a pokéball and enlarged it.

Ash smiled, "I'm ready."

"Misty calls Starmie!"

Everyone was tense, waiting for the final battle to ensue. Misty's sisters all cheered for her.

"Go Misty!"

"Show him who's boss, sis!"

"You've got this!"

Soot smiled and raised a paw, "This will be the final battle!" She brought her paw down and pointed at the wall in front of her "BEGIN!"

The wall exploded; kicking up dust into the air. Everyone looked at Soot in shock.

Soot shook her head, "That wasn't me."

A round of laughs rang through the dust.

Soot's eye twitched, "Freaking Arceus."

The dust settled enough to reveal Team Rocket riding … another giant machine, treads included. The main difference was the pointed hull at the base and the gigantic exhaust pipe on the side.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! Dat's right!"

Misty glared, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!"

James looked at her and flinched, "What are you doing here?!"

"Her family owns the gym, you dunce!" Soot shouted.

Jessie smirked, "Well then, this just makes things easier. Meowth, start the machine."

Meowth pulled a lever on the control panel, "It's vacuumin' time!"

A large hose popped out of the machine and started emptying the pool.

Ash groaned, "I should have known they were the thieves. Who else would pull a heist that dumb?"

Daisy was shocked, "Hey, that's our pool!"

Meowth grinned, "You're right." The hose raised out the pool and pointed at the trio, "Here, take it back."

Water shot out of the hose at an alarming rate. Soot ran over and tackled the sisters out of the way.

She glared at the machine with her Banette eyes. "You three, take cover now." she told the sisters.

They nodded and ran behind the bleachers.

Meowth frowned and pointed the hose to Ash.

Meowth smirked and pulled a lever, "Now ta suck 'em up."

The vacuum started to, well, vacuum the area. Clefairy and Pikachu were lifted off their feet. Ash returned Pidgeotto and jumped up to catch them. He ended up getting sucked in with them.

Misty was shocked, "Ash! No!"

Soot grimaced, "Crag."

The hose turned to Misty, still sucking. Misty tried to stand her ground but was failing. She felt something grab on to her and the pulling stopped. Misty looked up to see the vacuum still pointing at her. She looked down and saw Soot holding on to her.

Soot noticed Misty's confusion and grinned, "Intangibility, remember? Even helps with wind."

Jessie glared, "Meowth, what's going on?! Why isn't the vacuum working?!"

Meowth got worried, "I don't know! 'Dis t'ings at full suckage."

The vacuum stopped.

"MEOWTH!" Jessie shouted.

"I didn't do dat! Somet'in must be wrong with it!"

Electricity started to crackle around the vacuum. "huh?" James look around, "Is the twerp's pikachu doing this?"

Jessie grimaced, "But we got the twerp too. He wouldn't take that kind of risk, would he?"

Soot laughed, "You guys don't anything about my dad."

The machine started rumbling.

Soot grimaced, "Uh oh." She let go of Misty and phased through the machine right before it exploded.

Team Rocket blasted off again.

The team remained mostly silent as they flew.

James sighed, "At least we didn't waste any money this time."

*ding*

The smoke cleared to reveal Ash and his Pokémon in the middle of the ex-machine; huddled around Soot. Ash opened his eyes to see everyone else staring at him.

Ash sighed in relief, "Looks like it worked." he looked at the hole in the wall and frowned, "Geez. Sorry about all this."

Daisy recovered and shrugged, "We'll get it fixed. Gyms have really good insurance."

Misty sighed, "I guess we can't finish the battle. Sorry, Ash."

Violet walked over, "I don't think that will be problem. Come on out, Seel!"

A seel hopped into the room. It was balancing a Cascade Badge on its nose.

Ash blinked, "I thought you didn't have any Pokémon left."

Lily shook her head, "We don't have any left for battles. Seel's a performer."

Ash raised an eyebrow, "And the badge?"

Lily giggled, "Well, you saved us and most of our gym. It's the least we can do."

Ash looked over at Misty. She crossed her arm and turned away, "Oh, just take it already."

Ash smiled and took the badge from the seel. He sighed, "This is going to be reoccurring thing, isn't it?"

.

*Later, outside the gym

Misty, Soot, and Ash said their goodbyes to Misty's sisters. The three of them held Misty a group hug for 5 minutes. The whole time they were wishing her luck, asking her stay safe, and giving her advice. Unfortunately, most of said advice was about makeup. Ash couldn't help but chuckled about some of it. That earned him a glared from Misty.

Brock walked up to the gym, "Hey, guys. I got everyth-" he noticed the gym, "What happened here?"

Soot growled, "I'll give you a hint. Their initials are T. and R."

Brock stared at the destruction, "Please tell me you're joking."

Ash sighed, "She's serious, alright. Turns out those three were the vacuum thieves."

Misty growled too, "They tried to weaponize our pool. I mean, COME ON, who does that?!"

Soot sighed, "Well, at least they're gone now."

Brock chuckled before he remembered, "Ash, did you get your gym badge?"

Ash held up his new Cascade Badge, "Yeah, Misty was tough."

Misty crossed her arms, "Yeah, but you didn't even win. My sisters were just grateful for you saving the gym."

Brock chuckled, "Sounds familiar."

Ash rolled his eyes and chuckled, "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll try not to earn the rest of my badges out gratitude alone."

Soot smirked "Don't make promises you can't keep, dad."

The friends laughed as they left the city.

.

.

**Omega: Life Fiber Infection! Nuno-Kiseijuu, Omni-Koketsu!**

**Faux: Aura Transmution! Hamon!**

***random explosions and other anime nonsense***

**Ohirume: Guys, quit! This is not a good way to- YIPE!**

**Seishin: Keep your head down! Faux just went Ki!**

**Faux: Aura Transmution! Chakra!**

**Seishin: Make that chakra.**

**Faux: Fire Style! Fireball Jutsu!**

**Omega: Omni, shield!**

**Omni: on it.**

**Faux: Aura Transmution! Mana! Frost Magic! Icicle Cascade!**

**Gem: Oh, Omega just bled!**

**Ohirume: CRAG!**

***BOOM***

**Omega: *monstrous roaring***

**Faux: Aura Transmution! Grace!**

**Seishin: Woah! This is gettin' good! These guys should get bored more often!**

**Ohirume: WHYYYYYY?!**


	8. Ch 8: A J

***Crash* *Boom* *Whatever***

**Ohirume: It's been three days! How are you still going?!**

**Omega: SEN'I SŌSHITSU!**

**Faux: Link Attack, Aerial Sphere! Impact!**

**Seishin: Gauntlet Power Strike!**

**Ohirume: Not you, too!**

**Seishin: Triple Ability Activate! Power Rangers Samurai Spin Sword, Black Clover Demon-Dweller Sword, and Supernatural Angel Sword.**

**Ohirume: Really?! Zoro's three sword style with that stuff? You can't be serious.**

**Seishin: Ability Card Activate! ZA WARUDO!**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Dojo A.J. (what? They can't all be a bad reference or play on words.)**

.

Ash shouted and jerked awake. He woke up everyone else.

Misty looked over, "Ash, what's wrong?!"

Ash held his head, "Nothing, I just had a weird dream."

Soot's ears flattened. "A nightmare?" She asked concerned.

Ash shook his head, "No, it was just weird."

"Do you remember what it was about?" Brock asked.

Ash nodded, "Yeah, but I don't know how to explain it."

Misty laughed, "Oh, come on. It can't be that crazy."

Ash sighed, "I dreamt that a guy in a green jumpsuit and helmet was fighting a talking Zoroark with a tail. The guy was using a gigantic pair of green scissors and the Zoroark spoke in the same voice as me. Then a white-haired guy who looked like me jumped in wielding three swords, one of which was in his mouth, and froze time around himself."

Everyone just stared.

Soot spoke up, "Wow. That's, um … I don't know how to respond to that."

Ash held his head again, "Yeah."

Brock followed, "Have you ever had dreams like that before?"

Ash shook his head, "Never."

Everyone just went back to sleep; deciding that this was a problem for the morning.

.

**Time Skip**

The group continued on their journey to Vermillion City, the site of Ash's third gym battle. They were still trying to figure out Ash's dream from last night.

Brock began, "Have you ever considered dying your hair white or learning how to use a sword?"

Ash shook his head, "Not once."

Misty went next, "Have you met a talking Zoroark?"

Ash shook his head again, "I'd remember something like that."

She continued, "Maybe you had fantasies about becoming a Pokémon when you were younger?"

"Sort of, but I didn't know what a zoroark was back then. And I know for a fact that they don't have tails."

Brock went again, "Maybe you read something about Legendary Pokémon. There are some that can control time."

Ash considered this but shook his head again, "No, I don't think so. The guy shouted something before time froze. It was like, 'sewardo' or something."

They weren't making any progress.

They were interrupted when a trainer ran over to them.

He pointed to Ash, "You there! I challenge you to a battle!"

Soot blinked, 'Random.'

Ash smiled, "Sure, sounds good."

They found a clearing and stood on either side of it.

Pikachu and Clefairy jumped down from Ash's shoulders. Ash stretched before starting, "Alright, what should we do for the match-up?"

The trainer held out a pokéball, "One-on-one and I want to face the strongest Pokémon you have."

Ash frowned, "Are you sure about that?"

The trainer glared, "Hey! Don't doubt my skills!"

Ash raised his hands, "Alright, sorry." He turned to Soot, "You heard him, girl."

Soot jumped into the battlefield, "Finally!"

The trainer blinked, "Your Pokémon can talk?!"

"It's not that surprising." Soot argued.

Brock and Misty stood on the sidelines; watching with interest.

Misty grinned, "This is going to be awesome! I've never seen Soot in an actual battle before!"

Brock nodded, "I agree. It'll be exciting to see what she can do."

The trainer smirked, "It doesn't matter. I'll still win. Go, Rattata!"

Soot blinked in surprise as her opponent materialized. The small Pokémon tried to look tough but flinched upon seeing her. She frowned, 'great.'

Ash frowned as well, 'It doesn't look like he's been training it for that long. At least it looks healthy.'

The trainer held out a hand, "Now Rattata, Tackle it!"

Soot just stood there and took it. Rattata bounced back; the attack did almost nothing.

Trainer grinned, "Alright, a direct hit! Now, Fury Swipes!"

Ash raised his eyebrows, 'Huh, egg move. Not bad.'

Rattata clawed at Soot furiously. She just looked down at the Mouse Pokémon as it flailed.

She sighed, "Sucker Punch."

Before Rattata could react, Soot swatted it to the side with a paw. She knocked it out instantly.

Brock and Misty sweat dropped.

"At least it was over fast." Misty commented quietly.

The trainer was shocked, "Oh no! Rattata!" he pulled out a pokéball, "return."

He put the pokéball away and frowned, "Ah man, I was so close."

Ash walked over and held out a hand, "It was a good match."

The trainer smiled sadly and shook his hand, "Yeah, I guess." He perked up, "Hey, I bet you could beat you guys could beat A.J."

Ash raised a brow, "Who's A.J.?"

"He's known as the Savage Pokémon Trainer and owns an unofficial gym in the forest. I was actually his 95th win a few days ago. He's never been beaten before."

Ash's eyes widened, "Woah. That's impressive."

Soot was ecstatic, "That's great! I've been waiting for something like this. Please, dad!"

Ash chuckled and looked over to his friends, "What do you think, guys? Wanna check it out?"

Misty nodded, "Yeah. I've gotta see this."

Brock smiled, "Same. This guy sounds tough."

Soot cheered, "Alright! Savage Trainer, here we come!"

She ran off in the direction the trainer came from.

Ash turned to the trainer, "Is she going in the right direction?"

They nodded, "Yeah."

.

**Time Skip**

The humans, as well as Pikachu and Clefairy, finally caught up to the excited canine. It didn't take long to find the home of the Savage Trainer. They quickly noticed the electronic scoreboard. Wins: 99 / Loses: 0

Misty looked at the board, "Wow, that guy wasn't kidding."

Soot was trembling with excitement.

A new voice came up, "So, which of you is my next victim?"

Ash looked over, "You must be A.J. My name is-"

A.J. interrupted, "Don't care. You my next challenger or what?"

Ash frowned, "Yes, I am. I heard they call you the Savage Pokémon Trainer?"

A.J. smirked, "That's my job. Beating chumps like you is just a hobby. Let's get started"

The gates opened to fully reveal the gym.

Soot tilted her head, "Gotta be honest, I did not expect it to look like a circus tent."

The Savage Trainer looked at the Pokémon in surprise.

Soot deadpanned, "Yes, I can talk. It's not that big of a deal."

A.J. blinked, "Uh, right. Well, come on."

They approached the arena outside the tent.

Ash blinked, "Wait, if the arena's out here, then what's with the building?"

"Oh, that's just my training area."

Misty looked over, "Mind if we see?"

Soot looked at her, "Huh?"

A.J. chuckled, "Eh, why not. It'll give you a little taste of what's to come."

"What?! B-but the battle-" Soot pouted as A.J. pushed through the flap on the tent. Everyone followed him, soon after.

Inside, there was a Beedrill, a Butterfree, and a trio of Rattata sparing, jumping through flaming hoops, and running obstacle courses. They found A.J. next to a pool; holding a whip. There was also a sandshrew on the diving board.

"Now dive!", A.J. shouted as he cracked the whip.

Sandshrew jumped. Misty and Brock were about to intervene when Ash put his arms out in front of them.

Misty glared, "Ash, Sandshrew can't swim!"

Ash continued watching as the Mouse Pokémon hit the water, "Look closer."

Soot nodded, "Dad's right. Sandshrew's completely unaffected by the water."

Brock looked, "But that shouldn't be possible. Sandshrew are pure Ground-types."

A.J. overheard and looked back, grinning, "That's right. Your looking at the only sandshrew in the world that can withstand water."

Ash raised an eyebrow, "You mean aside from Alolan Sandshrew, right? They're Ice and Steel-types."

A.J. frowned, "You know what I meant!"

Sandshrew jumped out of the water and spun himself dry.

A.J. smiled, "Nice work."

Ash noticed something, "Hey, what's that thing Sandshrew's wearing?"

"One of my homemade strength intensifiers. There's a few on the shelf next to you." A.J. shouted back, "Alright wimps, fifteen-minute break!"

The Pokémon all collapsed from exhaustion.

Brock walked over to A.J., "Your Pokémon all look really healthy. What do you feed them?"

A.J. smiled proudly, "My own special recipe. Come look."

While the others went over to check out the Pokémon food, Soot and Ash walked over to the strength intensifiers.

"Whoa, these things are top notch." Soot commented.

Ash picked one up when he heard something snap. He turned to see Pikachu wearing one of the intensifiers. He was struggling to stay standing, "_Ash, help._"

Ash chuckled and pulled it off.

A.J. noticed, "How did you find the release switch that fast?"

Ash turned around, "There was a release switch?" he held up the gear, "Oh, there it is."

A.J. blinked, "Wait, how do you get it off without using the switch?"

Ash raised an eyebrow, "I pulled it off?"

A.J. ran over and snatched the gear back, "That's not what I meant! No one should be able to just pull it off." He inspected the gear, "What the?! You broke it?!"

Ash flinched, "Oh, sorry about that."

A.J. just stared at the intensifier, 'I just finished working on this one and triple checked everything. How on earth did it break already?'

He looked over at Ash, "How did you managed to break this?"

Ash frowned, "Look, I'm sorry about that. If there's anyway I can make it up to-"

"That's not what I meant." A.J. interrupted. He pulled another intensifier off the shelf and shoved it into Ash's hands, "Show me exactly how you took it off."

Soot blinked, "I'm sorry, what? You want him to break another one?"

"There easier to fix than you think. Now show me."

Ash sighed and closed the latches on the brace. He pulled and the whole thing broke in half.

Ash flinched, "Oh Crag!"

"Nice one, dad." Soot said sarcastically.

A.J. took the broken pieces and stared at them in shock. He looked at Ash, "Who did you say you were?"

Ash blinked, "I didn't. You interrupted me earlier. I'm Ash Ketchum." He gestured to his Pokémon, "This is Pikachu, Clefairy, and Soot."

A.J. listened intently, "Which one's the strongest?"

Soot walked up, "That would be me. I've been training with dad all my life."

Pikachu and Clefairy pouted at the comment. Ash pet them to cheer them up.

Ash smiled, "I've had her since I was five."

A.J. was astonished, 'Since he was five?! This could be the challenge I've been looking for!'

Brock walked over, "I have to say, A.J., I'm impressed."

A.J. snapped out of it. "Huh? Oh right, thanks." He said, still distracted.

Misty noticed, "Is everything okay?"

A.J. tossed the broke gear to the side, "Yeah, it's fine." He gave Ash a determined look, "So, are you ready to battle?"

Ash smiled and nodded, "Yeah, let's go!"

A.J. grinned, "Alright, Sandshrew let's do this!"

No response.

A.J. looked around, "Sandshrew?"

Soot frowned and look for her soon-to-be opponent, "He didn't get started scared off, did he?"

Ash frowned, "I doubt it. Something isn't right."

A.J. became worried, "Everyone, postpone training. Look for Sandshrew."

Ash tossed a pair of pokéballs, "Pidgeotto, Butterfree, you help too."

The Pokémon all flew and ran off to find the mouse.

He looked over to A.J., "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll find him."

Ash felt the ground beneath him shake lightly. He jumped back as Sandshrew burst out of the ground. And he wasn't alone.

"Sandshrew!" A.J. ran over and hugged is partner. "You're okay." His other Pokémon followed soon after.

Soot stood over the unconscious Team Rocket member, "Should have known it was you guys."

Meowth came too and flinched, "Oh boy."

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

Meowth turned around to see his partners, "Hah, right on time."

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love! To extend our reach to the stars above!" they said in unison.

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! Dat's right!"

Koffing and Ekans where already out.

Brock scratched his head in confusion, "What was that?"

Misty turned to him, "Wait, is this the first time you've heard them do that?"

Brock shrugged, "I guess it is."

A.J. glared, "So you're the creeps who kidnapped Sandshrew!"

Jessie laughed, "Please, we just grabbed the wrong Pokémon."

James pointed, "We wouldn't waste our time with wimps like yours."

A.J.'s glare deepened, "What did you just say?! That's it, we're taking this outside!"

"Soot, Marionetter!"

Everyone turned to Soot already on her hind legs. Ash stood with his arms with his arms crossed; the purple strings attached to his fingers.

Soot walked up to the tRio, "We'll handle this A.J."

A.J. glared, "No way! I don't care how well you know them! They insulted my team and I'm not gonna let them get away with it!"

Soot smiled, "And I'm positive you'll defeat them, but I want Sandshrew in top form for our battle."

A.J. stopped glaring, "Huh?"

Ash let Soot look back at him. She continued, "I've been looking forward to a real challenge for a long time. I don't want it to be made easy because of a few idiots."

Meowth glared, "Hey!"

Soot ignored him, "Don't worry. I won't get hurt while I'm like this. Just be ready for our battle. I don't want you to hold back."

A.J blinked in surprise and smirked, "Alright, just make it fast."

Soot grinned, "You heard him, dad. Make it fast!"

Ash grinned too, "Got it."

He moved his fingers. Soot turned back to Team Rocket and got into a fighting stance.

James smirked, "You may have caught us off guard last time-"

"Which 'last time,' exactly?" Soot interrupted with a smirk.

Jessie growled, "But we're ready this time!"

Jessie and James each pulled out a rocket launcher.

Soot blinked, "Where were you hiding those?"

Meowth raised a paw, "FIRE!"

The rockets flew towards Soot. Ash moved and she grabbed them at the nose. After a minute, the rockets stopped spouting flames. Soot smirked.

Jessie blinked, "Did we pack more missiles?"

James frowned, "We did not."

Meowth gulped, "Crag."

Soot tossed the missiles straight into the air, "Aw, we could have finished this already." She said jokingly.

Ash shrugged, "Didn't seem right." He moved his hands again.

Soot detached her right arm and jumped into the air; wielding her own right arm in her left. She spun at the missiles like a top and landed on the ground in a crouch. She stood back up and bowed as the missiles exploded violently in the air behind her.

Soot chuckled, "A bit flashy, don't you think, dad?"

Ash chuckled as well, "Please. This'll be too boring otherwise."

A.J.'s jaw dropped at the scene unfolding before him.

Brock rubbed the back of his head, "Geez, Ash is really showing off. I'm kind of embarrassed."

Misty chuckled, "It's like Soot said. Ash's technique is more advanced."

A.J. turned to them, "Wait, what? What do mean Ash's technique?"

Brock answered, "Ash is the one controlling Soot. That's what the strings on his finger are." He rubbed the back of his head "I actually tried it out over a week ago and Soot had to talk me through the whole thing. All I managed to do was help her aim."

A.J.'s eye widened at the news. He turned back when he heard the blue haired guy call out something.

Soot faced the Rockets and found Koffing charging directly into her face. Ash's/her response was to do a backbend handstand that would have destroyed her spine if it worked in this mode. Everyone grimaced at the sight.

Soot frowned, "Dad, I think we're scaring everyone. Look, can we just end this. I want to get to the battle."

Ash sighed, "Fine."

Soot righted herself, reattached her arm, and shot towards Team Rocket.

They started to panic, "Ekans, use Acid!" "Koffing, use Sludge!"

Ash acted fast. Soot weaved through the attacks with a series of rolls, flips, and cartwheels. She held out her arms to lariat the two humans. Getting into a handstand, she kicked Koffing and Ekans simultaneously. She stood back on her hind legs and turned to face Meowth.

Ash moved her arm to point the pad at Meowth and Soot formed a Shadow Ball, "So, ready to give up?"

Meowth trembled as he stared at the ball of energy and nodded.

Soot barely held a laugh, 'He really is an idiot. Shadow Ball wouldn't have any effect if I actually fired it.'

Soot dispelled the attack, "Good." She looked back to the rockets, "Now gather them up and prepare for blast off."

Meowth nodded again and complied.

Soot walked back to the group, "All yours, A.J."

A.J. didn't respond. He was staring at the scene that just unfolded, 'Th-that was insane!'

"A.J."

A.J. snapped out of it. He turned to find Soot already on all-fours again. The strings had vanished.

Soot raised brow, "Didn't you hear me? You're free to send them packing."

A.J. blinked, "R-right." He shook his head and glared, "Alright, Sandshrew, attack with Defense Curl!"

Sandshrew rolled into a ball and shot towards Team Rocket. Meowth braced as him and his gang were hit and shot into the air.

Meowth groaned, "Why did I haves to be the only one left awake? We're blastin' off again!"

*ding*

Soot smirked, "Attacking with a defensive move. I'm impressed, that's not easy to make work. Alright, battle time!" her smirk disappeared when she saw A.J.'s expression, "What's wrong?"

A.J. looked at her somberly, "I don't think a battle will be necessary anymore."

Soot frowned, "What?! If it's because of Marionetter, then don't worry, we never use in battles anyway. It's only for emergencies."

A.J. shook his head, "I saw you out there. Even if it was all your trainer's doing, it showed that I have a long way to go before I could really hope to pose a challenge."

Soot sat and looked down, "Ah man."

"But" A.J. started "I think a good battle will show me just how much further I need to go."

Soot blinked, "But, you said you didn't want to battle."

A.J. waved a finger, "No, I said it wouldn't be necessary. Big difference."

Soot laughed, "You're a jerk, you know that?"

A.J. shrugged, "Eh, like I care what some Pokémon thinks of me."

The two chuckled and made their way towards the battlefield.

Ash sweat dropped, "Is it normal to feel left out when something like this happens."

Misty, Brock, and Pikachu nodded, "Y_u_p_._"

Clefairy tilted, "_Left out? But we're inside._"

.

*outside arena

Everyone except A.J., Soot, and Sandshrew stood off to the side to watch the upcoming battle.

Ash looked at Soot, "You sure you don't want me to help?"

Soot nodded, "I'm sure, dad. This battle is all mine."

A.J. pulled out his whip, "Alright, Sandshrew, let's show her who's boss."

Soot crouched down into a fighting stance and smirked, "We'll see about that."

Brock decided to play ref, "This will be a one-on-one battle. It will be decided when either Pokémon cannot continue. Are both sides ready?"

A.J. and Soot nodded.

"Start!"

A.J. cracked the whip and Sandshrew dug underground. Soot's eye widened, 'He trained him to take command from a whip alone?' she grinned, 'Oh, yeah. This'll be good.'

Soot closed her eyes.

Misty became confused, "What's Soot doing?"

Ash smiled, "You'll see."

Soot jumped back, right as Sandshrew burst through the ground. Capitalizing, Soot spat a Shadow Ball at the rodent.

Brock flinched, "What the?"

"She felt for the vibrations in the ground and reacted last minute." Ash wiped away a tear, "I'm so proud of her."

A.J. frowned and cracked the whip again. Sandshrew's claws glowed red and he charged at Soot.

She grimaced, 'Crag, he knows Fury Cutter!'

Soot dodged the attack as it came. 'Left, Right, Left, Left, Right-' "Gah!" One of the swipes managed to hit.

*crack, crack*

Soot looked over to see a hole where Sandshrew was, 'Dig again? But why the second crack this time?'

Soot felt for the Pokémon below her, 'now!' She jumped straight up and charge another Shadow Ball. Sandshrew didn't emerge.

Soot's eyes widened, 'Crag! He set a trap and I fell for it!'

She landed and jumped to the side immediately; barely a second before Sandshrew pounced. He managed a glancing blow with another Fury Cutter.

Soot landed; breathing heavily, 'I need to step up my game. If it keeps up like this, then I'm done for.'

She spat another Shadow Ball at Sandshrew before he could react. Soot didn't let up. She ran forward and pounced into a Sucker Punch. *crack* Sandshrew met her punch with Fury Cutter.

Soot smirked, "Gotcha."

A.J.'s eyes widened as Soot grabbed Sandshrew's claw and pulled him closer.

"Fire fang!" Soot opened her flaming mouth and clamped on the Sandshrew's shoulder.

The Ground-type shrieked from the heat. Soot picked him up and threw him back towards A.J. Sandshrew got back up but his movements had become stiff.

A.J. frowned, "Sandshrew, what's wrong?"

"It's because of the water training." Soot responded.

A.J.'s eyes widened, "What?!"

Soot chuckled, "Your training was definitely clever and made it possible to void Sandshrew's greatest weakness, but it also made your sandshrew nearly water dependent. He trains in that pool so often that his body has adapted to feeling moist and hydrated and I just dried him off. Seems like he still isn't used to the feeling yet."

A.J. gaped, "Y-you can't be serious!"

Soot shrugged, "I honestly didn't expect that to work so well. Afterall, I didn't know your training schedule."

A.J. grimaced, "Sandshrew, use Fissure!"

Sandshrew hit the ground; causing in to crack open.

Soot grinned, "Going verbal now, are we? Sounds good!" she jumped over the approaching crack and pointed her paws towards it, "Shadow Ball!"

The balls formed in Soot's paws and exploded when they made contact with Fissure. Dust filled the arena.

"Play Rough!"

Soot shot out of the dust and pounced on Sandshrew. A thick white cloud covered the two as Soot attacked. The cloud faded when Soot jumped out shot two more shadow balls at Sandshrew. The mouse looked up at the last second to see the attacks coming at him. They exploded on impact.

"No, Sandshrew!" A.J. shouted.

The dust cleared to reveal Sandshrew lying on the ground; eyes on swirls.

Brock raised an arm, "Sandshrew is unable to battle. Soot wins."

Ash ran over and hugged her, "Soot! That was incredible! I'm so proud of you!"

Soot tried to push away, "Dad, stop! You're embarrassing me!"

Ash pulled her tighter, "I know."

Pikachu and Clefairy laughed and giggled at the scene.

A.J. fell to his knees, "I … Lost?"

He felt something touch his leg and looked down to see Sandshrew looking up at him sadly. The mouse started tearing up.

A.J. crouched down to hug his Pokémon, "It's okay, Sandshrew. This loss isn't your fault. It's mine for not managing your training better. But now, we'll work to fix it. Then we'll earn another hundred wins and finally start our journey."

Misty overheard, "Start your journey?"

A.J. smiled sadly and nodded, "Yeah, Sandshrew and I made a promise. We won't begin our journey until we're strong enough to rack up a hundred consecutive wins against trainers."

Soot frowned and then realized something, "Well then, I guess your good to go."

A.J. looked confused, "What? But I lost."

Soot shrugged, "Sure, but I'm not a trainer. Beating me would just mean that you beat a Pokémon. Afterall, you are the ones who finished off Team Rocket earlier. If that doesn't count as a win, I don't know what does."

A.J. eyes widened.

Soot looked at him and smiled, "You guys have more than earned this."

A.J. started tearing up, "Sandshrew, we did it!"

The teammates hugged each other in joy; tears still streaming down their faces.

.

**Time Skip**

A.J. had finished packing and stood out front with Sandshrew by his side. Ash and his friends stood across from him.

Ash smiled and held out a hand, "It was nice meeting you, A.J."

A.J. shook his hand, "Likewise. I look forward to facing you in the Pokémon League." He turned to face Soot, "You'd better be ready, cause Sandshrew isn't gonna lose next time."

Soot smirked, "Oh, I'll be ready. Just don't expect to win." She yawned "Sorry, I'm still a little worn out."

Everyone chuckled. A.J. started to walk away, "See ya later!"

Ash and the others waved as he left. Soot yawned again.

Ash smiled slyly and whispered something to Pikachu and Clefairy on his shoulders. The two nodded and jumped off as Ash snuck up behind Soot.

Soot didn't notice, "Alright, lets- yipe!"

Ash hoisted Soot on to his back. She blushed, "D-dad, what are you doing?! I can walk on my own!"

Ash smiled, "Maybe, but your still tired from the battle. So, I thought I'd let you rest."

Soot glared, "I'm not that ti- *yawn* -red."

Ash rubbed his head up against hers, "Get some rest sweetie. You've earned it."

Soot tried to argue, "Don' call me … sweetie" She fell asleep on Ash's back.

Ash turned to his friends and gestured to the path ahead.

The group made their way towards Vermillion City in silence. They decided to let the tired dog sleep.

.

.

**Ohirume: Thank goodness, they finally stopped.**

**Gem: Ah, man.**

**Ohirume: Zip it, rock boy! Sorry about the nonsense in the pre-chat and the last chapter's post-chat.**

**…**

**If you feel the need to call me out on that … whatever it was or flame in the comments. I honestly won't blame you. I deserve it.**

**…**

**One more thing. Summer classes are starting up, so the chapters will be coming out a bit slower for a while.**

**Before, I sprung for every third day, but it might shift to every fifth. Also, the next will be up in six.**

**Sorry.**

**Seishin: … Rob, you're almost done with chapter-**

**Ohirume: SHUT UP, SEISHIN!**


	9. Ch 9: Pokétech

**Luke: You mentioned that my student would be here.**

**Laura: Yeah, where's A- um, I mean Faux?**

**Ohirume: He got into a fight with Omega and Yukiro. They're in timeout.**

**Pike: What a rip-off! Why did you invite us if our team leader isn't even here?**

**Ohirume: We needed characters.**

**Laura: To do what?**

**Ohirume: Well … this.**

**Luke: Seems lazy.**

**Gem: Hey, team ALPN.**

**Pike: Really? You kicked out my brother but let him stay?**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Pokémon Technical Institute: The Best Place to Learn Failure**

.

The group made their way through a dense fog, en route to Vermillion. They had already attempted to remove it with one of their Flying-types, but it always rolled back in within the hour.

Ash sighed, "Geez, I didn't think fog could move this fast."

Misty scratched her head, "Yeah, I know what you mean. This is getting unsettling."

Brock spoke up, "Maybe we should take a break until it clears. How about I make some herbal tea to pass the time?"

Soot blinked, "You have a tea set?"

Brock smiled as he dug through his backpack, "Of course. I never leave home without my official Pokémon League Tea set."

The oldest among them then proceeded to pull out a collapsible table, his tea set, a bottle of Mount Moon spring water, and various other things.

Ash stared as this happened, "Wow. You take this tea thing seriously."

Brock looked back, "Of course. Now, how do crepes sound?"

Misty's eyes lit up, "Great! Kalosian cuisine is the best."

Brock looked over to Ash, "Ash, do we have any firewood left?"

Ash scratched the side of his head, "I'm afraid not. Don't worry, I'll go get some."

Misty snapped out of her daydream, "But what about the fog?"

Ash smiled, "My eyesight is better than you might think. I actually haven't had any trouble looking where I was going, so far."

Soot nodded, "And I'm going with him. Just in case he's wrong."

Ash chuckled and pet her, "We'll be back soon."

Ash and his Pokémon made their way into the woods. Brock and Misty watched as they disappeared into the sea of fog.

Misty frowned, "Should we be worried?"

Brock crossed his arms, "Ash can take care of himself, but we should probably start looking if he's not back in a few minutes." Brock pulled out a map and laid it on the table "In the meantime, let's try and figure out where, exactly, we are."

Misty nodded, "Yeah, sounds good."

They got to work in trying to retrace their steps on the map.

.

*Ash and the others

They had been looking for over ten minutes and hadn't found any usable wood. At all!

Soot groaned, "This is forest. How are their no dried-up branches anywhere?"

Pikachu frowned, "_It's like someone's been cleaning them all up._"

Clefairy looked her trainer, "_Is that not normal?_"

Ash shook his head, "No, it isn't. Could we have stumbled onto private land by mistake?"

Soot looked around, "If we did, then they need to put up a fence." She noticed a few small, moving light sources, "Hey, is that a fire?!"

Ash looked and sniffed the air, "I don't smell anything burning. Lanterns?"

Soot shrugged, "One way to find out."

They started walking towards the light source. They found a small group of boys in uniforms. There was one boy running on a treadmill and one holding a set of flashcards. The rest just watched while holding the lanterns in question.

"Now, tell me what this is." The boy with the flashcards asked.

The one on the treadmill looked uneasy, "A zubat?"

One of the others scowled, "Come on! Just because it's foggy out here doesn't mean your head has to be full of fog!"

Soot frowned, "Kinda harsh."

Treadmill boy squinted, "Pidgey!"

Flashcards frowned, "Lucky guess. Now, tell us about it."

The boy began, "At level 1, Pidgey learns Tackle, at level 5: Sand Attack, level 12-"

Someone interrupted, "Everyone knows that. Tell us how it evolves and what it's evolved form is called."

Ash frowned, "What? Pidgey doesn't learn anything at 12. The next attack should have been Gust at 9."

The running boy stuttered, "I-I can't remember."

The boy closest to the treadmill frowned, "And you call yourself a Pokémon tech student? Disgraceful."

Soot groaned, "Great, these guys."

Pikachu blinked, "_You know them?_"

Ash pinched the bridge of his nose, "Not them specifically, just their school. It's a place where students can go through classes to get accepted into the Pokémon League. They've been trying to get me to go there for almost two years now."

Soot growled, "None of the trainers from here have ever made it past their first league match." She stopped and reconsidered her statement, "Actually, there was one, but her opponent overslept."

The heard a crash and say that boy on treadmill had fallen off. The others just stood over him; throwing around insults.

Ash growled, "That tears it." His pupils shifted into slits.

'

*Tech students

One of the students laughed, "How pathetic. You'll never make it to the fourth badge rank if you're this bad."

The one with the flashcards snickered, "Yeah, you should just-"

He was cut off when he felt something behind him. He and the other students turned around. In the bushes, they saw a pair of eyes glaring at them. They were frozen with fear. Joe looked as well and started trembling like mad.

"Wild Pokémon! RUN!" one of his friends shouted.

Everyone, except Joe, started running as fast as they could.

Joe grabbed one of their arms, "Hey, wait for me!"

The boy swatted his arm away, "Let go! You'll just slow me down."

"No, wait!" Joe got up but tripped and fell to the hard ground. He looked up to see the others running into the fog. None of them even looked back.

Joe was about to shout when he heard footsteps. He turned and saw something walk towards him; it was shrouded by the fog. It had the same eyes as the thing in the bush. Joe trembled and crouched down; eyes closed.

"Hey, is everything alright?"

Joe's eyes shot open. He turned around to see another ten-year old looking down at him with an outstretched hand.

Joe took it and pulled himself up, "We have to get out of here! There's a savage Pokémon in the bushes!"

Ash blinked and looked to his side, "You mean Soot?" Joe followed his gaze and found a large black Pokémon sitting next to the boy, "I'm mean, she's a bit of a hand full, but I wouldn't call her savage."

Soot glared at Ash, "Gee, thanks dad."

Joe fell backwards again, "Ah! I-it spoke! But that's impossible!"

Soot frowned, "Then, I must be impossible. Because I can, sure as Yvel, speak."

Joe blinked. Ash held out his hand again, "Let's start over. My name is Ash. These two are Pikachu and Clefairy. And the talking mightyena is Soot."

Joe let Ash help him up again, "My name is Joe. How did you find a talking Pokémon?"

Ash smiled, "I raised her, actually."

Joe eyes widened, "What?! You actually taught a Pokémon how to talk?!"

Soot's eyes narrowed. She was about to respond when Brock and Misty showed up.

Brock noticed him, "Ash, there you are!"

Misty was breathing heavily, "Finally."

Ash blinked, "Why are you guys out of breath?"

Misty glared, "We were trying to find you! You left to get firewood and vanished."

Soot deadpanned, "Guys, it's been 10 minutes."

Brock chuckled, "Well, you can't blame us for worrying. Anyway, I think I found out where we are."

Ash nodded, "Yeah, same. We're in the forest surrounding the Pokémon Technical Institution."

Misty blinked and glared at Brock, "You said we were just outside Saffron City."

Brock chuckled nervously.

Joe blinked and looked at Ash, "How did you know that?"

Ash turned to face Joe, "I overheard what those jerks were saying. Why were they picking on you, anyway?"

Joe shook his head, "They weren't picking on me. My friends were just trying to help me."

Soot blinked, "Your joking, right? They called you a wimp and abandoned you when they thought they were about to be attacked."

Brock and Misty looked over at Ash. He noticed, blew a puff of wind up to his hair, and pointed at his eyes. Brock and Misty caught on.

Misty crossed her arms, "With friends like them, who needs enemies."

Pikachu looked at Soot, "_I thought you made that up._"

Joe shook his head again, "But they were helping. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't know that Pidgey evolves into Pidgeotto at level 18, learns Wing Attack at level 31, and evolves again into Pidgeot at level 36."

Ash rubbed the back of head, "That's close but not completely right. If it doesn't evolve, Pidgey learns Wing Attack at level 33. Pidgeotto learns Wing Attack at level 37. Pidgeot learns it at level 38."

Joe blinked, "But, that's not what my friends said."

Ash sighed, "That just proves my point. How are they helping if they give you the wrong information?"

Joe glared and pointed, "You're wrong, they knew exactly what they were talking about. You're probably just jealous that you didn't get in."

Brock tried to ease the tension, "Do the teachers know about how your 'friends' treat you?"

Joe turned to look at him, "They don't care. Giselle is in charge of tutoring. She's the top student here." He pulled out a picture from his shirt pocket, "this is her."

Brock stared at the picture, blushing, "She's beautiful."

Soot deadpanned, "She lets the other's treat you like that, yet you carry around her picture?"

Joe smiled as he looked at the picture, "Yeah, I like the way she looks."

Misty frowned, "Well, I think she needs to be taught a lesson. Where is she?"

Joe pointed into the fog bank, "In the school."

The fog cleared to reveal the school. An electronic voice rang out: Today's special class, Fog Battle Techniques, has now ended. Tomorrow's lesson will be Snow Competition Secrets

Joe sighed, "I guess tomorrow they'll turn me into a snowman again."

Ash frowned, "Misty's right. We're teaching this girl a lesson."

Ash walked off towards the building with Soot and Misty next to him. The others followed soon after.

.

*Pokétech

Joe led the group through the halls. Every student that they passed either stared at Soot or started talking about Ash in hushed voices. Some students ran off as the group passed. Joe led them to a room with computers lining the side walls and a large battlefield in the center.

He went over to computer and sat down, "This is the simulation room. In here, students learn about type combinations and matchups. Giselle practices here all the time."

Ash looked at the battlefield. It was covered in dust and not it the normal way.

Ash spoke up, "Do you guys use the field?"

Joe laughed, "Why would we? Everything we need is on here." He typed and pulled up a battle simulation. It ended with a victory screen, "See, I win."

Misty glared, "Well what if you went against someone from the Cerulean City gym?"

"Oh, yeah. Water Pokémon" Joe turned back towards the screen, "I always win against them. See?"

The simulation showed a starmie facing a weepinbell. The starmie was defeated in one hit and 'Weepinbell Wins' flashed across the screen.

Joe smiled, "See? Easy."

Soot sweat dropped, 'you can't be serious.'

Misty glared, "That doesn't prove anything! It was just some computer program!"

Joe looked confused, "Why do you care?"

Misty stood up straight, "Because I'm Misty Waterflower, one of the Cerulean City gym leaders. And I challenge you to a battle!"

Joe chuckled, "Fine but you're just gonna lose."

Joe and Misty stood off on either side on the battlefield. They each pulled out a pokéball.

"Go, Starmie!"

The starfish emerged on the battlefield.

Joe laughed, "Too bad your water Pokémon can't do anything against my plant. Weepinbell, let's go."

The Flycatcher Pokémon emerged on the field and looked around, confused.

Ash's frowned, 'It looks like it's never battled in its life. Poor thing.'

Misty smirked, "You can take the first move, Joe,"

Joe grinned, "Then this battle is already over! Weepinbell, use Vine Whip!"

Misty did nothing.

The vines shot from Weepinbell, towards Starmie. They hit it right in the core.

Joe cheered, "Alright, I won!"

Soot broke out into laughter, "Oh man, that's rich!"

Joe glared, "What are you talking about? Starmie is defeated."

Soot laughed harder, "Joe, Starmie is still standing."

Joe looked back at the Water-type. It shrugged off the attack and stood strong.

Joe's eyes widened, "What?! But that's impossible!"

Misty sweat dropped, "Oh, boy. Starmie, use Water Gun."

Starmie washed away Weepinbell and knocked it out instantly.

Joe sank to his knees, "B-but how? How could a water Pokémon beat a grass Pokémon?"

"Weepinbell may have had the type advantage but, your opponent was a higher level. In battle, the level always decides the outcome." A mocking voice responded.

Ash sighed and turned to face the source, "You must be Giselle."

Giselle smirked "And you must be a fan of mine. It only makes sense, I'm the top of the Beginner Class."

Ash sweat dropped, "And you see that as something to brag about?"

Giselle glared, "Who do you think you are to talk to me like that?"

Ash sighed, he knew what was coming next, "My name is Ashton Satoshi Ketchum."

Joe snapped out of it and stared at Ash in shock.

Giselle's eyes widened, "W-what?"

Soot rolled her eyes, "Here we go."

Giselle stared at the canine, "Th-that's-"

A large man in a business suit ran into the room. He was sweating like he just ran a marathon. Which he probably did, "Is he really here?!"

Ash frowned and, begrudgingly, raised a hand.

The man noticed and got right in Ash's face, "Mr. Ketchum, it's an honor to meet you! I'm the principal of this fine establishment. We look forward to-"

Soot interrupted, "Let me stop you right there. Dad still isn't joining your little school."

Misty blinked, "Ash, what's Soot talking about?"

The principal walked up to Misty and glared, "Do not address him so casually! You will show respect to pokétech's newest and most promising student!"

Ash growled, "I'm not joining!"

The principal turned and smiled, "Now, Mr. Ketchum, let's not be hasty. We'll just escort this riff raff off-"

Ash flashed intimidate. The man stopped talking immediately.

Ash took a breath and let his eyes return to normal, "I'm sorry about that, but you need to get this through your head. I. Am. Not. Joining. And don't insult my friends."

"Ash, what's going on?" Brock asked.

Ash looked over and frowned, "You guys remember that whole 'Phantom Child' thing that Seymour was obsessed with?"

Misty frowned, "Kinda hard to forget."

Ash chuckled, "Well, after that, these guys tried getting me to sign up for their school. They've tried everything from 'one-in-a-lifetime' scholarships to 'surprise raffles'. That started two years ago." Ash glared the principal, "And they haven't given up since."

Joe was shocked, "Y-you can't be serious! How could you just pass up an opportunity like that?!"

Ash frowned, "Opportunity? They only wanted me because of something I did by accident. And even if it wasn't because of that, it'd be because of the horrible curriculum."

Giselle snapped out of it, "Now hold on a second! Pokémon tech is the most prestigious school in the world! Even if you are a prodigy, that doesn't give the right to talk down to us."

Ash's eye twitched, "Two things. First: I'm not a prodigy, I just read a lot as a kid. Second: I'm only speaking the truth. This place has never put a promising trainer into the league. And after seeing how this place is run, I'm not surprised anymore."

Giselle glared, "What was that?!"

Ash continued, "This place basically forces the students to fend for themselves and not in a way that makes sense for trainers. They teach you all half-baked and outdated information; most of which would never hold up in a real battle. This school is a joke."

Brock and Misty just stared as Ash ranted. They'd only ever seen him this annoyed when Team Rocket was around.

Giselle clenched her fists, "You're wrong!" She held up a pokéball, "I'll defeat you and prove that we aren't a joke!"

Ash sighed, "If it'll show you what I mean, then fine."

Ash and Giselle stood on opposite sides of the battlefield. Ash's friends and a large crowd of students stood by and watched. Word about Ash spread fast. Pikachu and Clefairy were standing on Ash's left side and Soot sat down on his right.

The principle spoke up, "I propose a wager."

Ash glared, "I already know what it is, and the answer is no! I will not join if Giselle beats me."

"That's not what I was going to propose." The principal responded.

Ash pinched the bridge of his nose, "I also won't join if I defeat Giselle."

The principal stopped talking.

Ash shook his head, 'pathetic' "Let's get started. What's the match-up?"

Giselle blinked, "How am I supposed to know? We haven't brought out our Pokémon yet."

Ash sweat dropped, "Not the type match-up. How many Pokémon we'll use and what kind of battle should we go with?"

Giselle glared, "That doesn't make any sense. There's only one kind of battle. One vs. One."

Ash's eye twitched, 'Freaking Arceus.' "Fine, but how many Pokémon?"

Giselle smirked, "We'll both use two."

Ash nodded, "Okay."

Giselle pulled out a pokéball. She waited for Ash to do the same.

Ash pointed to the field, "Clefairy, your move!"

The pink Pokémon smiled brightly and jumped onto the field.

Giselle blinked, "Wait a second, why wasn't your Pokémon in its pokéball?"

Ash shrugged, "She prefers to stay out."

Giselle smirked, "Fine. But your Normal-type won't stand a chance against this. Go, Graveler!"

Graveler appeared and stared down Clefairy. She readied herself. Her first real battle as finally about to start.

Ash blinked, "I'm sorry, what was that last part? It sounded like you said Clefairy was a Normal-type."

Giselle laughed, "Of course it is. I guess that makes me smarter than you."

Ash frowned, "Giselle, before we start, would you mind naming the different types."

Giselle laughed, "Easy. Normal, Fire, Water, Fighting, Flying, Grass, Electric, Poison, Ground, Psychic, Ice, Rock, Bug, Ghost, Dragon and unclassified, for the move Curse."

Ash sighed, "I was afraid of that." The girl frowned, "Giselle, the unclassified-type was disproven a long time ago. Curse is a Ghost-type move. Also, you missed three types: Steel, Dark, and Fairy. The second, of which, is Soot's types and the last is Clefairy's type. You just helped prove that the school's information is outdated and full of holes."

Giselle glared, "Can we just battle already?!"

Ash nodded.

Giselle too the first move, "I don't care what you say. A Fighting-type move will still be super effective! Graveler, use Brick Break!"

Ash raised his eyebrows, 'Not bad, that actually takes a lot of training. But…'

Graveler ran forward with one of its hands glowing. It struck Clefairy right on the head.

Clefairy blinked and looked up at the hand on her head, "_huh?_"

Ash sighed, "Clefairy, use Wake-Up Slap."

Clefairy giggled and slapped Graveler. The Rock/Ground-type stumbled back and fell to its knees.

Giselle was shocked, "What?! But that should have worked!"

"Yeah, not really." Soot called out, "Fairy-types are resistant to Fighting-type attacks."

Giselle glared, "Graveler, use Rollout."

Graveler complied. Clefairy responded by jumping out of the way of the boulder. Unfortunately, Graveler was out of control and heading for Ash.

"Ash lookout!" Brock shouted.

Ash frowned, 'We're on the second story and a pool is right outside. Not a good combination for a graveler.' He crouched down; bracing himself.

Misty panicked, "Ash, what are you doing?!"

Ash held out his hands as Graveler rolled at him. He was pushed back as he tried hold it. He felt something push him forward and turned to see Soot. Ash smiled and focused on focused on the struggle. Graveler started to slow down and came to stop after a few more seconds.

The room was speechless.

Giselle was wide eyed, "H-how did you do that?!"

Soot grinned, "I have Banette inheritance. I was able to phase through and help."

Everyone bought that. Giselle grimaced, "But, why? You could have just moved out of the way, like your Pokémon did."

Ash stood back up, "Giselle, we're on the second floor, there is a window behind me, and a pool right outside."

Giselle's eyes widened, "Then, Graveler would have-"

Ash snapped his fingers, "Exactly."

Giselle stared, wide eyed, 'How could I have made a mistake like that?'

She shook it off and held up a pokéball, "Graveler, return."

Ash looked over to the field, "Clefairy, come back."

Clefairy hurried back with smile on her face, "_How'd I do?!_"

Ash smiled and knelt down to pet her, "You were great out there. Go relax for now."

Clefairy cheered and ran over to Soot. She was chattering nonstop about the short battle. Ash couldn't help but smile at the hyperactive Fairy-type.

Giselle pulled out another pokéball, "Go, Cubone!"

Ash sighed, 'guess we're still going.' "Pikachu, you're next!"

Cubone emerged on the battlefield. Pikachu ran onto the battlefield and crouched down into his fighting stance.

Giselle laughed, "You can't be serious. An Electric-type won't have any effect against my Ground-type."

Ash rolled his eyes, "Pikachu, use Iron Tail."

Pikachu shot forward and nailed Cubone. The Lonely Pokémon was out like a light.

Giselle was shocked, "What?! What kind of move was that?"

Soot cleared her throat, catching everyone's attention, "Steel-type. As in, another of the types you missed. It's super effective against Fairy, Ice, and Rock."

Giselle frowned, "But, Cubone is a Ground-type."

Soot nodded, "Yeah. That attack just did normal damage."

Giselle fell to her knees and hung her head in despair, "I lost."

Only one person cheered at Ash's victory, "Congratulations Mr. Ketchum! I never had any doubts." the principal declared. He brought out a large stack of papers, "Now if you'll just sign here, we can have you in class by the morning."

Ash took the forms and glared at the man, "Your top student was just defeated and you're still doing this?"

Ash looked over. Giselle on her hands and knees; crying about the loss. The other students, even Joe, were all around her and trying to comfort her.

Ash glared at the principal, "It's because of people like you that this school is a joke." he held up of the forms and tore them in half.

Ash walked over to the group of students before the man could respond.

One of the students glared at Ash, "What do you want now? If you're here to insult Giselle, then you can just-"

Ash smiled, "I came over to congratulate her on the battle."

The students stopped glaring. Giselle looked up, surprised, "But, I lost."

Ash held out a hand, "So what? You probably would have thrashed me if this place actually did its job." Ash helped Giselle up and looked around, "You guys have potential that's being wasted here. If I were you, I'd-" Ash's eyes widened, "GET DOWN!"

The glass windows shattered behind them. A round of laughs- ugh, do I even need to say it at this point?

Soot sighed, "Yup."

Team Rocket floated outside the window in a hot air balloon shaped like Meowth's head.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! Dat's right!"

Ash ran over to the window, "What the heck are you doing here?!"

James smirked, "Simple. We're here for Pikachu and Mice-ey-ulga."

"IT'S MIGHTYENA! STOP GETTING MY SPECIES WRONG!" Soot shouted.

Giselle put a hand to her chin, "Jessie and James. Team Rocket." She snapped her fingers, "Oh, that's right. You two got the worst Entrance Exam test scores in history. We actually use you guys as incentive to work harder."

Jessie glared, "That test was rigged!"

Soot started rolling on the floor, laughing, "O-oh dear Arceus, this is too good!" her laughing didn't stop.

James glared too, "It's not funny!"

"Your comin' with us!" Meowth pressed a button on the basket.

Two mechanical arms came out of the front of the balloon basket and shot towards Pikachu and Soot. They responded by smashing the claws with Iron Tail and Sucker Punch.

Soot shook her head, "Again with the robot arms?"

Jessie clenched her teeth and pulled out a pokéball, "We're not done!" James pulled out a pokéball as well.

"Go, Ekans!" "Go, Koffing!"

The Poison-types emerged in front of the crowd. Many of the students started to back up in fear.

Ash looked back at them, "Stay behind us. We'll handle this." He noticed the principal behind them; using his students as shields. Ash's eye twitched, 'the nerve of that guy.'

Ash looked back towards the attackers, 'We need to be careful. If we let up or get sloppy, we could end up with a hostage situation.'

Ash turned to his friends, "Brock, Misty, I'll handle Team Rocket, you guys protect the students." He looked to Soot, "Soot, help them out. Pikachu, Clefiary, and I will handle this."

They nodded, "Staryu, Starmie, come on out!" "Geodude, Zubat, let's go!"

The group of Pokémon stood guard in front of the crowd.

Ash turned to face Team Rocket, "Pikachu, Clefairy, take the field!"

The duo ran out to face the Snake and Poison Gas Pokémon.

Meowth blinked, "Wait a sec, yous dat clefairy from Mount Moon. Da one with da Moon Stone piece."

Ash sweat dropped, "She was with us in Cerulean City and at A.J.'s gym. How is this the first time you've noticed her?"

Jessie ignored him, "Ekans attack Clefairy with Dig!"

James followed, "Koffing, use Sludge on Pikachu!"

Ash sighed, 'wrong targets' "Pikachu, block with Iron Tail! Clefairy, be ready!"

Koffing fired and Ekans dug underground. Pikachu intercepted the Poison-type attack with his glowing tail and Clefairy closed her eyes.

Joe got worried, "What's going on?! Why is Clefairy just standing there?"

Clefairy opened her eyes and jumped. Ekans shot out of the ground a second later; it's opponent way above it.

Ash smiled, "Now, diving Pound!"

Clefairy dropped towards Ekans and slapped the Yvel out it.

The students watched in awe.

"Woah!"

"I thought that tail move was an attack. How did it block Sludge?"

"It's like Clefairy knew were Ekans was going to pop up"

"The stimulators never covered this."

Ash smiled, "It's because we trained to do this. Your simulators only show moves in their most basic form: attacking moves attack, Defensive moves defend, and Status moves affect status. The truth is: attacking and status moves can defend, and even defensive moves can be channeled into an attack."

Soot spoke up, "Yeah, a while ago, I went against a Sandshrew that was immune to water and could attack using Defense Curl."

The students looked at her, wide eyed.

Ash continued, "As for Clefairy, she felt for the vibrations in the ground and reacted accordingly. A simulation can't teach that."

Jessie glared, "Stop ignoring us! Ekans use Bite on Clefairy!"

James followed, "Koffing, Tackle Pikachu!"

Ash rolled his eyes, "Pikachu, Thunderbolt on Koffing. Clefairy, take it, then Metronome."

Giselle's eye widened, "What?!"

Pikachu shocked Koffing before it could hit. Ekans bit Clefairy on the head. The Fairy Pokémon frowned slightly and started waving her fingers.

Joe was shocked, "How is Clefairy not being hurt?!"

Soot looked over, "Oh she is, just not that much. Fairy-types are resistant to Dark-type moves."

Giselle blinked, "I thought Bite was a Normal-type move."

Clefairy stopped and pointed at Ekans. A blue beam shot out from between Clefairy's hands and froze Ekans solid.

Ash whistled, "Ice Beam. Not bad." Ash raised an arm, "Clefairy, Pound! Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

Clefairy hit the frozen snake towards Team Rocket's balloon and Pikachu did the same with Koffing.

The Rockets grimaced "Oh no, Koffing!" "Ekans, are you alright?!"

Ash shook his head, "You guys really are idiots."

Jessie glared, "What did you just say?!"

Ash sighed, "You made countless mistakes in that battle, all of which included types. I mean, come on! You used Dig against Clefairy when Pikachu is an Electric-type. I don't even know where to start with the rest."

Ash shook his head, "Let's get this over with. Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Clefairy, Disarming Voice! Soot, Shadow Ball!"

The three fired their attacks at the balloon. And as usual: *boom*.

.

*Blast-off scene

Jessie scratched her head furiously, "Why does this always happen?!"

James had a hand to his chin, "What do you think the twerp meant about all that type stuff?"

Meowth shrugged, "Nothin' important I bet."

"We're blasting off again!"

.

*School and heroes

Everyone watched as Team Rocket disappeared.

Giselle looked over to Ash, "Will they be alright?"

Ash looked back, "Surprisingly, yes. This is the 7th time this has happened to them."

Soot shook her head, "I'm starting to think those three are immortal."

Then the principal- "Incredible! Spectacular! Genius! Undoubtably Pokétech materi-"

Ash was done, "I am not joining! And, just so you know, you blew any chance you might have had when you used your own students as meat shields!" he took a deep breath and turned to face the students, "And I was serious about earlier."

Giselle blinked, "What?"

Ash smiled, "You guys have potential that this school doesn't care about. The curriculum only cares about facts. And, while I admit it helps, that isn't all that makes a trainer."

Joe frowned, "So, what does make a trainer?"

Soot walked over to Ash, "It's creativity. The main thing that separates humans from Pokémon." She sat next to Ash, "Wild Pokémon battle using instinct alone. Humans can see combinations and come up with ideas that most Pokémon could never hope to do. That's why we started letting humans train us in the first place." She chuckled, "Or so I've heard."

The students looked at each other, starting to feel ashamed.

Ash smiled sadly, "Don't worry about not knowing that. Over time, people and Pokémon have gotten so used to this reality that most have forgotten." Ash shrugged "Heck, I didn't know until Soot heard about it."

Joe perked up, "So, what do we do?"

Ash smiled sadly and shook his head, "I'm sorry, but I can't make that decision for you. The best I can say is- don't let this place decide everything for you." Ash turned to the man currently trying to pick up the torn acceptance forms and glared, "Especially when people like him are in charge."

The students looked around at each other. They had a lot to think about.

.

**Time Skip**

Ash, Brock, Misty, and Ash's Pokémon stood out in front of the school. Giselle and Joe were there to see them off.

Ash held out a hand, "It was nice meeting the two of you."

Giselle shook Ash's hand, "You too. You've given us a lot to think about."

Joe still looked uneasy. Giselle noticed, "Joe, I'm sorry about before. I promise I'll make the others stop messing with you."

Joe smiled, "Thanks, but it's something else." he turned to face the 'prodigy,' "Ash, I know you don't like the school, but there's something I still don't get. With everything you know, you could have enrolled and graduated in no time. You might already be in the league if you did that."

Ash frowned, "It's more than that. Joe, Giselle, how did you get all of your Pokémon?"

Giselle raised a brow, "The school gave them to us. That's how everyone here gets there Pokémon."

Ash nodded, "That's why I didn't join." He looked to Soot, "Enrolling would mean that I'd have to leave Soot behind."

Everyone's eyes widened at that.

Ash smiled, "When we first found out about the school, Soot and I were ecstatic, and mom was so proud of us. It seemed like my dream of becoming a master was right around the corner." Ash frowned, "But, then we found out about the school's policy on their students' Pokémon. No matter what, they weren't going to allow Soot to come with me." He looked down and started petting her, "That was something I couldn't accept. I made a promise that I would always be there for her."

Soot pushed up against him, "I love you too, dad."

Misty and Brock smiled at the scene.

Joe frowned, "I'm sorry."

Ash chuckled, "Don't be. It was a fair question."

Joe smiled, "And, I think I made a decision. I'm going to go back home and start my journey right. Just like you did, Ash."

Giselle smiled, "I'm going to stay. You were right, the school needs help and I want to be the one to fix it." She smiled at Joe, "I look forward to meeting you in the league, Joe."

Joe nodded, "I hope you're right." He pulled his picture of her, "Giselle, would you mind if I kept your picture."

Giselle smiled, "Not at all. I have pictures of all of my friends, see?" she held up a picture of Joe.

Ash and friends looked towards Soot.

She blinked, "What?"

"You don't have something to say about the picture thing?" Misty asked.

Soot glared, "I'm not that judgey. Am I?"

Everyone looked uneasy.

Soot's pouted, "Humph."

.

.

**Pike: Oh yeah, that place. I feel embarrassed for almost losing to that cubone.**

**Luke: It seems rather irresponsible to allow these students to enter the League with so little experience.**

**Laura: Humans really like shortcuts, don't they?**

**Gem: *growling* I never liked that Giselle girl. She insulted Pikachu.**

**Ohirume: See? This is why I needed you guys.**

**Laura: But, I'm a girl.**

**…**

**Yeah, yeah, I know what I said last time.**

**Shortly after I posted the chapter, I thought: 'you're doubling the post delay before lengthening it?! Dude, not cool!'**

**So, I decided to go ahead and post this one to make up for the upcoming delay.**

**The next chapter will still be on the 10****th****.**


	10. Ch 10: Bulbasaur

**Gem: Please. Please. Please.**

**Ohirume: What is it now, Gem?**

**Gem: Can I, please, invite the rest of my team? We've already had Faux's team and the second Shadow Brigade is sure to bring in more readers.**

**Ohirume: They really won't, but fine. We need the characters, anyway.**

**Gem: Alright! I'll tell Pearl to bring the others.**

**Ohirume: *sigh* Here we go…**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10**

.

.

**Secret Sanctuary of The Spellc- I Mean**** Lost**

.

Soot's eye twitched, "Remind me why we chose to get directions from Giselle, again."

Brock scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously, "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Soot glared, "Are you sure that's the only reason, lover boy?"

"Well…"

Misty sighed, "We're lost, aren't we?"

"Yup." Groaned Soot.

Ash shrugged, "Well, we aren't in a hurry. Besides, 'getting lost is just a path to new adventure'."

Soot deadpanned, "That's from one of grandma's fortune cookies isn't it?"

Ash chuckled, "Yeah, but it helped lighten the mood, didn't it?"

Soot smiled and rolled her eyes, "You big dork."

That made the others laugh. They came across a small clearing with a pond.

Misty noticed something, "Hey, what's that by the water?"

Ash looked, "An oddish. They're Grass and Poison-types."

Misty smiled and pulled out a pokéball, "I'm gonna catch it."

Soot raised a brow, "What? Misty, they aren't Water-types. Heck, they have an advantage against Water-types."

Misty looked over at Soot, "Well, Brock's a Rock-type trainer and he has a zubat. So why can't I have a Grass-type?"

Soot considered this and shrugged, "Fair point. Good luck."

Misty smiled and walked over to the Weed Pokémon. Oddish noticed and became startled.

Misty tossed a pokéball, "Starmie, let's go!"

The Mysterious Pokémon materialized. Oddish started trembling and backed up.

Ash frowned, 'Why is it this scared?'

Misty pointed, "Starmie, use Water Gun!"

Oddish was washed away by the attack. It laid on the ground and tried to use its leaves to get up.

Misty smirked, "Now use-"

Her command was cut off by a pair of vines shooting out of a bush and nailing Starmie. They recovered but were immediately Tackled by a green from. It stood in front of Oddish defensively.

Misty grimaced, "No, Staryu!"

Ash's eyes widened, "A bulbasaur?!"

The Seed Pokémon glared, "_Stay back, trainer! Your kind aren't welcome here!_"

Ash looked over to Soot, "Mind translating?"

Soot frowned, "He said, 'your kind aren't welcome here.' But it's kinda weird. He specified trainers; y'know, instead of humans."

Ash looked over at the Grass-types, "What do you have against trainers?"

Bulbasaur's eyes widened, "_What?! How did you understand that?!_"

Pikachu spoke up, "_The mightyena. She can speak human._"

Bulbasaur looked over at Soot, "_Why the Yvel would you do something like that?!_"

Soot raised a brow, "You mean learn their language? Well, I was human raised, so, why not?"

Bulbasaur glared, "_Then your just as bad as them!_"

Bulbasaur grabbed Oddish in his vines and ran into the same bush he came out of.

Soot pouted, "rude."

Ash pet her, "Just ignore him, Soot. Sticks and stones, remember?"

Clefairy overheard and brought over a twig and a rock, "_Here, you go._"

Soot chuckled, "Thanks, Clefairy. I needed that."

Clefairy smiled, "_Your welcome. Oh, I'll go get some more._"

The Fairy-type ran off and started gathering sticks and stones.

Ash laughed, "We really should stop her at some point."

Misty walked over, "Can someone please tell me what just happened?!"

Soot spoke up, "Bulbasaur has something against trainers. I guess he was trying to protect Oddish from us."

Misty sighed, "Great." She said sarcastically.

Brock put a hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry about it. These things happen"

Ash nodded, "Let's get going." he looked over to the pink Pokémon, "Come on, Clefairy. We're moving on."

She looked up, "_But what about the sticks and stones?_"

Soot laughed, "Don't worry about them. I'll explain on the way."

.

**Time Skip**

Clefairy frowned, "_But, wouldn't that really hurt?_"

Soot shook her head, "I didn't mean breaking bones, literally. It's just something people say to try and make others feel better."

Clefairy blinked, "_How would sticks and stones make someone feel better?_"

Soot sighed, "I don't know. Let's just dro- forget about it" 'This used to be cute. I need to stop using expressions around her.'

The group came up to a rope bridge spanning a ravine. A fast-moving stream was at the bottom of it.

Brock pulled out a map, "Strange. I can't find this bridge on the map."

Ash looked at him, "How long have you had that?"

"Since I left home." Brock responded.

Misty sweat dropped, "And you didn't think to bring it out earlier?"

Brock chuckled nervously, "I forgot about it."

Ash sighed, "Let me see the map."

Brock complied and Ash looked over the map, "The ravine is on here, but you're right. No bridge." He looked at the bridge and frowned, "Let's be careful. It doesn't look very sturdy."

They all made their way across when the wind started up. Ash noticed the ropes unraveling.

His eyes widened, "Crag! Guys, grab on to something!"

The bridge collapsed. Soot reacted first and managed to jump across. Ash tossed Pikachu and Clefairy over to Soot and managed to grab a plank as he fell. Misty grabbed on to Ash's leg. Brock managed to grab the plank at the end of the bridge.

Soot looked over the ledge, "Are you guys okay?!"

Ash looked up, "For now, we are."

"Ash, pull us up!" Misty cried out.

Ash nodded and reached for the next plank in the 'ladder.' It didn't take long for them to reach the top.

Ash looked back over, "Hang on tight, Brock. I'll pull you up."

"Hurry!" Brock shouted.

Ash grabbed the rope attached to the ground and pulled. Half-way through, the wind picked up again. The strain caused the rope to unravel again. When it snapped, Ash lunged forward to grab his friend. He almost made it.

"Brock!" Ash shouted as the man plummeted to river below.

The current swept him away before he could respond. Ash could only stare in shock.

"Ash come on! We have to find Brock!" said Misty.

Ash didn't respond and started trembling, 'I-I can help. I just need to.' Ash's left hand hovered over his watch.

"DAD!"

Ash snapped out of it and looked at Soot.

She continued, "Misty's right. Look, the current isn't that fast, and we know how tough Brock is. If we hurry, we can catch up."

Ash looked back at the river. "Y-yeah. Your right, Soot." He responded; voice shaky.

Ash got back on his feet and the group headed down stream. Ash said nothing and kept a steady pace. Misty and Soot followed. Pikachu ran alongside them and Clefairy was on Soot's back.

Misty frowned and looked at the Bite Pokémon, "Soot, is Ash alright? I'm worried about Brock too, but he seems really freaked out."

Soot frowned, "Dad doesn't like losing people he cares about. We all know Brock is okay, but that's not going to stop him from worrying."

"Is there any way we can help him?" Misty sked, concerned.

Soot shook her head, "Nothing short of finding Br- AHH!"

Soot was cut-off when a large hole opened beneath her, Misty, and Pikachu.

Misty held her head, "Ow."

"Are you guys okay?!" they looked up to see Ash looking down at them, worried.

Soot nodded, "We're good. We just need help getting out."

Misty looked at her, "Couldn't you and Ash just use Marionetter?"

Soot shook her head, "Not without dad jumping down here. My automatically strings latch on to whatever human is closest. And, right now, that's you."

"Hold on, I have an idea." Ash said, "I'll be right back!" He ran off in the direction they came.

Misty looked shocked, "What?! No! Ash, come back!"

Soot spoke up, "Calm down, Misty. Dad isn't going to just leave us here. Trust him."

Misty was still uneasy, "But, what about what you said before. He's still freaked out."

Soot frowned, "Misty it's okay. Think about it; he was so focused on finding Brock that he subconsciously dodged this trap. Right now, that focus is going into helping us. So, just be patient."

Misty blinked in surprise but nodded, "okay."

Ash returned less than a minute later. He tossed down a rope, "Guys, come on!"

Once everyone was out, Ash immediately pulled Soot into a hug, "I'm so sorry. I should have-"

"Stop." Soot interrupted, "I know what you're going to say, so just stop. I'm not hurt." She looked up at him and smiled, "Let's find Brock."

Ash smiled and nodded. They continued downstream. Ash seemed to have calmed down some. Pikachu and Clefairy took back their usual places on Ash's shoulders.

Misty looked at Ash and smiled, "I'm happy to see you're feeling better."

Ash smiled sadly, "Thanks."

Misty sighed, "What's been going on, lately? First the bridge and then a pit trap. It's crazy."

Ash frowned, "Whatever the reason, we need to be careful. There might be more-" Ash stopped, "wait."

Misty stopped too, "What?"

Ash picked up a rock and tossed it at a pile of leaves. A net sprung up in front of them.

Misty blinked in surprise, "Whoa. Nice one."

Ash sighed, "This is becoming unsettling. Let's just hope we find-"

"Ash! Misty!" they looked ahead of them and saw Brock running towards them.

"Brock!" Misty called out as she ran over and threw her arms around him, "You're okay!"

Ash sighed in relief, "Thank goodness."

Ash and Soot ran over to join them.

Soot spoke up, "Brock, are you okay? We saw you get swept away." She blinked, "did not mean for that to rhyme."

Brock chuckled, "Don't worry, I'm fine." He smiled and started blushing, "A beautiful girl helped me out."

They waited for him to continue. When that didn't happen, Misty flicked him in the head.

Brock snapped out of it, "Come on I'll take you to her!" he started walking in the direction he came.

Soot sweat dropped, "We just got him back."

They followed.

Ash spoke up, "So, who exactly are you taking us too?"

Brock smiled, "Her name is Melanie. She owns this place where injured and abandoned Pokémon go to seek shelter."

Soot smiled, "I like her already."

They reached the place in question. It was a large, lush clearing with a pond and a hut. There were Pokémon everywhere, enjoying themselves.

The only other human in the area noticed them and walked over, "Hello there, you all must be Brock's friends."

Brock turned to face his friends, "Guys, this is Melanie." He turned to face Melanie, "Melanie, this is Ash and Misty."

Soot glared at him, "Thank you for that, Brock."

Melanie looked at Soot in surprise, "Oh my. You were serious." She held out a hand, "I'm Melanie."

Soot shook hands with her, "Soot Ketchum. Nice to meet you."

Melanie blinked, "Sorry, I never knew that Pokémon had names like that."

Ash chuckled, "They don't. I raised Soot and gave her a name."

Soot followed, "That's also why I can talk. The thing about being raised, not the name."

Melanie smiled, "Well, it's seems like you've done a very good job."

"Thank you." Ash said with a light smile. He frowned as he remembered something, "Melanie, you wouldn't happen to know about the traps in the forest, would you?"

Melanie nodded, "Yes. I set them up to keep out trespassers."

Soot deadpanned, "You couldn't have put up a sign somewhere? You do realize that we could have been seriously injured."

Melanie frowned, "Oh, I'm so sorry. But I do check the traps regularly and release anything that wanders into them."

"Does that include the death bridge?" Soot asked.

Melanie put a hand to her chin, "hm. Perhaps, I should rethink that one."

Soot nodded, "Agreed. My advice: big safety net, right above the water. That or hire some Water-types"

Melanie smiled, "Let me show you all around. One thing, though. I need you all to promise that you won't catch any of the Pokémon here."

Everyone nodded.

Misty: "Of course."

Ash: "I promise."

Soot: "Just don't blame us if they ask to join."

They walked into the village and Ash noticed something. "Isn't that the oddish from earlier?" he said.

Misty looked, "Oh, yeah. I guess it lives here."

Melanie frowned, "Sort of. Oddish was abandoned by her trainer. They accused the poor thing of being too weak."

Ash frowned, "That explains why she reacted to us that way she did. Oddish was trembling horribly when we met."

Misty frowned and walked over to the Pokémon. It saw her and flinched; looking like it was ready to run.

Misty frowned, "Listen, I'm sorry about earlier. You must have been scared."

Oddish seemed to relax but was still uneasy.

Misty continued, "Melanie told me about your old trainer. I know there are some bad trainers out there, but we're not all like that. I really am sorry about earlier. I hope you can forgive me."

Oddish walked over and placed one of her leaves on Misty hands.

Misty smiled, "Thanks, Oddish." She moved to pet the Grass/Poison-type but was Tackled by the other one.

"_Stay away!_" Bulbasaur growled.

Soot jumped between them, "Okay, that was uncalled for. Misty was just apologizing to Oddish."

Bulbasaur glared at her, "_Exactly what I'd expect to hear from human-speaking freak!_"

Soot glared back, "Care to repeat that, you little Monster?"

Ash jumped in, "Soot, Bulbasaur, knock it off. This is no place to fight."

Bulbasaur glared at Ash, "_So leave already! The only thing a trainer can do is cause trouble and hurt us!_" he glared at Soot again, "_Be sure to tell your master that for me._"

Soot looked away, "Not happening. You want to talk to him? Figure it out yourself."

Ash sighed and looked to Pikachu.

The mouse frowned, "_You sure you want me to tell you?_"

Bulbasaur glared, "_Seriously?! How many of you freaks are there?!_"

Clefairy pouted, "_Stop calling my friends freaks! And besides, only Ms. Soot talks like a human. Ash can understand what me and Pikachu are saying._"

Bulbasaur chuckled mockingly, "_Yeah, right._"

"Freaks, huh?" Ash muttered.

Bulbasaur looked at Ash, shocked.

Ash sighed, "Soot, what did he say?"

Soot growled, "He accused trainers of only being good for trouble and pain. He wants us to leave."

Melanie frowned, "Bulbasaur, that wasn't nice. Apologize."

Ash sighed, "No, it's fine." He turned around and started walking into the forest, "I'm not going to leave yet, but I'll leave you alone. Be back later, guys."

Soot ran after him, "Dad, wait!" Pikachu followed her.

Clefairy glared at Bulbasaur, "_Ms. Melanie is right. You need to apologize to Ash._"

Bulbasaur glared, "_I am not apologizing to a human!_"

"_But Ash isn't always human!_" Clefairy argued.

Bulbasaur blinked, "_what?_"

"_He isn't always human."_ Clefairy responded, _"He has this circle on his arm that can turn him into Pokémon._"

Bulbasaur growled, "_Yeah, right. How stupid do you think I am?_"

Clefairy was about to respond when she heard something familiar coming from where Ash went.

She looked at Bulbasaur, "_If you don't believe me, then come and see for yourself._"

Bulbasaur frowned, "_Fine. If it'll make you shut up._"

Clefairy led Bulbasaur to Ash. The humans present all felt completely lost about what just happened.

.

*Ash and team

Clefairy and Bulbasaur came into the clearing. Bulbasaur looked around and quickly found Soot and Pikachu. Butterfree and Pidgeotto were with them. They were all crowded around a male Mightyena.

His ears twitched and he looked at Bulbasaur, frowning, "_Oh, it's you._" He looked at Clefairy and smiled, "_Hey Clefairy._"

Clefairy blinked in surprise, "_Ash?_"

Ash chuckled and sat up. A familiar green symbol could be seen on his chest.

Clefairy smiled brightly, "_Woah! That is so cool! I didn't know you could turn into a Mightyena._"

Soot chuckled, "Well, I call him dad for a reason."

Bulbasaur glared, "_How much of a fool do you take me for?! You can't actually expect me to believe this, can you?! There is no way you're that human from the earlier!_"

Ash rolled his eyes. He brought up a paw and hit the symbol on his chest.

Bulbasaur had to close his eyes in response to the sudden flash. When he looked up, his jaw dropped when he saw Ash sitting there.

Ash glared, "There, happy?"

He messed with his watch and hit it again. Mightyena-Ash sat there, still glaring.

"_If you don't mind, I like to get back to relaxing with my daughter and team._" He laid down.

Bulbasaur was unable to respond. He was still overcome with shock.

Clefairy took up a smug expression, "_Told ya._"

.

*One Omnitirix timing out and almost recharge later

Ash raised a hand, "Give it a minute."

"_Can we just talk?!_" Bulbasaur responded.

Soot relayed the message.

Ash shook his head, "Let the watch finish recharging first. That way we actually talk to each other."

The watch changed from red to green.

"There." Ash started messing with the watch. He slammed down the center and a braviary stood in Ash's place.

Ash looked at the Seed Pokémon, "_Now we can talk._"

Bulbasaur blinked, "_H-how are you doing that? How long have you been able to do this?_"

"_This thing._" Ash said; pointing a wing to the symbol on his chest, "_It catalogues Pokémon DNA and gives me the ability to transform into them. Also, five years._"

Soot joined in, "It's also the reason I was born."

Bulbasaur's eyes widened, "_Where on earth did you get something like that?!_"

"_A meteor. I don't know where it really came from. All I know is what it does and that I can't take it off._" Ash responded.

Ash sighed, "_Look, I'm sorry about coming here. No matter what I say, it doesn't change what I am. I'll leave when my friends are ready, so just-_"

"_I'm sorry._" Bulbasaur interrupted.

Everyone else looked at him in surprise. Ash would have blinked if his form allowed it, "_What?_"

Bulbasaur sighed, "_I'm sorry about what I said. If you've really had these powers for that long, then you're practically an elder._"

Ash chuckled, "_Honestly, not the first time I've heard that. Thank you for understanding, but you owe my hatchling an apology too._"

Bulbasaur gave a light smile and nodded. Turning to Soot, he said, "_I'm sorry about what I said earlier. It was out of line._"

Soot smirked, "Oh, don't worry, I'll feel better once I get my revenge." Bulbasaur flinched. Soot laughed, "I'm kidding. I'm kidding. You wilds are just so easy to mess with."

Bulbasaur chuckled, "_Okay. I deserved that._" He brought out a vine, "_Apology accepted?_"

Soot chuckled and shook hands/paws/vines with the Grass/Poison-type, "Yeah, apology accepted."

Clefairy jumped over and hugged Bulbasaur, "_Yay! We're friends now!_"

The moment was ruined by a chorus of shouting coming from the village. They hurried and found a giant domed stadium sitting on top of weather balloons. A gigantic vacuum protruding from the side was threatening to suck up the Pokémon in the village.

Bulbasaur stared in shock, "_What the Yvel is that?!_"

Soot deadpanned, "My guess, a couple of humans who justify your hatred in trainers. As well as their speech impaired meowth who, also, speaks human."

Ash scowled, "_We need to stop them!_" He turned to face his team, "_Pidgeotto, you're with me; we're taking that thing down. Everyone else, protect the village. Soot, you're in charge._"

Soot nodded, "Good luck."

Ash and Pidgeotto flew towards the machine. Ash looked at the other bird, "_Follow my lead! Steel Wing!_"

Ash's wings lit up. Pidgeotto followed suit. They attacked the hose with their Steel Wings; cutting it to ribbons.

Jessie looked over the edge, "Hey, what happened?!"

Meowth followed, "Da hose! It's been shredded!"

James looked at the ground, "Down there! It's Pikachu and the others. But, where's the twerp?"

"Who cares?!" Meowth responded, "We'll jus' get dem too!"

"_Yeah, that's not happening._" Meowth flinched at the voice. The three of them turned around to see Ash and Pidgeotto standing on the railing.

Jessie flinched, "Ah! It's the twerps pidgeotto and … what is that?"

James pulled out a small book and flipped through the pages, "Here. It's a Braviary, the Valiant Pokémon. They're Flying and Normal-types from the Unova region. Apparently, they're all males."

Ash stared at him, "_How long have you had that?_"

Meowth stared in shock, 'T-that voice. But that's impossible.'

Jessie glared, "I don't care what it is! We are not letting some feather brain and its girlfriend get in our way!" She pulled out a pokéball.

Pidgeotto blushed at the comment, "_W-we're not mates!_"

Ash shook his head, "_Just ignore them. We have a job to do._"

Koffing and Ekans appeared on the dome. Ekans immediately started slipping on the smooth, curved surface.

Ash sweat dropped, "_You can take these two, I'll pop this thing._"

Meowth snapped out of it, "We gotta stop dat boid!"

"Koffing, Tackle that Braviary!"

Pidgeotto Steel Winged the Poison Gas Pokémon before it even got close.

She looked over at Ash, "_Go!_"

Ash nodded and jumped off the ledge. Adjusting quickly, he shot towards the balloons with his wings glowing.

James pulled out a remote, "Not so fast!"

He pushed a button and a dozen robotic limbs shot out towards Ash.

Ash glared, '_What is it with these guys and robotics?!_' He was forced to abandon his goal and focus on dodging. He looked around the arms, trying to find a weak point.

He scowled, '_No joints, again. And they're thicker that the ones from the drill and their balloon. Brute force won't cut it this time._' He barrel-rolled as an arm got close. During the roll, he hit it with Steel Wing, '_Too thick to cut through normally. But maybe…_'

Ash got out of range of the arms and looked down to his team, "_Guys, I'm about to do something stupid! Be ready to catch me if it goes south!_"

He was too far away to hear their protests.

He flapped and whipped up a Tailwind, '_focus._'

The speed modifying breeze started to warp around the stadium. Nobody could see it happening.

.

*Pidgeotto vs. Koffing and Ekans

"_Steel Wing!_"

Pidgeotto batted away at the Sludge as it approached. She started panting, '_I need to stay focused. Just remember what Ash said, 'Steel Wing is a powerful tool against Poison-Types. If you can't dodge, use it to block their attacks. You'll nullify most of the damage and lessen the chance of poisoning.' I just need to buy him time._' She glanced back at Ash, '_For whatever he's doing._'

James held out an arm, "Koffing, use Smokescreen!"

Koffing complied and started filling the area. Everyone, even Pidgeotto, became shocked when the black smoke started being swept away.

Jessie glared at her teammate, "James, what's going on?!"

James didn't respond. He looked forward in shock.

Jessie blinked, "James?" she followed his gaze and her jaw dropped.

The Smokescreen could be seen all around them, but not the way they wanted. It was being compressed into cylindrical tubes all around them and it was still moving.

"W-what is this?" Jessie asked, "Is the twerp's pidgeotto doing this?"

Meowth shook his head, "It couldn't be. We've been watchin' it dis whole time."

They heard the sound on metal being ripped into.

James fumbled, "What was that?!"

Meowth noticed something, "Look!" he pointed at one of the smoke tunnels. Ash could be seen inside, moving through them at high speed. His wings were folded at his sides but still glowing from Steel Wing.

Jessie's eye widened, "Wait! You mean that Brooviary did all this?!"

Ash overheard, '_Now I know how Soot feels._'

Ash rode the tunnel near one of the arms and jumped out. Keeping his speed, he unfolded his wings and spun like a top. He made contact with the arm and cut clean through it. He landed in another one of the tunnels and continued his ride.

"WOAH!" James shouted.

Meowth stared, wide eyed, "Dat shouldn't be possible. No Pokémon could come up wit' somet'in' like dis."

Pidgeotto stared in shock, '_Ash made __this__?! I-I don't even-_' her eyes lit up, '_Creativity! That's why I can't figure it out! This is the power of the human mind!_'

Ash cut through another of the arms. Jessie glared, "We have to stop that thing! James, do something!"

James shook himself out of it and stared hitting buttons on the remote, "Eat metal!" The arms started batting away at the tunnels. No effect.

"What the?!" James shouted.

Meowth's eye widened, "It's Tailwind! Dat bird used a status to make dis! Dat's why we can't hit it!"

Ash's eyes widened when he heard that, '_He figured it out?! No. He couldn't be._'

Jessie smirked, "But, we can still hit him!"

James messed with the controls and all of the remaining arms moved into Ash's path.

Ash smirked, '_About time._'

He jumped out of the tunnel and started spinning at the closest arm. Instead of tearing through it, he rolled along the arm like a circular saw. He was heading for the base of the of the dome.

"What's it doing now?" Jessie shouted.

Meowth squinted at the scene. His eyes widened, "Da balloons!"

Ash reached the base and tore into the balloon's fabric. The dome lost its balance and started falling into the village.

.

*Misty, Brock, Melanie, Ash's team

Soot looked up in horror, "EVERYONE, TAKE COVER!"

The dome crashed into the clearing. Team Rocket was still on top of it, dazed.

James sat up and held his head, "Ow." He looked at the staring crowd and flinched, "Um, we can explain."

"Fire!" Soot shouted.

Soot, her teammates, and Bulbasaur attacked the grounded sky base all at once.

Pikachu used Thunderbolt.

Butterfree used Whirlwind.

Clefairy used Disarming Voice.

Bulbasaur used Razor Leaf.

Soot used Shadow Ball.

Team Rocket exploded and flew up high.

Jessie groaned, "Another chapter, another blast-off."

James followed, "I really thought we had them this time. Why can't the author just give us a break?"

Meowth sighed, "It's not gonna stop us from tryin' again next chapta."

James pulled out his book again, "Actually, it looks like we're being cut out of the Charmander story."

Jessie took the book, "What?! You can't be serious!" She looked over the pages and scowled, "That is so unfair! We were there in the original series!"

Meowth shrugged, "Could be time constraints. Dese chaptas have been gettin' longer."

Now, with the overdone fourth wall breaks and unnecessary pseudo-spoilers out of the way.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

.

*Ash

'_I … did it_' Ash thought as he fell towards the earth. He used up all of his strength in his rampage on the sky base. He passed out as the ground approached.

A familiar beeping woke Ash up. He opened his eyes to a large red flash. He sat up and held his head.

"Dad, you're okay!" Soot exclaimed as she pulled him into a hug.

Ash looked around; his team and Bulbasaur were all around him. They were back in the clearing from before Team Rocket attacked.

He looked down at Soot, "What happened?"

Soot looked up at him, "You passed out. Pidgeotto managed to catch you and brought you here before you timed out."

Ash looked over at the bird and pet her, "Thank you, Pidgeotto."

Pidgeotto blushed and backed away; she tried to hide behind her wings.

Ash frowned, "What's wrong?"

Soot chuckled, "It's best not to question it. Girl stuff."

Ash blushed, "noted." He stood up, "Come on let's get back to the others." He started walking back towards the village. Everyone but Soot and Pidgeotto followed.

Pidgeotto sighed, "_Thanks._"

Soot chuckled, "Don't sweat it. Just promise you'll try not to kiss dad next time he's passed out."

Pidgeotto blushed again, "_Right. Again, I'm sorry about that. I don't know what came over me._"

Soot nudged her, "Probably the same thing that came over my mom." She chuckled, "Just promise you'll be a little more careful. I don't think the world's quite ready for another Phantom Child."

Pidgeotto's blush deepened. Soot laughed and made her way to the village, "If you get embarrassed again, just go with the 'girl stuff' excuse. It always works on him."

Pidgeotto followed slowly.

**Ohirume: Sorry to interrupt, but I need to clarify something. What Soot said wasn't meant to imply things escalating in the slightest.**

**For this story, we're going with the concept of kissing = the entire Pokémon 'mating ritual'. Yeah, I know it's weird, but no amount of hate is going to make me change it. Sorry.**

.

*Village

Ash returned to the village and immediately got chewed out by Misty.

"What the heck is wrong with you?!" Misty shouted.

Ash blinked "What?"

Misty glared, "You know 'what'! Soot told us you fell asleep in the forest! Do you have any idea what happened during your little nap?!"

Ash frowned, 'Of course she chose that excuse.' He chuckled nervously, "Well, I heard an explosion. So, uh, Team Rocket?"

Misty blinked, "Well, yeah, actually." She went back to glaring, "But that doesn't change the fact that all of your Pokémon were here to help while you were sleeping!"

Ash rubbed the back of his head, looking ashamed, "You're right. I'm sorry. I should have been here to help."

Bulbasaur blinked in surprise.

Soot walked up, "In his defense, we didn't think to wake him up. I'm just glad that Braviary showed up when he did."

Melanie blinked, "Where did it go, anyway?"

Soot shrugged, "He didn't say. Just said 'bye' and left."

Melanie pouted, "That's too bad. I was hoping to thank them."

Soot chuckled, "I'll pass it on if I see him."

"Braviary?" Ash asked.

Brock nodded, "It helped Pidgeotto take down Team Rocket." He put a hand to his chin, "But, it was weird. It whipped up a really advanced wind move and spun around like a saw blade. I've never even heard of a wild Pokémon doing something like that."

Ash blinked, "Wow. I wish I could have seen that."

.

*One Rocket machine clean up later

Melanie invited everyone to stay the night in the village. The answer was obvious. In return, Brock, Misty, and Ash were helping Melanie feed the wild Pokémon. Pikachu and Clefairy stayed by Ash's side to help translate for the Pokémon. Soot did the same, but for everyone else.

Misty looked at Soot, "Doesn't Ash need you to translate for him, too?"

Soot shrugged, "Eh, he'll be fine. Besides, it'll teach him not to sleep through a crisis."

Misty smirked, "Nice."

Bulbasaur frowned when he heard that. He looked over at Ash; the boy was tending to the Village Pokémon. He could swear he saw the boy flinch every now and then. The Seed Pokémon walked over to them.

Pikachu quickly noticed, "_Hey, Bulbasaur. Do you need something?_"

He shook his head, "_No, I'm okay._" he looked up at Ash, "_But, Is he alright?_"

Ash looked over at them, "What did he say?"

Pikachu frowned, "_He asked if you were alright._"

Ash looked surprised, "Really?" he looked at Bulbasaur and smiled, "Thanks for caring, but I'm fine. Promise."

He moved to grab the box of Pokémon food. Right as he grabbed the box, he grimaced and dropped it. Clefairy and Pikachu ran over to help.

Bulbasaur's eyes widened, "_That's what you call alright?!_"

Ash put on a smile, "It's nothing. I'll be fine."

Bulbasaur was still uneasy, "_Still, we should probably get it checked out._"

Bulbasaur reached out a vine and grabbed Ash's left wrist. The boy flinched and fell to his knees.

Clefairy slapped the vine, "_Stop! You're hurting him!_"

Bulbasaur flinched, "_What?! But I thought-_"

"_No, you weren't!_" Clefairy shouted, "_Ash is hurting and you're only making it worse! You're just a big mean-_"

"Clefairy, stop." Ash argued. He was holding his wrist and trembling. He looked at them, smiling shakily, "He didn't know, so don't blame him. Bulbasaur, I'm sorry I overreacted. My arms are just sore from the battle earlier."

Bulbasaur stared at him in shock, "_B-but how?! You weren't human then!_"

Pikachu relayed the message. Ash chuckled, "The watch doesn't work like that. My injuries and fatigue transfer between my forms. In this case; aching Braviary wings equals aching human arms. Holding Steel Wing for that long wasn't my best idea."

Bulbasaur scowled, "_Then, you should be resting! You shouldn't push yourself when your hurt!_"

Clefairy frowned and told Ash what he said.

Ash stood back up, "It's fine. I promise. Besides, my friends would get mad if I laid around while they had to work. Especially after I slept through Team Rocket's attack." He tried stop himself from trembling. Ash turned around and reached for the box again.

"_HEY!_" Bulbasaur shouted; sounding angry.

Ash turned around and was immediately hit in the face with a large puff of blue dust.

Ash glared "Hey! What was … that" he started losing his balance, "for…" he fell back. The Sleep Powder worked like a charm.

Pikachu and Clefairy stared in shock. They thought the same thing, '_Why didn't I think of that?!_'

Misty, Brock, Melanie, and Soot heard the commotion and ran over.

Misty glared, "Are you kidding me, Ash?! You are not sleeping through this, too!"

"I don't think it's his fault" Brock said as he inspected the ground, "I think he got hit with Sleep Powder."

Melanie glared, "Bulbasaur, why would you do that?! Ash was just trying to help."

Bulbasaur glared at Soot, "_Soot, your trainer is hurt and needs to rest!_" he shouted, making sure to sound angry, "_Tell them that I still don't trust him or that I thought he did something to the food!_"

Soot growled, "Are you kidding me, you little Monster?!" the Pokémon all looked at her in shock, "I get it, you don't like trainers and my dad messed up earlier, but that does not give you the right to just knock him out like that!" Soot winked.

Bulbasaur's eyes widened in realization, '_she's playing along._'

Soot sighed and turned to the humans, "The little weed knocked dad out because he thought he messed with the food." She glared at him, "The nerve of some people." She smiled at him; making sure the humans didn't see.

Misty sighed, "Fine. I guess I can't blame Ash for that."

Melanie frowned, "Bulbasaur, I was hoping you were over this. I'm disappointed in you."

Bulbasaur glared and looked away.

Melanie sighed, "What am I going to do with you?"

Brock spoke up, "We should get back to work. There are still Pokémon to tend to."

The others nodded and started walking back.

Misty turned around, "Are you coming, Soot?"

Soot looked at her, "In a bit. I've still got a bone to pick with bulby here."

Misty shrugged, "Just don't go too far."

Bulbasaur sighed as they left, "_I have to admit, that was impressive._"

Soot smirked, "Not the first time I've had to play along. Honestly, I'm impressed you came up with all of that so quickly." Her ears drooped, "Sorry I was so harsh."

Bulbasaur chuckled, "_Hey, I'm the one who told you to blame me. You just played along._"

Oddish stared in shock, "_What?! What are you talking about?! Bulbasaur, why were you saying all of that stuff in such a weird way?!_" she turned to face Soot, "_And you! Why did you yell at Bulbasaur like that?! It's like you weren't hearing him correctly!_"

Soot laughed, "We were acting, ya little goofball. The others might have suspected something if I didn't react to Bulbasaur's 'confession' like that."

Oddish tilted, "_But Bulbasaur didn't confess anything._"

Bulbasaur chuckled and patted her with a vine, "_I'll explain later. Come on, let's let Ash sleep._"

.

**Time Skip**

The rising sun woke Ash up. He sat up and stretched.

"Good morning, dad."

Ash turned to see Soot sitting there. He blinked, "Soot?" he looked down at his wrists, 'They stopped hurting.' "How long was I out for? Also, why am I outside?"

"_You can thank Bulbasaur for that._" Ash heard Pikachu say.

He turned to see Pikachu, Clefairy and Bulbasaur walking his way. Bulbasaur was balancing bowl of fruit on his head. Pikachu and Clefairy were on either side of the Grass/Poison-type; keeping the bowl steady. They put the bowl down in front of him.

Clefairy smiled, "_Bone apple tea!_"

Ash chuckled, "I think you mean 'Bon appétit.' It's something they say in Kalos." He took a sitrus berry, "Thanks." He bit into the yellow berry.

Bulbasaur smiled, "_I'm glad you're feeling better._"

Ash frowned and looked over to Soot, "Are the other's awake yet?"

Soot shook her head, "They were up late taking care of some nocturnal Pokémon."

Ash smiled, "Cool. That'll make this easier."

He put the berry down and pressed the button on the side of his watch. The center popped up, he rotated it, and hit it. The light appeared and faded to reveal Ash in vaporeon form. He went right back to eating.

Bulbasaur blinked, "_Okay seriously, how many Pokémon can you turn into?_"

"_Sphicks_" Ash swallowed, "_Sorry, I meant 'six.' What were you saying before?_"

Bulbasaur chuckled, "_I said 'I'm glad you're feeling better.' Also, I never really got a chance to thank you for what you did yesterday._"

Ash shrugged and gulped again, "_It was nothing special. I just did what anyone would do._"

Clefairy stared in shock, "_Nothing Special?! Ash, that was the coolest thing I've ever seen! You were all Zoom and Whoosh and Buzz!_" she said that last one while spinning with her arms out, "_And then you rode one of the arms into the balloons and brought the whole thing down! Calling that anything but special should be an insult!_"

Ash chuckled, "_Okay, I get it. I guess it was a little impressive._" He rubbed one of his forelegs with the other, "_My wings felt like they were on fire, though. I almost considered using Brave Bird to try cooling off._"

Bulbasaur smiled sadly, "_Thank you, again. If it weren't for you, the entire village might have been taken or even destroyed._"

Ash smiled, "_Don't sweat it. I'm just happy I could help._"

Ash went back to eating. The others decided not to interrupt with any more questions.

Ash looked at them, "_Mind if go ahead and change back? I think I prefer having hands for this._"

Soot chuckled, "Go ahead. We won't be offended if that's what you're thinking."

Ash chuckled, hit the symbol on his chest, and returned to human form. Everyone heard a crash. They looked towards the hut and saw Melanie standing over a shattered bowl. She was staring at Ash; eyes wide.

Ash stared back in shock, "Oh crag."

.

**Time Skip**

Ash and Soot had just finished explaining to Melanie what she saw. The watch, Soot's birthright, Ash being able to under Pikachu and Clefairy, and even the fact that Ash was the braviary that saved them. The entire time, Pikachu and Clefairy stood in front of Ash defensively. Bulbasaur stood off to the side; unsure of what to think.

"Th-that- that's incredible." Melanie stuttered.

Ash rubbed the back of his head, "That's one thing you could call it. I know it's weird, but-"

Melanie interrupted, "No! I mean, you saved my home yesterday! It was incredible!"

Ash blinked in surprise, "You're not going to say something about the watch?"

Melanie smiled sadly, "I admit, it's bizarre." She perked up, "But, I've always believed that actions speak the loudest. Your actions-" her eyes widened, and she frowned, "Y-you saved my home and we all accused you of being a lazy-" she started tearing up, "I-I'm so sorry."

Ash smiled sadly, "It's alright, I swear. I mean, I went along with the whole thing, anyway."

"No, it's not!" Melanie cried our, "I thought so little of you after you came out of the forest. I almost thought you were just another horrible trainer. I-I called you-" she put a hand over her mouth.

"I know" Ash responded.

Melanie looked at him in shock, "What?"

Ash smiled, "I know what you were calling me. One of my watch's functions enhances my senses. I overheard your muttering yesterday."

"Why aren't you mad, then?!" Melanie cried out, "I-I was way out of line! You didn't deserve any of that!"

Ash shook his head and kept smiling, "Melanie, I knew exactly what I was getting myself into when I went along with Soot's cover story." He chuckled, "Heck. If I were in your shoes, I probably would have thought the same thing. I promise I'm not mad."

Melanie smiled at that, "Thank you for being so understanding. Still, if there's any way I can make it up to you, please say so."

Ash smiled sadly, "In that case, can you promise to keep this a secret?"

Melanie blinked in surprise, "Yes, but why would you want that? Your abilities are unlike anything I've ever heard of. You could be famous."

Ash and Soot looked at each other and frowned.

"That's, actually, why we don't want anyone to know." Soot responded, "We've had to deal with people obsessed with inheritance in the past. And that was just them trying to figure it out. If word got out about the truth, things would only get worse."

Melanie frowned, "I understand. I'm sorry."

Ash chuckled, "You don't have anything to apologize for. It's okay."

Melanie smiled, "Thank you. Your secret is safe with me. Still, I wish I could repay you in some way." She perked up and looked over at Bulbasaur.

She smiled sadly, "And, I think I know how." She petted the Seed Pokémon, "Bulbasaur, I think you should go with Ash."

Everyone was shocked at hearing that.

Ash blinked in surprise, "Wait, what?! I know your grateful, but isn't that a bit much? This is Bulbasaur's home."

Melanie shook her head and smiled, "That isn't the point of this place. I don't invite abandoned Pokémon here to give them a permanent home. It's about giving them a place to stay until they get back on their feet."

Clefairy raised a hand and was about to say something. Pikachu reached up and pulled her hand back down, "_I'll explain later._"

Melanie looked at Bulbasaur again, "I'm grateful for everything you've done for me and the village, but you need a real home. This place is too small for your bulb to grow."

She turned back to Ash, "I know I made it sound like a reward. But you would be doing me a favor by letting Bulbasaur join your team."

Ash looked at Bulbasaur, "Do you want to join us, Bulbasaur?"

Bulbasaur blinked in surprise, "_You're asking what I want?_"

Soot chuckled, "He's asked everyone else on our team. Truth be told, none of the others have battled him before capture."

Pikachu nodded, "_She's right._"

Melanie was surprised to hear that.

Bulbasaur looked between Melanie and Ash repeatedly. He came to a decision, "_I'll join if you can beat me in battle._"

Soot smirked, "He said 'yes.' But we have to beat him first."

Melanie smiled at the news.

Ash smirked and looked at the Grass-type, "Deal." He looked to his side, "Get ready, Pikachu."

Bulbasaur shook his head, "_That's not what I meant._" Bulbasaur argued, "_I'll join if __you__ can defeat me. I'll be okay with any form you choose._"

All of the Pokémon stared at him; wide eyed.

Melanie looked at Soot, "What did he say?"

Soot recovered, but was still dazed, "He wants dad to battle him. Personally." She turned to face Ash, "He said he'll be okay with whatever form you choose."

Melanie was surprised … again.

Ash chuckled, "So, that's it. Alright, sounds good. As for the form-" he raised a finger, "I'll choose human."

It was Bulbasaur's turn to be surprised. I think I might be getting obsessed with this 'surprised characters' thing.

He blinked, "_You … what?!_"

Ash read the tone, "I'll battle you as I am. Not a lot of Pokémon can say they battled a human. Besides, it'll be a lot easier to explain if we wake up Brock and Misty."

Bulbasaur stared, "_How is that easier to explain?_"

Soot chuckled, "You've got a lot to learn about us, newbie."

.

*The hut

Misty woke up to what sounded like a battle. She yawned and looked around; Brock and Melanie were gone. She got up, stretched, and went outside to find them. She found the pair standing in a few feet away from the hut. All of Ash's Pokémon were with them.

She walked up next to Brock, "Hey, what's going-" she stopped talking and stared as she followed his gaze.

Bulbasaur launched a Razor Leaf towards Ash. The boy weaved through the leaves, grabbed one near the end of the attack and threw the leaf back at Bulbasaur. The Seed Pokémon jumped back to dodge the leaf, landed, and used Vine Whip. Ash grabbed the vines and pulled. Bulbasaur was unable to stand his ground and flew towards Ash. The Grass/Poison-type smirked and charged another attack. Ash frowned, let go, and rolled out of the way to avoid the puff of Sleep Powder. Bulbasaur held his breath as he flew through his own attack and used his vines to soften his landing.

The opponents smirked as they stared each other down and took on a fighting stance.

Misty was speechless. Okay, that's a lie, "What the actual Yvel am I looking at?"

Melanie spoke up, "Bulbasaur challenged Ash to a battle on grounds that, if Ash wins, Bulbasaur will join his team. Ash accepted, just not in the way we expected."

Brock looked at Misty, "I've stopped questioning it at this point."

The humans continued watching the battle. The Pokémon with them cheered.

"You've got this, dad!" Soot cheered.

"Pi Pikapi!"

"Fairy Clefairy!"

"Freeee!"

"Pidgo!"

Bulbasaur used Razor Leaf again. Ash weaved through the attack again, only this time-

"What?!" Ash shouted as Bulbasaur's vines wrapped around his arms, 'he hid his Vine Whip amongst the Razor Leaf?!'

Bulbasaur pulled and flew towards Ash; this time intentionally. He readied another Sleep Powder. Ash tried to escape but failed. Bulbasaur smirked as Ash became engulfed in the blue powder. That smirked disappeared when Ash reach out of the cloud and grabbed him by the leg. Ash pulled Bulbasaur in and held him as he stood in the cloud of dust.

Bulbasaur held his breath, '_Ha, I got him! All I have to do now is wait it out._' After a minute, he looked up and found Ash staring down at him; smirking.

Bulbasaur got worried, '_Is he still holding his breath?! I thought humans couldn't hold it for this long!_'

Bulbasaur couldn't hold his breath any longer and breathed in his own status move. Ash's smirk grew as Bulbasaur fell asleep in his arms. He walked out of the dust cloud and released his held breath.

He put down Bulbasaur and brought out a pokéball, "Good game, Bulbasaur."

He tapped the Grass/Poison-type with the ball. He was captured without resistance.

Misty stared in shock, "Ash just battled Bulbasaur. On his own. And won."

Soot shrugged, "Not the first time."

Brock looked at the canine, "What?"

Soot looked up at them, "Well, yeah. He knocked out Team Rocket's ekans back in Viridian."

Misty responded, "I mean- It was Team Rocket. It was probably just really weak."

Soot deadpanned, "You really want me to go there, huh?" she sighed, "You guys remember that Scyther I told you about? The one that gave me the zipper on my back."

Brock and Misty grimaced. "Yeah?" Brock replied anxiously.

Soot continued, "Well, I blacked out after it attacked me. I woke up to find dad keeping Scyther in a chokehold. Dad was 7 at the time."

Everyone, even the other Pokémon, stared at her; wide eyed. Nobody knew how to respond to that.

.

**Time Skip**

Melanie and all the village Pokémon crowded around Bulbasaur in a makeshift group hug.

Melanie smiled sadly, "I'm going to miss you Bulbasaur." She let go and pet him, "Promise you'll stay safe."

Bulbasaur nodded, "_Only if you promise the same thing._"

Soot grinned, "He said, 'Stop nagging me, lady'."

Bulbasaur glared, "_HEY!_"

Soot laughed, "I'm kidding. He told you to stay safe too."

Melanie laughed, "Thank you, Soot."

Brock walked up to Melanie, blushing, "Melanie, I've been thinking. With Bulbasaur leaving the village, I wouldn't mind staying and helping you out."

Soot sweat dropped, 'Really, Brock?'

Melanie smiled innocently, "That's very kind of you Brock, but we'll be fine. I wouldn't want to keep you from your adventures."

Brock smiled sadly, "Oh, I guess you're right."

Misty sighed and put a hand on his shoulder, "Come on, you."

Ash walked up and held out a hand, "It was nice meeting you, Melanie. Good luck."

Melanie shook hands with him, "Thank you."

The group made their way on of the village. Destination: Vermillion City.

Bulbasaur looked back, "_Take care!_"

.

.

**Pearl: I do recall encountering that Melanie girl during our first time in Kanto.**

**Gem: Yeah, she was nice, I guess.**

**Peridot: She does not seem as prepared for conflict as I first imagined.**

**Mewtwo: … oh, am I supposed to say something?**

**Ohirume: *sigh* Welp, one more team to go. Tune in, next time, to meet the Omni force. Maybe they'll actually saying something meaningful.**


	11. Ch 11: Charmander

**Mizuro: Trix did the freaking Levi wheel and those fusion obsessed rock people said NOTHING?!**

**Ohirume: They had no idea what it was.**

**Nuevo: Who's Levi?**

**Mizuro: You uncultured swi-**

**Illavera: Calm down, Gary. You know how Paul is. Just drop it.**

**Mizuro: *sigh* Right, sorry May.**

**Ohirume: And there goes that 'mystery.'**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**To Yvel With Damien**

***Bit of a warning: I might have gone overboard with Damien in this one***

.

Misty was livid, "How are we not there yet?!"

Soot grumbled, "This is what happens when we take directions from pretty girls who don't travel." She glared at Brock.

The guys holding the map chuckled nervously, "The map says we should be their soon."

Ash raised an eyebrow, "What are you talking about? We're heading towards the Pokémon center just off route 24."

Everyone stopped and looked at him.

Brock looked at the map again, rotated it, and flinched, "Y-your right!" he turned to face Ash, "How did you know that?!"

Ash shrugged, "I have a good memory. I actually memorized the route last time I looked at the map."

"What?!" Misty cried out, "Ash, why didn't you say anything before?!"

Ash smirked, "Because, 'getting lost is just a-'"

Soot's eye twitched, "That isn't going to work twice!"

Ash chuckled, "Sorry. Come on, let's hurry before the storm hits."

He continued walking towards the center. The others stared.

Misty blinked, "Storm?" she looked up, "But there isn't a cloud in the sky."

Soot looked at her, "Trust me, dad isn't wrong about these things." She followed Ash.

Brock and Misty looked at each other before following the pair.

After a few minutes, they came across a large rock with something laying on top.

Brock put a hand over his eyes, "Is that a Charmander?"

"Yeah" Ash responded as he frowned, "but something isn't right. Its flame is too dim."

Soot frowned too, "I'll see what's going on."

She climbed up on to the rock. Charmander backed away and glared at her.

Soot sat down, "It's okay. I'm just here to talk."

Charmander calmed some, but kept glaring, "_What do you want?_"

Soot frowned, "I wanted to know why you're up here. It looks like you haven't eaten in a while."

"_I'm fine._" Charmander responded, "_I'm waiting for my master. He told me to wait here for him._"

Soot frowned softened, 'some kind of endurance training, I guess' "Even so, you need to eat." She turned to look at Ash, "Dad, we still have some berries, right?"

Ash nodded and put down his bag, "Yeah, what does he want?"

Charmander blinked, "_Your master understands you?_"

Soot frowned, "He's my da- my meema, not my master. Also, I can speak human."

Charmander was surprised but shook it off, "_I-I'm fine. I don't need anything. My master will be back soon._"

Soot's frown deepened and she jumped off the rock.

She looked up at the group, "He said he doesn't want anything. He's waiting for his trainer."

"Well, it is probably better if his trainer comes and gets him." Brock responded, "We should get going."

Ash nodded, "Alright. Just one thing."

Ash grabbed his backpack and jumped up onto the rock. Charmander flinched at the action.

Ash raised a hand, "I'm not here to hurt you." He reached into his bag, "I know you're waiting for your trainer, but here."

He put a few apples and a bowl of water in front of the Fire-type. Charmander looked at the food hungrily but shook his head and turned away.

Ash smiled sadly, "I'll leave it here if you change your mind."

He jumped back down and looked up, "Take care, Charmander. And, be careful, there's a storm rolling in."

The group continued towards the center.

Soot looked up at Ash; concern on her face, "Dad, are you sure about this?"

Ash shook his head, "No. But we don't have the right to take Charmander without informing his trainer. We can check on him tomorrow. Hopefully, his trainer will have gotten him by then"

"Alright." Soot nodded. She was still unsure about this.

.

*Not long after

The group ran through the door to the Pokémon center. It was pouring outside.

Soot shook herself dry and smiled slyly, "Told ya so."

Misty was already drying herself off with a towel, "Alright, I'm sorry for doubting you." She looked Ash, "How did you know the storm was coming, anyway?"

Soot smirked, "Dad has a sixth sense for these things."

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy all looked at him in surprise.

Ash smiled and raised an eyebrow, "Seriously? Guys, she's kidding. I just have a strong sense of smell."

Misty deadpanned, "Could blame us for thinking otherwise? You're you."

Ash considered that and shrugged, "Fair point."

.

*Meanwhile, in a library in … I don't actually know. They never showed a public library in Kanto.

Celadon, I guess.

"I thought we were being cut out of this chapter." James said. He wore a blue, long sleeved, zipper jacket over his uniform and wasn't wearing his gloves.

Jessie glared at him, "We're not in the Charmander story! Big difference!" She was wearing a red, short sleeve hoodie; also, sans gloves.

James sweat dropped, "But this is the Charmander-"

"Drop it, bud. Ya know ya not winnin'." Meowth responded. Meowth didn't have a disguise. Because, why would he?

James sighed, "Fine. But why are we in a library?"

Jessie looked at the cat, "Yeah, I was wondering that too."

"Have yous guys not hoid a woid I've said?!" Meowth shouted, "We're here ta find out what's up wit' da twoip and his dog!"

James spoke up, "You mean his Mightyena?"

His teammates gave him a disappointed look.

James flinched, "Oh, right. His, uh, Righty-leg-a."

Jessie nodded, "Better." She turned toward Meowth again, "And, I still don't know what you mean by that. Isn't he just some kid with an overpowered Pokémon?"

Meowth shook his head, "You guys didn't hear dat Braviary talkin'."

James blinked, "I thought we were talking about the twerp."

Meowth pinched the bridge of his … he pinched between his eyes, "Jus' help me look. His name's gotta show up in one a dese tings."

"Is there something I can help you with?"

The trio flinched and turned to see an elderly librarian smiling at them.

James cleared his throat and walked up to her, "Thank you, madam. My associate and I were perusing your fine collection in hopes of researching an individual we have found an interest in."

Jessie and Meowth blinked in surprise, looked at each other, then looked back at their teammate.

"Allow me to help, then." the librarian said with a smile, "Who might this person be?"

James flinched, "I believe his name was … Ash Ketch-"

The librarian started laughing, "My apologies. It has simply been a few years since someone asked about the young Ketchum boy." She turned around, "Please, follow me."

The sort-of disguised Team Rocket followed.

"James, where did all of that classy talk come from?" Jessie whispered to him.

James whispered back, "My parents forced me to take vocational classes. I thought it might help with this."

The librarian stopped in front of one of the shelves, "Here we are." She turned back to the trio, "I wish you luck in researching the Phantom Child."

She walked away, but not without petting Meowth first. He hated it but knew he couldn't retaliate.

James frowned and turned to Jessie, "Phantom Child?"

Jessie shrugged, "How should I know? Let's just start looking. It can't be that hard to find."

They looked for two hours. Brock was right, there were tons of articles about failed attempts at inheritance. All of them were useless.

Meowth opened a thin book written by Samuel Oak and his eyes widened, "Guys, look at dis!"

The two humans crouched down next to him.

"What did you find?" James asked.

"Look!" he held up the book. It had a picture of a 6-year-old Ash, holding a Poochyena.

Jessie sweat dropped, "A picture of the twerp?"

Meowth shoved the book into her hands, "Read it!"

Jessie skimmed over the pages and her eyes widened, "That's what a Phantom Child is?!"

James took the book, "Let me see." He read over it and mimicked Jessie, "Wait, the Phantom Pokémon?! As in-"

Jessie smiled at him, "The rarest, hardest to find, most valuable Pokémon in the world! If we brought a Pokémon like that to the boss-"

James smiled back, "Promotion wouldn't even begin to describe the rewards!"

Jessie stood proud, "Then it's settled! We'll take the twerp's mutt and use her to find the real Phantom!"

Meowth chuckled, "So naïve."

Jessie glared at him, "What was that?"

Meowth pointed at his teammates, "We already know where da Phantom Pokémon is."

"Meowth, what do you mean?" James asked.

Meowth smirked, "You guys didn't here dat Braviary talkin' right 'cause ya humans. It had da exact same voice as da twoip." Their eyes widened, "The twoip's dog ain't da key to da Phantom Pokémon. Da twoip is da Phantom Pokémon."

James dropped the book in shock, "Meowth, are you sure about this?!"

Jessie snarled, "If your making this up, then I swear I'll-"

Meowth nodded, "I'm sure. Da Phantom's said ta be like a ditto; it can turn inta anyting. And afta all dis time, dat voice ain't one I'd forget. No matta da species."

James's face lit up, "That's perfect! If tell the boss about this, we'll-"

"How stupid are you?!" Jessie shouted at him, "If we tell the boss, then all of Team Rocket will be after that brat! Telling the boss about the twerp may help our image." She grinned maliciously, "But hand delivering him to the boss will put us right on top!"

James looked at her in shock, "You're right!"

"Dat's right!" Meowth said with a grin, "We'll hand da twoip over to da boss ourselves."

He shifted to a glare, "But we gotta keep quiet about da twoip. If any anyone else gets woid of dis, den our promotions will be kaput!"

The trio nodded and started plotting.

.

*Back with our heroes

Ash and the others sat at a table near the window; eating dinner. Ash and Soot brought over some bowls of soup a while ago. It was raining Meowths and Growlithes outside.

Brock looked out the window in concern, "I hope Charmander's doing okay."

Ash looked out the window, "His trainer had to have picked him up by now."

Misty frowned, "I hope you're right."

"Wow! Look at them all!"

The group turned to see a group of trainers sitting around a blue haired pre-teen. Several pokéballs sat on the table I front of them.

Blue boy smirked, "Yeah, it's pretty impressive. Only the best for the best."

Misty frowned, "Kind of obnoxious."

Soot sighed, "It's just how some people are."

Ash chuckled, "Just ignore them." He went back to eating.

One of the boy's fans spoke up, "Hey Damien, didn't you have a Charmander?"

The group froze.

Damien smirked, "Yeah, I used too. But the puny thing so was pathetic that it couldn't even beat a Grass-type."

"What did you do with it?" Another boy asked.

"I left it on some rock in the woods." Damien said with a smirk, "I promised I would come back for it, and stupid thing actually believed me." He started laughing, "It's probably still waiting there for me."

Ash dropped his spoon. Damien and others didn't notice and started laughing.

"I bet it's still up there, wagging its tail."

"It'll probably wag it until it's flame goes-" he stopped talking.

Brock and Misty froze and looked at Ash. They started trembling; feeling the same as they did at Mount Moon.

Soot's eyes widened and she turned to face her teammates, "Pikachu! Clefairy! Cover their eyes!"

The two ran onto the human's shoulders and got in front of their faces. Brock and Misty snapped out of it and used their hands to obscure their visual of Ash.

Ash got up and slowly walked over to the group. They turned to look at him and tried to back away.

The trainer glared at Damien; pupils constricted, "What the Yvel is wrong with you?!"

Damien didn't respond.

Ash picked him up by the collar of his shirt with one hand, "Do you actually think this funny?! Charmander trusted you! If his flame goes out, then it's all over!"

"I-it's m-m-my Poké-" Damien managed to stutter.

Ash tightened his grip on Damien's collar. The shirt started smoking, "You left Charmander to d-"

He was cut off by a flash of light filling the center. His pupils returned to normal as he looked out the window in shock.

"Charmander." Ash muttered.

He dropped the trainer and bolted out the front door.

The center literally felt the tension leave the room when Ash did. Brock and Misty stopped covering their eyes when they stopped feeling scared. Damien was staring at his shirt in horror. The collar was charred black and still smoking.

Soot sweat dropped, "Yeah … dad's intimidate doesn't work as well if you cover your eyes. I probably should have told you guys, earlier."

Misty looked at her, dumbfound, "Ya think?!"

Nurse Joy walked out from the back, carrying a tray of pokéballs, "Ash Ketchum, your Pokémon-"

"Move!" Damien's crowd ran past her. They didn't want to be there when Ash got back.

The nurse starred in confusion as the trainer's ran.

Damien ran up to her, "Nurse Joy! You have to help me! Th-there's some freak who's going to kill me!"

"Care to repeat that?!"

Damien turned around to see Brock, Misty, and Soot glaring at him. Damien blinked, "What?"

Misty's glare intensified, "You know what! You abandoned Charmander in the woods and told it to stay on that rock! He's out there in this storm because of you!"

Nurse Joy's eye widened.

Damien glared, "So what?! It's not my fault the stupid thing was so useless! That freak is the real issue!"

"Stop calling Ash a freak!" Brock argued, "He's out there right now, saving Charmander, because of you!"

Damien's eye widened, "You know that monster?!" he turned to face Nurse Joy, "You need to-"

Nurse Joy snapped her fingers, "Chansey, Light Screen!"

The chansey next to her raised it arms as its eyes glowed. Five thin energy walls appeared around Damien; boxing him in.

He started banging on them, "What are you doing?! Let me out of here!"

Nurse Joy glared, "Oh, I will. Once Officer Jenny arrives for you."

Damien's eyes widened, "What?! But I didn't do anything wrong!"

Soot growled and walked up to him, "You're attempting to kill an innocent Pokémon!"

Damien didn't seem shock by the talking Pokémon, "What I do with my Pokémon is my business! There no laws against releasing a Pokémon!"

"Correct" Nurse Joy responded, "Licensed trainers have the full liberty to decide their Pokémon's training and to decide whether or not to release a Pokémon back into the wild, no matter the reason."

Damien glared at her, "See?! Now let me-"

The nurse interrupted and started shouting, "But that liberty is instantly revoked if the Pokémon's life or well-being are threatened! By abandoning a Fire-type in this weather and forcing it to remain there, you have broken one of the League's most important laws!" she took a breath to compose herself but kept glaring, "It's very likely that your trainer license will be suspended."

Damien stared in shock, "Y-you can't do this. You have no proof!"

Nurse Joy's eye twitched, "You admitted to abandoning your Pokémon to me, personally, and we have security cameras." She turned towards Chansey, "Take him to the back until Jenny arrives."

Chansey nodded and motioned towards the doors behind her. The Light Screen cage started moving.

Damien tried to fight back but failed, "What?! Hey! Stop it! LET ME OUT OF HERE!" the doors closed as he passed through them.

Soot looked up at the nurse, "I always forgot how awesome you nurses can be."

Nurse Joy looked at her, "Thank you, but we need to act fast! Charmander is still out there! Someone needs to go and get it!"

Soot looked back at the door, "I don't think that'll be necessary."

Nurse Joy looked at her in surprise and looked the door. Brock and Misty turned around too. Ash was standing at there, holding a barely conscious Charmander. The lizard was clinging to his arm.

.

*Ash; immediately after leaving the center

Ash burst through the doors and ran as fast as he could in the harsh rain. The falling water evaporated on contact with him. After about a minute, Charmander came into view. He was being attacked by three spearow and was shivering.

"Get away from him!" Ash shouted as he threw a punch at one of the spearow. He grabbed the other two and bashed them into each other. All three were knocked out.

Ash grabbed Charmander and ran back towards the center. Charmander clutched Ash's left arm.

He made it to the center and burst back through the doors. Damien and his group were gone, and Soot, Misty, and Brock were standing in front of Nurse Joy.

"I don't think that'll be necessary." Soot said as she looked at him. The others followed her gaze.

"Ash, you're back!" Misty called out.

Nurse Joy ran over to him, "I'll take care of Charmander." She held out her hands.

Ash tried to pull the Lizard Pokémon off his arm. The Fire-type just clung tighter.

Nurse Joy frowned, "Charmander, please. I promise I can help you." She put a hand on him.

Charmander pushed at the hand, "_warm._" He said weakly, still clinging to Ash.

Soot's eye widened, 'Of course!' "Nurse Joy, wait! Charmander needs warm up; let him stay with dad for a bit."

Nurse Joy frowned, "If he's cold, then he needs to come with me."

Soot sighed, "Nurse Joy, feel dad's forehead."

Nurse Joy raised a brow but did it anyway, "I don't see what that will- OW!" she pulled her hand away.

Soot looked up her, "See what I mean? Charmander is holding onto him because he's warm." She turned to face Ash, "Dad, take of your shirt."

Misty looked at her, "Wait, what?"

Ash complied. Charmander pulled himself closer to Ash, "_warm._" His tail started to brighten.

Ash smiled and moved to sit down next in a nearby chair.

Soot panicked, "Dad, wait! Don't you remember what happened last time?!"

Ash immediately stood back up, "Oh, right." He looked at the nurse, "You wouldn't happen to have any fire-proof chairs or towels, would you?"

.

**Time Skip: very short**

Ash sat down with Charmander still clinging to him. After the episode earlier, Nurse Joy took Ash's temperature and appropriately freaked out.

"220 Fahrenheit?! How are you even conscious?!" Nurse Joy said in a harsh whisper, wary of Charmander.

Brock and Misty stared at him in shock.

Ash frowned, "My temperature is unnaturally high. On average, it's around 120 and increases when I get angry."

Soot smirked, "His blood boils, literally."

Ash rolled his eyes, "It happened at Mount Moon too. You guys just didn't notice, because none of you touched me. It's also the reason all of my clothes are fireproof."

Misty deadpanned, "It's always something with you isn't it?"

Brock rubbed the back of his head, "I'd hate know how high it gets when you get sick."

Soot looked up at him, "Actually, his temperature decreases. He had a cold once and it dropped all the way to 70."

Nurse Joy stared at her, dumbfound, "B-but that doesn't make any sense! A person's temperature rises to help fight off disease! That goes for both humans and Pokémon!"

Soot grinned, "Weird, right?!"

Ash chuckled and shook his head. He felt himself cooling down and flinched, "Crag!"

Misty looked at him, "Ash, what's wrong?!"

"My temperature's decreasing!" Ash started panicking, "You guys need to make me angry again!"

The nurse blinked in surprise, "Um, pardon?"

"Angry, annoyed, peeved, something that'll bring my temperature back up!" Ash replied, "Please! Charmander needs this right now!"

Misty glared, "Y-you're a lousy trainer and uh." She scratched her head in annoyance, "Augh, I can't do this under pressure!"

Brock put a hand on her shoulder, "I'll handle this. Don't forget, I have nine younger brothers and sisters" He pulled up a chair next to the boy, "Ash, I feel I should ask now, are you willing to let me do whatever it takes?"

Ash was barely listening, "Yes! Just hurry!"

Brock nodded, "Very well. Just know that I warned you." The older trainer raised a hand and started poking Ash in the cheek.

Ash flinched, "What the? Brock, this is serious!"

"Ash, this is serious." Brock responded in mocking tone.

Ash glared, "Brock, I mean it!"

Brock smirked, "Ash, I mean it."

Ash's glare intensified and then disappeared completely. He looked down at his hand, "It's working!" he smiled at his friend, "Brock you're a genius!"

"Thank you." The Rock-type trainer responded; still poking Ash.

Soot put a paw on Brock's leg, "That's enough for now, Brock. If he concentrates, he can keep his temperature like this for a while. Even if he calms down."

Brock looked at her, "Oh." He stood back up, "Sorry, Ash."

Ash shook his head and smiled, "It's okay. That really was smart." He took a breath to calm his nerves, "Just be ready for when I cool down again."

Nurse Joy continued staring, "I-I just- I don't even-" she took a deep breath, "I'll be in the back. Come and get me when Charmander is warm enough for treatment." She walked out of the room.

Soot snickered, "That never gets old."

Over the next 2 hours, Brock, Misty, Soot, and the other Pokémon took turns in getting on Ash's nerves. They had switch off a lot because Ash's burn-ups only lasted around 10 minutes. Charmander had stopped shivering by this point and fell asleep. His tail flame had re-ignited.

Ash sighed and leaned his head back, "Oh, thank Arceus, it's finally over!"

Misty chuckled, "I'll go get Nurse Joy."

Brock sat down next to Ash, "How are you felling?"

Ash glared at him.

Brock chuckled, "Hey, you asked for it, remember?"

Ash sighed, "Doesn't mean I liked it."

Nurse Joy walked out of the back room with Misty next to her, "Your friend said Charmander was feeling better?"

Ash smiled and handed the Lizard to her. Nurse Joy took him and smiled, "He already seems to be doing better." She looked up at Ash and nodded, "Well done."

She hurried towards the E.R. with Charmander in her arms.

Ash pulled his shirt back on and looked at his friends, "So, I guess you guys want an explanation for the heating up thing, huh?"

Misty and Brock looked at each other and nodded. They looked back at Ash.

Misty spoke up, "How about, instead, you tell us what else is 'weird' about you."

Ash became nervous, "Um, what do you mean?"

Brock deadpanned, "Ash, I'm pretty sure this is the third time we've learned something like this about you. We won't ask how if just tell us the rest."

"Ooo, right to the chase." Soot commented, "I say we take it."

Ash rubbed the back of his head, "Alright, fine. Just, promise you'll keep an open mind about all of this."

Brock sat down again, and Misty pulled up another chair. Soot sat down next to Ash. Pikachu and Clefairy, took back their places on Ash's shoulders.

"Alright, shoot." Misty said.

"Okay, I guess this is happening." Ash took a deep breath, "My claws can actually shoot from my fingertips. If I do this, they grow back after no longer than two weeks. The red gloves draw out my blood -which is flammable- and then ignites it. That's why I never let you guys use them. I can run up to 40 miles per hour for half an hour, without getting tired. And I can hold my breath for as long as ten minutes."

Misty started coughing, "Woah, hold on! What was that last one?!"

Ash chuckled, "I thought that one would get your attention. I can hold my breath for ten straight minutes. That's actually how I outlasted Bulbasaur in his own Sleep Powder."

Brock frowned, "I'm more concerned about that one with your gloves. They actually use your blood as … fuel?"

Soot pouted, "That's why I don't like him using them."

Brock continued, "And, that's all of it?"

"Well…" Ash frowned and glanced down at his watch.

Misty glared, "Ash, you said you would tell us everything."

Ash started sweating, "Right." He took a deep breath, "I-I can- I can-" he glanced at Pikachu and Clefairy. He gulped and blurted out, "I can understand what some Pokémon are saying!"

Brock and Misty stared at him.

Misty blinked, "You- what?"

Ash took a breath, "I can understand what some Pokémon are saying, but not every species. It's mostly pikachu, clefairy, and mightyena. Them and their evolutionary lines."

Misty looked at Pikachu, "Prove it. I'll whisper something to Pikachu, and you have to tell me what I said."

Ash chuckled and looked at Pikachu, "You heard her buddy."

Pikachu saluted, "_Sir, yes sir._" ran over to Misty, and jumped up on to her shoulder. Misty put a hand to her mouth and whispered to the mouse.

Pikachu blinked in surprise and shrugged, "_She said that's she's jealous of her sister's._"

Ash's eyes widened, "She's-."

"_She also said that it was a lie._" Pikachu finished.

Ash sighed in relief, "Oh, thank goodness! Pikachu said that you were lying about being jealous of your sisters."

Misty's jaw dropped. She turned to face Pikachu. He smiled and flashed her a peace sign.

Brock stared in shock, "That's incredible!"

Soot smiled brightly, "That also means I don't need to be your main translator anymore! Woo-hoo!"

.

*The following morning; early

Charmander started waking up. He jumped when he noticed he wasn't it the woods anymore, 'I need to get back, before master-"

"Hah! Guess we didn't need your Wake-Up Slap, Clefairy."

"_I never said I was going to use that!_"

Charmander looked and found Ash and all of his Pokémon in the room with him.

"_W-what going on?! Where am I?!_" Charmander demanded while glaring.

Pikachu jumped up to the bed, "_Easy, you're in a Pokémon center. You were in really bad shape._"

Charmander's glare softened, "_Thanks, but I need to leave. I have to get back before master does._"

He started to get up but was stopped by the human in the room.

"Charmander, you need to rest." Ash said, concerned, "Moving isn't going to help."

Charmander blinked and cocked his head, "_You're that human from before. The one who left me the food._"

Soot walked up, "Yes, he is. He's also the one who saved your life out there." She turned to face Pikachu, "Show him."

Pikachu smirked and ran up to Ash's shoulder. He stuck his paw in his mouth.

Ash became concerned, "Wait, what do you mean show- Gah!"

Ash was cut off by the wet paw being shoved into his ear. Ash started heating up.

He shoved the Electric-type onto the bed, "What the heck, Pikachu?!"

The Pokémon in the room all started laughing.

Charmander stared in horror, "_Why are you laughing?! Are you guys trying to get punished?!_"

Pikachu chuckled, "_Punished? It was a harmless prank._"

"Yeah, 'harmless'." Ash said sarcastically. He stuck his finger into his ear to evaporate the liquid.

"_Oh, please. You know that's nothing compared to everything last night._" Pikachu stated before sticking his tongue out.

Soot continued laughing, "And besides, it wasn't without reason."

Ash sighed, "Yeah, yeah. Just give me a warning, next time." He removed the glove from his left hand reached out for Charmander.

Charmander flinched, "_W-what are you do-_" he stopped when Ash put the hand on his head. Charmander immediately recognized the warm feeling.

The Lizard Pokémon's eyes widened, "_It was … you?_"

Clefairy jumped onto the bed, "_Yeah! Ash can get really hot when someone makes him mad. He had us and all of his friends annoy him for a really long-time last night to keep you warm._"

Ash smiled and started to pull his hand back.

Charmander flinched and grabbed the hand, "_NO!_" he held onto it tight, "_Don't stop!_"

Ash smiled sadly and pet him with his free hand, "I won't. Just promise me you'll rest if I stay."

Charmander responded by clutching the hand tighter, "_warm._"

Soot grinned and turned to face the others, "You heard him, guys! Round 2!"

Ash flinched, "Oh, boy."

.

*The same morning; noonish(?)

Charmander stirred awake and looked around the room. He found himself still clinging to Ash's hand. The boy and his Pokémon were still asleep.

The Fire-type let go and looked at Ash, '_Why would he go through all of that?_'

He thought back to the team's little game of 'mess with Ash.' The trainer had been put through countless annoyances and even attacks throughout the morning. But, no matter what they did, Ash just took it and told them when to start again. He may have glared or spoken to them harshly, but he never yelled or retaliated. Aside from a light shove.

Charmander looked at him sadly but shook it off, '_I need to get back to master._'

Charmander crawled out of bed and made his way to the window.

"Let go of me!"

Charmander's eyes widened as he looked at the door to the room, "_Master?_" he smiled brightly and ran towards the door. He managed to open it and ran towards the lobby.

He didn't notice Ash stirring, "Charmander?"

.

*Charmander

The small Pokémon ran towards the lobby as fast as he could, '_Master is here! Master knew I was here, and he came to get me!_'

Charmander turned the corner, "_Master!_"

He saw Damien standing there with his hands behind his back. A tall woman with cerulean hair was holding his arm and a growlithe stood next to him. The blue haired trainer turned around and stared at the Charmander in shock.

Charmander smiled and ran towards Damien, "_You came back for m-_"

"You!" Damien growled as he glared at Charmander. The lizard stopped smiling as Damien continued, "It's your fault I'm in this mess!"

Charmander's frowned and took a step back, "_M-master?_"

Damien's glare intensified, "I'm about to go to lose my license because you were too stupid to leave me alone! Because you were so pathetic and useless! I should have just finished you off when I had the chance!"

Charmander stared in horror and tripped backwards.

Jenny pulled his arm, "That's enough out of you! Your career as a trainer is-" she was cut-off when Damien bashed skulls with her. He shook her arm off his and ran over to Charmander.

Damien raised foot, "I'll squash you ya useless beast!"

Charmander stared in shock as the foot dropped towards him. His eyes widened when Ash appeared next to him and threw a punch at Damien; nailing him in the gut.

"Augh!" Damien was flung back into one of the chairs. His shirt was burned from where Ash struck.

Ash stood in front of Charmander defensively. He had to use all of his willpower to keep from using intimidate. He wanted to refrain from scaring the cop.

Damien struggled to get up but was jumped by Growlithe. The Puppy Pokémon growled at him; its glare showed nothing but rage.

Jenny held her head and looked towards the growling Growlithe.

She ran next to Growlithe and put a hand on their back, "Good girl." Growlithe moved to let Jenny pick up Damien.

The officer glared at him, "You just added assaulting an officer, resisting arrest, and attempted murder to your list! You are going to jail for a long time!"

Damien just coughed and glared at Ash as he was escorted out of the center.

Charmander started tearing up and trembling. Ash turned around, picked up the small lizard, and pulled him into a hug.

Charmander started crying and held on to Ash, "_W-why?! W-what d-did I-_"

"Ssh. It's okay. You're safe now." Ash responded softly as he rubbed the Fire-types back, "You didn't do anything wrong. None of this is your fault."

Charmander cried as he held on to Ash. Nurse Joy ran out of the back and stopped to stare at the scene.

"Mr. Ke-" she stopped when Ash held up a hand and shook his head.

Ash looked at her sadly, "I'll take him back to his room."

Ash made his way back center room. Brock and Misty emerged. "Ash what's going on?!" Brock asked.

The trainer didn't respond and continued walking towards the back with the crying Fire-type starter.

Nurse Joy walked up to them, "Give him some time. Jenny came by and took Damien away. I think Charmander saw."

Misty frowned, "But then, why is Ash so upset?"

"I can probably tell you." Everyone jumped when Soot appeared out of thin air in front of them.

Misty blinked, "Soot? Where did you come from?"

"I was here the whole time." Soot chucked nervously, "I can turn invisible, remember?"

"Well, what happened, then?" Brock asked.

Soot frowned, "Something that added a prison sentence to Damien's punishment."

Nurse stared at shock, "But, for that to happen, a trainer would have to-"

"Directly threaten a being's life." Soot finished. She took a deep breath, "I showed up right as that psycho tried to stomp on Charmander. Dad rushed past me and nailed Damien in the gut. If he didn't show up when he did-" she started growling; not wanting to finish.

The humans present all looked at her in horror.

.

*Evening; the same day

Charmander stopped crying a while ago. Now, he was just holding on to Ash. Ash's Pokémon -including Soot who came back a while ago- crowded around him to try and cheer him up. Eventually, Clefairy talked the others into doing this:

Pikachu and Clefairy were currently holding paws and trying to balance themselves on Bulbasaur's vines while Butterfree stood on top of them. They were wobbling frantically.

"_Steady. Steady!_" Pikachu shouted.

Bulbasaur glared at him, "_You try balancing almost 100 pounds on a Vine Whip!_"

Ash sweat dropped, "This really won't end well."

Charmander watched with them and cocked his head, "_Should we stop them?_"

Soot shrugged, "Probably." She grinned, "But I wanna see where this goes."

Ash glared, "Soot, that's not funny." He looked at the group, "Guys, seriously, stop before someone gets hurt."

Clefairy spoke up, "_D-don't worry. We almost got-AHH!_"

Her foot slipped and the whole thing came down. Pikachu flopped on to the floor and landed on his face. Clefairy landed on top of Bulbasaur; much to his dismay. Butterfree fluttered down to the ground gently, despite being the heaviest.

Soot laughed hysterically and was soon joined by Pidgeotto. Ash tried to resist but fell victim to the laughing as well. Charmander even joined in.

Clefairy smiled at him, "_Yeah, it worked!_"

Bulbasaur grumbled, "_Great. Now get off me!_"

Ash petted the Lizard and smiled down at him. Charmander looked up at the human and smiled back. The Fire-type jumped when he heard a knock on the door.

Ash raised a brow, "Who is it?"

"Nurse Joy. I brought you all dinner." Joy's voice responded from the other side.

"We're here, too." Misty said.

"We wanted to see how Charmander was doing." Brock followed.

Ash chuckled, "Come on in."

Brock, Misty, Nurse Joy, and her chansey walked into the room. Joy was pushing a cart covered in bowls of Pokémon food and Chansey was carrying a bowl of soup on a serving platter. They took note of the Mouse laying on the floor and the Fairy struggling to get her foot out of the Seed Pokémon's bulb.

Brock looked at Ash, "What happened in here?"

Ash chuckled, "A really bad idea."

Clefairy pouted, "_Hey, it worked!_"

Ash glared, "It only worked because you guys messed up."

Misty sighed, "Right. Still gotta get used to that." She walked over and knelt down in front of Charmander, "How's it going, little guy?"

Charmander held on to Ash's arm tighter and glared at her.

Ash chuckled, "Charmander, it's okay. This is Misty. She's a good friend of mine. I promise she won't hurt you."

Charmander looked up at Ash then back at Misty. "_Hi._" He said; still nervous.

He turned his attention towards Brock and Nurse Joy, "_What about them?_"

Most of the Pokémon looked at him in concern.

Pikachu recovered and rubbed his head, "_The male is named Brock and he's a friend, like Misty. But you don't recognize Nurse Joy?_"

Clefairy managed to get unstuck, "_Why is that weird? I didn't know her until yesterday._"

Ash looked at her and frowned, "Its different. You grew up in an area that was mostly cut off to the outside. Starter Pokémon, like Charmander and Bulbasaur, are mostly raised in captivity and given to a trainer when said trainer reaches a certain age. They usually have a better understanding of human society."

Charmander looked down in shame.

Ash noticed and flinched, "No, Charmander. I didn't mean it like that. It's just-" he frowned when something occurred to him, "Did Damien ever take you to a Pokémon center?"

The Fire-type looked up at him, "_Mas- D-Damien said that I had to remain in my ball while we were in one of these places. He only let the people put me in the healing things._"

Soot frowned, "I guess that's better than never having been to one."

Misty's eye twitched, "Hey! We don't speak Pokémon here! What are you talking about?!"

Soot chuckled, "Charmander was wary about you guys. Even you, Nurse Joy. Turns out he's never seen the inside of a center before. Damien forced him to stay in his pokéball."

Nurse Joy frowned but shook it off and gave a sad smile. She walked over and crouched down in front of Charmander, "Well then, welcome to my Pokémon center." She held out a hand to the lizard.

Charmander looked at the hand in confusion, "_what are you doing?_"

Ash smiled sadly and pet him again, "It's nothing." He looked up at the nurse, "You said you had dinner, right?"

The nurse chuckled nervously, "Oh, right." She walked back to the cart and started divvying out the bowls of Pokémon food.

Chansey handed Joy the tray, "Thank you, Chansey" the nurse handed it to Ash, "Careful, it's hot."

Ash shrugged and took the bowl. He noticed the nurses look, "I have a high tolerance to heat." He started eating. The other Pokémon followed soon after. Most of them, anyway.

Charmander stared at the bowl in shock, "_W-what the?_"

Soot looked at him; concerned, "You have seen Pokémon food before, right?"

Charmander nodded, "_Well, yeah. But why is there so much?_"

Soot blinked and looked at the bowl; it was filled to the brim, "That's the normal serving size."

Charmander blinked and looked back at the bowl. He took a piece and ate it. His eyes lit up and he started eating ravenously. He wound up eating too fast and started choking. Ash grimaced and started patting him on the back. Charmander spat out the piece of food and started breathing heavily.

"Don't eat too fast." Ash warned, "Take your time; we're not in any rush."

Charmander nodded and went back to eating.

Ash frowned, 'When was the last time he ate?'

Charmander finished first and frowned at the empty bowl. He jumped when Nurse Joy filled it back up for him. He looked at her; wide eyed.

Joy smiled, "Go ahead. We have enough for seconds."

Charmander smiled brightly and went back to eating. The Fire-type went through two more bowls and ended up putting himself into a food coma. He was currently laying on the bed with a goofy smile on his face.

Ash chuckled, "He sure looks happy."

Soot frowned, "Yeah, but-" She looked at the sleeping lizard, "I can't help but feel sorry for him."

Brock nodded, "I know what you mean."

The sleeping lizard frowned and started feeling around for something. Unfortunately for Ash, Pikachu noticed and jumped on to his shoulder.

Ash grimaced and looked over, "Pikachu, you'd better not- AHH!" he rubbed his ear again, "Seriously, why?!"

Pikachu chuckled, "_Did you really expect otherwise?_"

Ash glared, shoved the mouse of his shoulder, and put a hand on Charmander. The Fire-type smiled and grabbed the warm hand.

Nurse Joy smiled, "It's really kind of you to do this for Charmander."

Ash sighed, "Thanks, but I really wish I didn't have to be harassed in order to help." Charmander yawned and snuggled the trainer. Ash smiled, "At least it makes him happy."

Nurse Joy kept smiling, "I know that this is out of the blue, but I think Charmander should go with you."

Ash looked at the nurse in surprise, "What?"

Clefairy looked around the room, "_Blue?_"

The nurse smiled sadly, "With everything Charmander's been through, he needs a trainer he can trust. After seeing you do all this for him, I can't think of anyone better for the job. If you feel like you need it, you have my full permission to catch Charmander."

Ash looked down at Charmander. The little lizard yawned again. Ash smiled, "Thank you, Nurse Joy. I'll ask Charmander when he wakes up."

Nurse Joy blinked in surprise at his response but shook it off and smiled, "Alright, then. Be sure to tell me if he agrees." She gathered up the empty bowls and left the room with the cart.

Ash looked down at Charmander; he was still sleeping soundly. He looked at his friends, "So, what now?"

.

**Time Skip**

Charmander woke up to the last thing expected.

"_Gotcha! Wha- hey! Get back here!_"

Clefairy was running around the room trying to catch a glowing red dot. Charmander looked over and saw Ash holding a metal stick that was glowing at the tip. The humans and other Pokémon present laughed at the crazy Fairy-type. Butterfree, Pidgeotto, and Bulbasaur had already been returned to their pokéballs.

Charmander blinked, "_What's going on?_"

Ash looked down at him and smiled, "Hey, nice to see you awake." He turned off the laser pointer and handed it to Brock, "Here. Could you guys take her outside for a bit"

Brock nodded, "Sure."

Clefairy looked around with a sad look on her face, "_Where did the spot go?_" Brock turned on the laser pointer and Clefairy perked up, "_There you are!_" Clefairy ran after the light as it left the room. Brock and Misty followed her.

Soot ran after them, "Hey, wait up! I don't wanna miss anything!"

Ash chuckled and looked back down at the lizard, "Charmander, there's something I wanted to ask you."

Charmander looked up at him, "_What is it?_"

Pikachu looked up at Ash too, "_He asked what it is._"

Ash chuckled and pet the mouse, "Thanks buddy." He looked back at the Fire-type, "Charmander, Nurse Joy gave me permission to let me catch you."

Charmander's eyes widened.

Ash continued, "So, I wanted to ask if you were okay with that."

Charmander stared at him in shock, "_You- you're asking what I want?_"

Pikachu smiled, "_He asked everyone else on our team. Ash isn't like most other trainers and he's nothing like your old one._"

Ash smiled sadly and petted Charmander, "I'd really like it if you joined us." He pulled out a pokéball, enlarged it, and placed it on the bed, "But I also want it to be your choice."

Charmander stared at the ball in shock. He started tearing up and jumped at the sphere with a smile on his face. He was immediately captured.

Ash picked up the ball and smiled, "Welcome to the family, Charmander."

.

.

**Nuevo: How the h- Yvel can someone be so heartless as to throw away a living creature like that?!**

**Gem: *glaring* You'd be surprised at how often it happens.**

**Mizuro: If I ever meet someone like that, I'll bash their head in with my bass!**

**Illavera: I feel bad for Charmander too, but I'm kind of concerned about those Team Rocket people.**

**Omega: What are you guys doing here?**

**Illavera: Ash! You're back!**

**Omega: *chuckles* It's good to see you too, Illavera.**

**Mizuro: Where have you been?**

**Omega: An Attack on Titan world where Zeke was an idiot. It only took the scouts and I two days to find him after the Shiganshina attack and we ended him without losing a single soldier. Over the next two weeks, we eradicated the remaining titans. All-in-all it was pretty boring.**

**Nuevo: I have no idea what any of that means.**

**Ohirume: *sigh* Every time with you guys…**

**Mizuro: CHANCE!**

***screen smash***


	12. Ch 12: Squirtle

**Omega: I'm sorry, but what the heck is that title?**

**Ohirume: Misfit Abandoned Glasses Squirtles.**

**Omega: …you feel good about that? Because that is just ****wrong****, on so many levels.**

**Ohirume: *sigh* I know.**

**I don't own Pokémon of Ben 10 and for a good reason.**

.

.

**Rise of the M.A.G.S.**

.

Ash told everyone the good news. Nurse Joy smiled brightly, Brock and Misty congratulated him on the new catch, and Soot cocked her head upon realizing something.

She looked at Ash, "Dad, how many Pokémon do we have with us right now?"

Ash raised a brow, "Well there's you, Pikachu, Butterfree, Pidgeotto, Clefairy, Bulbasaur" Ash paused "…and Charmander." He blinked, "I have 7 Pokémon with me."

Misty blinked in confusion, "I thought the normal party limit was 6."

Ash nodded, just as confused, "It is." He pulled all the pokéballs off this belt and enlarged them: none of them were locked. He pulled out his Pokédex and checked his party. His entire team was listed along with 3 empty slots.

Ash stared at the screen in shock.

Pikachu looked over, "_We have 10 slots?_"

Soot blinked in surprise, "I'm sorry, what?"

Brock looked down at her, "What is it?"

Soot looked up at Brock, Misty, and Nurse Joy, "Dad, apparently, has a party limit of … 10."

"B-but that doesn't make any sense!" Ash stuttered, "The party limit is hard set for all trainers! The only way to change it is to-" Ash paused. His pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned, "Professor Oak increased my limit without telling me."

Misty raised a brow, "Shouldn't you be happy about that?"

Ash sighed, "I guess. I just wish he told me."

.

**Time Skip**

With Charmander now on the team, our heroes continued on their way to Vermillion City. And for once, they weren't lost. But that would make things too easy.

Ash noticed a covered pit trap in front of them, 'Ugh.' He raised a hand, "Hold on guys."

Brock looked ahead, "What is it?"

Ash sighed, "Just watch." He brought out the claws on his left and pointed at the ground in front of them with his pinky. The claw shot off his finger and broke open the trap.

Misty flinched, "Woah!"

Soot stared, "We didn't take a wrong turn and end up near Melanie's place again, right?"

Five squirtles wearing sunglasses jumped out of the bushes and glared at Ash.

The one with the pointed glasses pointed at Ash, "_Hey! You ruined our prank!_"

Soot growled, "Prank?! That's a freaking hole! Why the heck would you do this?"

One of the other Squirtles pointed at Ash, "_Because it's what their kind deserve!_"

Pikachu raised a brow, "_When you say 'their kind,' do you mean trainers or humans?_"

Squirtle was about to respond but was interrupted by an approaching siren.

Point-shades Squirtle flinched, "_Run!_" The group of Water-types scurried into the bushes.

Officer Jenny pulled up on her bike and scowled, "Crag, they got away." She turned to the group, "Are you guys okay?"

Brock walked forward and took Jenny's hand, "I am now that you're here."

Misty grabbed Brock's ear and pulled, "Nice try, Brock." She let go

Brock pouted as he rubbed his ear.

Misty looked back at the cop, "Do you know what's going on with those squirtles?"

Jenny nodded, "Follow me to the police station. I'll explain everything there." She sped off back towards town.

Soot sweat dropped, "She does know that most of us can't move that fast, right?"

.

*Town

The group made it to the police station. Brock and Misty were breathing heavily.

Ash sweat dropped, "You guys know we didn't have to run, right?"

Misty glared, "Shut *huff* it."

Ash chuckled. He looked over at Jenny, "So what's with the Squirtle Squad?"

Jenny blinked, "You've heard of them?"

Ash raised an eyebrow, "We … just met them."

The cop shook her head, "No. I mean-" she sighed, "never mind. They're a group of Squirtles who were abandoned by their trainers."

Soot's groaned, "Freaking, Arceus! What is it with people and abandoning starter Pokémon?!"

Jenny stared at Soot, "Huh, I owe my cousin an apology."

Soot raised a brow, "What?"

"My cousin in Cerulean City." She responded, "I laughed at her when she told me she met a talking mightyena." She chuckled nervously.

Jenny shook it off, "Anyway, the Squirtle Squad has been causing trouble all around town. I've been trying to bring them in, but they always get away." She frowned, "Although, I can't help but feel a little bad for them."

Pikachu frowned, "_Why do trainers do this?! We aren't just some playing you can throw away!_" the mouse flinched and looked at Ash, "_Of course, I didn't mean you._"

Ash chuckled and pet the Electric-type, "Don't worry, Pikachu. I know what you meant."

Jenny stared at Ash and blinked, "What?"

Misty flinched and ran over, "Oh, nothing. Say, would there happen to be a good fishing spot around here?" she said, trying to change the subject.

Jenny nodded, "There's a river that runs next to the town."

Brock grabbed Ash's arm, "Great, we'll head there now."

The pair rushed Ash out the door. Soot blinked and looked back at the cop, "Good luck with the Squirtle Squad." She hurried out the door to catch up with the others.

.

*River

Everyone was enjoying themselves down by the river. Misty was fishing, Brock was setting up a picnic blanket, and Ash lying down with his Pokémon around him. Pidgeotto and Butterfree were in a tree, Charmander, Pikachu, and Clefairy were lying on Ash's side, and Soot was sunbathing alongside Bulbasaur.

"_What's a cousin?_" Clefairy asked randomly.

Soot looked over at the Fairy-type, "What?"

"_A cousin. Officer Jenny said she had one in Cerulean._"

Ash looked over, "It's the child of your parent's sibling." Clefairy stared at him in confusion. Ash chuckled, "Right, sorry. The, um, hatchling of your meema's sibling."

Brock looked over at them.

"_Oh._" Clefairy responded, "_So who's Officer Jenny's cousin?_"

Soot raised a brow, "The Jenny we met in Cerulean."

Clefairy's eyes widened, "_Wait! That wasn't the same human?!_"

Ash chuckled.

Misty looked over from her fishing spot, "What's so funny?"

"It's Clefairy." Ash called back, "She just found out that the Jenny we met wasn't the same one from Cerulean city."

Brock walked over, "But what about all that other stuff."

Ash raised an eyebrow, "Were you eavesdropping?"

Brock chuckled nervously, "I overheard it mostly. You said things like hatchling and, uh, mem-a?"

Ash chuckled, "Meema. It's what Pokémon call their parents. Hatchling is what Pokémon call their children. Sibling means exactly what you think it means."

"Really?" Brock pulled out a notepad, "What else is there? Do Pokémon have other special names for family members? Do they call their mothers and fathers different things like humans do? Do-"

Ash raised his hands, "Woah, hold it! You're going a bit fast there. Why do you want to know all this anyway?"

Brock sat down, "I'm working towards becoming a breeder, remember? If I can learn about stuff like this, it'll probably help in the long run. So, could you please help?"

Ash smiled, "Sure. Give me a second." Ash put a hand to his chin, "For the first two questions, you'll to be more specific. Pokémon call both of their parents meemas, regardless of gender. If they need to tell them apart, they refer to them as male meema and female meema."

Brock quickly wrote down the information. He paused, "If that true, then why does Soot call you 'dad' instead of 'meema'?"

"Preference." Soot called back, "I like the word."

Brock continued his questioning, "What about grandparents or cousins?"

Ash smiled, "Elder-meema and nothing. Pokémon don't have a term for cousin. That's actually part of what Clefairy was asking about earlier. The main description is 'hatchling of a meema's sibling.' Same thing goes for aunt and uncle." Brock continued writing.

Misty raised a brow, "Where did you learn all of this?"

Soot chuckled, "Where do ya think? This information is engraved into a Pokémon's instincts." she stopped upon realizing something, "Come to think of it, why didn't you ask me any of this a while ago?"

"That's-" Brock paused when he considered this, "That's a very good question."

Misty felt a tug on the fishing pole, "Hey, I got something!"

The others looked over in interest. Ash grimaced when a familiar blue shaped appeared out of the water. He grabbed Charmander and shielded him right as a Water Gun fired out the water. Everyone else got soaked.

The squirtle, one of the rounded shades ones, laughed, "_Hah! Gotcha!_"

Ash turned around, still holding Charmander, and glared, "We have a Fire-type with a life-flame with us! What do you think would have happened if you hit him?!"

Pikachu glared and readied a Thunderbolt.

Ash noticed and grimaced, "Pikachu, don't!"

Pikachu stopped and looked at Ash, "_What?_"

Ash glared back at the turtle, "We just got soaked. If you fire a Thunderbolt, it'll hit all of us."

"Ya traina's right, mousy."

Soot growled as turned to face Meowth, "You again!"

Bulbasaur glared, "_You're one of the one's who attacked the village._"

Misty joined the glaring, "What are you doing here, Meowth?! And where are the other two?!"

Meowth chuckled, "My human servants are runnin errands."

The cat snapped and three lassos shot out of the bushes. Brock and Misty got tied up, but Ash ducked under the rope targeting him.

Soot glared, "Your gonna pay for that Scratch Cat!" Soot was about to charge but was struck by a Toxic followed by Poison Sting. She yelped and fell to her side.

Ash looked at her in shock, "Soot!"

The rest of the Squirtle Squad appeared out the bushed holding the ropes. Ash's Pokémon all started charging attacks.

"Not so fast!" Meowth and Ekans were next Soot. Ekans was charging an attack, "One wrong move and the Righty-leg-a gets it!"

Ash flinched, "Guys, stop!" The Pokémon stared in shock but complied.

Meowth smirked, 'I knew it. The Phantom Pokémon's weakness is it's kid.'

Soot grimaced, "D-don't listen to-"

"Quiet, you!" Meowth shouted. He turned to look at Ash, "Return ya Pokémon an come with us or else ya pup gets anotha Poison Sting! Pikachu and Clefairy can stay out, but dey get roped too!"

Ash glared furiously but pulled out his pokéballs, "Return." Everyone but Pikachu and Clefairy returned to their pokéballs. Ash got down on his knees and put his hands behind his head. Pikachu and Clefairy grimaced but did the same. Brock and Misty stared at Ash in shock.

Meowth smirked and turned to the Squirtle that missed Ash, "Tie em up." Squirtle nodded and made his way over to Ash. He tied the boy up without him struggling. Pikachu and Clefairy were tied up by the leader.

Pikachu glared at Squirtle, "_Hope you're proud of yourself._"

Squirtle frowned but shook it off, "_Quiet, slave._"

Meowth smirked, "Alright, now march!"

.

*Squirtle Squad Cave

Ash, Brock, and Misty ended up tied to a rock. Pikachu and Clefairy were tied back-to-back and forced to sit next to them. Soot laid against the wall with Ekans standing over her. She was panting heavily from the poison.

Meowth smirked, "Alright, I'm da Pokémon in charge here! You all are gonna wait here until my human servants get back!"

Ash didn't respond. He was looking over at Soot in concern.

"Squirtle Squad, listen!" Misty called out, "Meowth is lying to you! He's part of Team Rocket and is just using you to do his dirty work!"

One of the squirtle pointed, "_As if we'd believe a trainer!_"

Soot started coughing. Ash grimaced, "Fine, you caught us! Now give Soot the antidote already!"

Meowth smirked, "Now why would we do dat?" the Squirtle Squad looked at him in surprise, "If we heal her, den she'll just attack us."

Ash glared, "Then put her in a cage or tie her up!" Ash's friends looked at him in shock, "I don't care, just stop making my hatchling suffer!" he started tearing up, "please."

Ash's friends and the Water-types all looked at him in pity.

The leader put a paw on Meowth's shoulder, "_We never agreed to hurting a Pokémon like this. Do what he says and heal her already._"

Meowth looked at Ash slyly, "Still not gonna happen, twoip. Besides we don't have an antidote."

Ash glared again, "Then let me go get one! Town isn't that far away!"

Meowth laughed, "Yeah, right! How do we know you'll come-"

Ash shifted to intimidate. "Don't you dare!" Ash yelled in absolute fury, "Don't you dare think that I would EVER abandon Soot!"

Everyone in the cave stared at Ash in shock.

Meowth started trembling, 'F-freaking Yvel! I knew the Phantom would be tough but-' the cat shook it off and pointed at the leader squirtle, "Fine, but he's goin' with ya." Squirtle snapped out of it.

Ash's eyes returned to normal and he nodded, "Deal."

One of the squirtle untied him.

Ash immediately ran over to Soot. Ekans tries to stop him, but Ash's glare said otherwise.

He crouched down in front of her, "Soot! Soot, say something!"

She coughed and looked up at him. She smiled weakly, "hey dad."

Ash smiled and hugged her, "I promise you'll be better soon."

The Squad looked at him in surprise. "_Why does he care so much?_" one of them asked.

Ash put Soot down gently and pet her, "I'll be back soon. Just hang tight."

Soot chuckled and started coughing again, "Just don't take too long."

Ash nodded and turned to glare at the leader, "We're heading to the town. Now!"

Squirtle nodded, "_Fine. But you better try anything funny._"

Meowth spoke up, "He said ta be back by noon tomorrow or else the red head gets her hair dyed purple."

"What?!" Misty shouted.

Pikachu glared, "_He's lying, Ash! Squirtle said not to try anything funny._"

Meowth raised a brow, 'Why would he say that? Should he be able to understand Squirtle anyway?'

Ash nodded, "Fine. I'll be back in time."

He ran towards the town with Squirtle close behind him. Everyone watched as the pair disappeared into the distance.

Meowth turned to look at Pikachu, "What was dat about?"

Brock raised a brow, "What?"

Meowth glared at Brock, "Not you!" he looked at Pikachu again, "You. You told ya traina what Squirtle said."

"_It was a reflex._" Pikachu looked away, "_I've people lie to my friends before._"

One of the squirtle chuckled, "_Friend? A trainer can't be your friend. You're just his slave!_"

Clefairy glared, "_That's not true! Ash is one of the nicest and most caring trainers ever! He cares about us a lot!_"

Meowth smiled slyly, "Den why did he leave ya hear with us?"

Misty glared at the cat, "If you didn't notice, you poisoned Soot."

Brock followed, "Ash raised her and sees her a his dau- his hatchling. He told you himself."

The remaining squirtle frowned and looked at the heavily breathing canine.

Meowth grimaced, 'I'm losing them! Jessie and James better not be slacking off'

He went back to smirking, "Doesn't change da fact dat da twoips on a time limit. Noon tomorrow, rememba?"

Misty chuckled, "You don't Ash that well, do you?"

.

*Ash and Squirtle

Ash had to stop constantly to let the Tiny Turtle Pokémon catch up.

Ash grimaced, 'At this rate, it might actually take until tomorrow.' He walked over and reached down, "Do you want me to carry you?"

Squirtle glared and batted the hand away.

Ash sighed, "I'm just trying to help." He frowned sadly, "Soot's hurting and this is only way I can help."

Squirtle stopped glaring, "_Why do you care? She's just another one of your slaves._"

Ash sighed again, "I can't understand you. Not without Soot."

Squirtle scoffed, "_So that's it, she's just a translator to you._"

Ash glared in response to the tone, "Hey, I don't-" he took a deep breath, "Forget it, let's just keep moving." Ash continued towards the town.

Squirtle followed. He glanced up at the trainer and thought back to the cave, '_Why does he care so much about a Pokémon? And why did he call her 'hatchling?' I thought humans used different words._'

They came up to an old rope bridge spanning a ravine.

Ash's deadpanned, "Another rope bridge. Really?" he sighed and looked down at Squirtle, "Step carefully."

The duo started walking across the bridge. The ropes started to unravel once they were halfway across.

Ash's eye twitched, "I am officially swearing off rope bridges."

Ash grabbed Squirtle as they plummeted to the river below.

"_AHHHHHHHHHHH!_"

Ash poked his head out of the water and looked around, "Huh, the water's not moving that fast."

He pulled Squirtle above the water. The turtle was shivering in fear, and his glasses were gone.

Ash blinked, "Hey, where'd your glasses go?"

"_What?!_" Squirtle snapped out of it and checked his head and his shell. He started freaking out, "_No no no no! Please tell me I didn't lose them._"

Ash frowned at the distraught Water-type. He looked around, swam to a wall with a small ledge, and put Squirtle on it.

Squirtle looked at Ash in confusion, "_What are you-_"

"Wait here." Ash interrupted, "I'll get your glasses. The current's slow, so they couldn't have gone far." He took a deep breath and submerged.

After a minute, Squirtle got worried, '_Can humans hold breath for this long?_'

Two more minutes passed. '_Okay, something cannot be right!_'

Five minutes later. Squirtle glared at the water, "_That trainer left me! He probably swam off and is laughing about how he tricked some 'stupid squirtle' into trusting him! I cannot believe I actually agreed to this! And to make it worse, my shades are-_"

Ash took a deep breath as he reemerged. Squirtle stared at him in shock. He looked over at Squirtle and grinned goofily as he brought up the pointed shades, "Got 'em."

Squirtle immediately snapped out of it and happily took back his shades, "_Thanks. I honestly thought you left._"

Ash chuckled, "Still can't understand ya, buddy."

.

**Time Skip**

The store came into view. There was a sign on top that said 'SHOP'.

Ash sweat dropped, "They really wanted it to be easy to find, didn't they?"

Squirtle snickered.

Ash chuckled, "Come one, let's head-" Ash's eyes widened when he heard voices inside.

He grabbed Squirtle and ran to the alleyway next to Shop and covered the turtle's mouth.

Squirtle managed to push the hand away, "_Hey, what's-_"

Ash shushed the turtle, "listen." He whispered.

Human voices started emanating from Shop, "And even meaner." "Listen up! We want all the flash powder you've got!" "And a large roll of dental floss!"

Ash sweat dropped, 'dental floss?'

Squirtle frowned, '_Aren't those Meowth's servants?_'

"W-what do you need them for?" Someone in the shop asked.

"You want to get rid of the Squirtle Squad, don't you?!"

Squirtle's eyes widened behind the shades.

Jessie continued, "The flash powder will scare them out of town! The floss is for our teeth."

Ash grimaced, 'Crag! So, this was their plan.'

Squirtle stared at the alleyway in shock, '_We-we trusted him!_' he clenched his teeth, '_When I get my paws on that cat, I'll-_'

There thoughts were interrupted when Jessie and James emerged from the store. James was carrying the box of flash powder and Jessie was aiming a bazooka.

"Farewell." She fired.

Ash's eyes widened when he heard screams coming from the store. These were followed by confused murmurs.

"Are these flower petals?" a woman in the store asked.

Ash facepalmed, "Of course they would have a Petal Dance bazooka." He said in an annoyed whispered.

Ash and Squirtle saw the Meowth balloon fly off.

Ash put Squirtle down, "Stay here. I'll get the antidote."

Squirtle was about to protest.

"Soot takes priority." Ash said, cutting Squirtle off, "We'll head straight back after I get a cure."

Squirtle grimaced but nodded, "_Make it fast._"

Ash smiled and ran out of the alleyway and into the store, "I need an anti- Woah!" He was greeted with four guns aimed directly at him.

Ash gulped, "L-look, I'm not-"

"Quiet!" A gray-haired man, presumably the owner, shouted, "Officer Jenny will be here for you any moment!"

Ash frowned, "I'm not with Team Rocket."

"And why should we believe you?!" A woman asked.

A man next to her joined in, "You're probably just waiting for us to lower our guard!"

Ash grimaced, 'they're too freaked out. What am I supposed to-'

"What's going on here?!" Everyone looked as Officer Jenny walked through the door. She noticed Ash, "Huh? What are you doing here?"

Everyone else in the room lowered their firearms in surprise.

"You know this boy?" the owner asked.

Jenny looked at him and nodded, "He ran into the Squirtle Squad earlier today." She turned back to Ash, "Hey, I thought you and your friends went down the river. Speaking of which, where are they?"

Ash frowned, "Officer Jenny, I'm sorry, but I can't chat right now." He looked at the gray-haired man, "You're the owner, right?"

The man rubbed the back of head nervously and put down the rifle, "Yes and I'm sorry about what happened a moment ago. Whatever you need, it'll be on the house."

Ash smiled, "Thank you. All I need is something that cures poison."

The old man nodded, "Coming right up." He walked into back and came out a moment later, holding a yellow spray bottle, "Here you are, sir."

Ash took the bottle and nodded, "Thank you." He rushed out the door.

He ran into the alleyway, grabbed Squirtle, and ran out of town as fast as he could. Squirtle had to hold on to his glasses due to the wind. Ash heard a motorcycle and stopped as Officer Jenny pulled up.

She took off her helmet, "Okay, 1: Wow you are fast! 2: Why are you in such a hurry?" she paused when she noticed Squirtle in his arms, "3: Why do you have him with you?"

Ash sighed, "The people who attacked that store tricked the Squirtle Squad and are about kidnap my friends. My Mightyena got poisoned by them, hence the antidote. And I need to get back there. Now!" He blinked in surprise when Jenny put a helmet on his head.

Jenny smiled, "Well, what are you waiting for? Hop in."

Ash frowned and gave the helmet back to her, "I'm sorry, but that won't work. The bridge is out. Your motorcycle can't make it across that."

Jenny blinked, "But you said you were in a hurry."

"I am." Ash nodded and ran off; kicking up a cloud of dust.

Jenny coughed as the dust cleared. She looked in direction that Ash went, "Woah." She put her helmet back on and sped after him.

.

*Ash

Squirtle grimaced, "_Slow down! The bridge is right there!_"

Ash didn't slow down, "Squirtle I need my hands! Hold on to my shirt!" He moved Squirtle to the collar of his shirt and moved the antidote to his mouth to hold it.

The Tiny Turtle Pokémon grabbed shirt and held tight. He grimaced, "_Wait! You're not actually about to jump, right?!_"

Ash reached the edge of the ravine and did exactly what Squirtle feared the most. He sailed across the ravine, but-

"_We're not gonna make it!_"

Ash pulled out his claws and dug into the side of the opposing wall.

Squirtle stared at Ash hands in shock, "_What the?!_"

Ash looked up, 'Good, we're higher up than I expected.'

He retracted the four claws on his left, reached higher, brought the claws out again, and dug into the wall. He followed with the five on his right and gained altitude. He had to repeat this process 8 times before reaching the top.

Ash got back to his feet, pulled the bottle out of his mouth, and started spitting.

He grimaced, "Welp, now I know, dust tastes horrible."

Squirtle stared at Ash; his wide eyes hidden behind the sunglasses, "_W-what the Yvel are you?_"

Ash chuckled, already guessing the question, and looked at Squirtle "I'm Ashton Satoshi Ketchum. The Phantom Child's meema."

Squirtle wasn't sure how to respond to that.

Jenny pulled up on the other side of the bridge, "How did you get over there?!"

Ash smiled back at her, "Trade secret!" He ran off towards the cave again.

After a few more minute, Ash finally saw the cave entrance ahead of him.

Ash smirked, "We're almost there!" 'Thanks goodness. I'm nearing my limit.'

Squirtle looked ahead and smiled, '_Finally. Now I can expose that fraud and save the others._'

Ash slowed down as he reached the entrance. When he got close enough to see inside, he found that the cave was vacant. Ash grimaced and picked his pace back up.

He stopped at the entrance with a skid and grimaced, "What?! Where are they?!"

Squirtle grimaced too, "_Squad, where are you?! If this is joke, then knock it off!_"

"Ash?" Ash jerked around to see Misty, Brock, Pikachu, Clefairy, the Squirtle Squad, Ekans, and Meowth walking out of a bush. Brock was carrying Soot.

"Soot!" Ash ran over to Brock.

She opened her eyes and smiled, "hey. You got the stuff, right?"

"Right here" Ash pulled up the spray bottle, "Thank you, Brock. Go ahead and put her down."

Brock nodded and laid her down gently. Ash immediately got to work with the spray, "Hold still."

Squirtle pointed at Meowth and frowned, "_You lied to us!_"

Meowth flinched, "O-oh come on. You're really gonna believe dat human instead of ya fellow Pokémon, are ya?"

Squirtle removed his glasses, exposing his glare, "_Then tell me why your 'servants' robbed the shop in town! They said they were gonna scare us off!_"

The rest of the squad glared at Meowth.

Meowth started trembling. He turned to the snake, "Ekans, sting da mutt!"

"You don't know when to give up, do you?" Meowth grimaced and turned to see Soot on her feet again.

She looked at Ekans and smirked, "Just try it coils." She shifted to her inherent eyes and grinned like a maniac, "It'll only make my revenge all the sweeter."

Ekans flinched and backed up.

Meowth stared in shock. He perked up when an explosion went off, "Alright, finally!"

Team Rocket's balloon floated above them with a ladder hanging from it. Ash grimaced when he noticed two small objects falling from it.

Ash brought out his left claws and used his right to aim the arm, "Take cover!" He fired from his ring and middle fingers and the bombs exploded violently in the air.

Meowth capitalized and hurried up the ladder with Ekans in tow.

Jessie and James threw more bombs.

Ash glared, "They're not letting up!" He looked to his side, "Soot, are you ready?"

She looked up at him, eyes still red, and smirked, "Do you even have to ask?"

Ash pulled the zipper on her back and crossed his arms as the strings attacked. Ash smirked, "Soot, Marionetter!"

The Squirtle Squad looked over to see Soot running straight towards them, on her hind legs. She stopped and looked up at the approaching explosives.

She smirked, "Let's dance."

Ash moved his hands and Soot sprang up towards the bombs. She spun around, knocked them away, and hit them with Shadow Ball. They exploded in the air.

Team Rocket didn't seem to notice. They just kept unloading explosives. Soot and Ash didn't let up.

The squirtles stared in shock, "_Woah!_" "_Insane!_" "_What kind of attack is that?_"

"Everyone, get to the cave!" Ash called out, "Soot and I will hold them off!"

Soot landed next to him and turned to look at them, "We'll be fine, guys!"

She ran off to catch a bomb and toss it back into the air. It exploded high above her.

Brock nodded, "Come on!"

He ran towards the cave. Most of the others followed.

Squirtle stared at the scene in complete shock, '_Th-this is a Phantom Child?!_'

One of the bombs was heading straight for him. Soot ran through and tackled him out of the way as it exploded on the ground.

Squirtle looked at her in surprise, "_You saved me?!_"

Soot rolled her eyes, "I may still be a little mad at you, but we're not letting you get hurt."

Squirtle was touched, "_Thank you._"

Soot chuckled as she stood back up, "Don't thank me. I'm not in control of myself right now."

She sped off and kicked away a bomb that was approaching Ash.

Ash looked over at Squirtle, "Hurry! Get to the cave." He moved his hands again and Soot knocked away two more bombs. She landed behind him; they stood back-to-back.

Ash smirked, "How are you feeling, sweetie?"

Soot rolled her eyes and smirked, "Don't call me sweetie."

.

*Cave

Everyone just watched as Soot attacked the raining explosives.

Misty smirked, "Wow! Look at them go!"

Brock sighed, "Way to rub it in."

Squirtle looked up at them, "_What?! You know what this is?!_"

"_It's called Marionetter._" Pikachu replied.

Clefairy joined in, "_It's this super powerful thing that Ash and miss Soot can do! Ash controls her with those purple strings on his fingers and she can do all kinds of things!_"

One of the squirtle flinched, "_Wait! The trainer is controlling her?!_"

Pikachu sighed, "_It's not what you're thinking. Ash may be controlling her body but not her mind. If she didn't like this, we'd hear about by now. Besides, Ash isn't going to let anything happen to his hatchling._"

Everyone jumped when Soot ran into the cave carrying Ash in her arms.

Soot deadpanned, "Isn't this a bit degrading, dad?" Ash moved and she put him down.

Ash stood back up and chuckled, "Sorry. I used most of my stamina getting back here."

"Ash, what are you doing?!" Misty cried out in alarm, "What about the bombs?!"

Soot smirked, "Calm down, they ran out." She looked out the entrance of the cave, "Also, I don't think they noticed what dad and I were doing." She turned to face Squirtle, "Does this place have another exit?"

.

*Team Rocket

The Rocketrio looked over the edge of the basket. The clearing and cave were empty.

"Alright, we got them!" Jessie cheered.

Meowth followed, "No more Squirtle Squad!"

James frowned, "But we didn't get the twerp or Righty-leg-a."

Meowth sweat dropped, "Uh, sorry James. I already used dat one."

"What?!" James whined, "But I came up with it!"

"Forget about the name!" Jessie shouted. He smirked, "Besides, we can worry about them later. For now, let's head back to town. We'll be awarded as heroes!"

"So, you're just assuming they forgot about the store you robbed?" The three of them flinched and turned to see Soot crouching on the edge of the basket. Squirtle and Pikachu were on her shoulders, glaring at them.

Soot smirked, "What's up?"

Team Rocket stared in shock.

Jessie: "Weren't you-"

James: "Didn't you-"

Meowth: "How did you-"

Soot pointed a Shadow Ball at them, "Secret tunnel."

Soot fired her sphere, Pikachu used Thunderbolt, and Squirtle used Water Gun. The collective attacks caused the balloon to explode and the idiots to fly off into the distance.

"We're blasting off again!"

The three Pokémon plummeted to the ground. Soot landed on her back with the two smaller Pokémon in her arms.

Squirtle grimaced, "_Freaking Yvel! Are you alright?!_"

Soot looked at him and smiled, "Yeah, I'm good."

Pikachu grabbed Squirtles paw, "_Come on._" He pulled the turtle off the dog allowing her to spring back onto the hind legs.

Squirtle stared, "_How are you- We just fell out of a hot air balloon!_"

Soot snickered, "Yeah, I don't feel pain while I'm like this." She quickly grabbed the two of them and blinked in surprise, "I guess this is happening."

She ran off back over to Ash and the others, "Dad, what going-" She stopped talking when she noticed the massive forest fire, "Oh."

"Yeah." Ash frowned and moved twitched his fingers. Soot dropped Pikachu and Squirtle.

Officer Jenny pulled up a moment later. Her jaw dropped when she saw the blaze, "What the Yvel happened here?!" she looked at the Squirtle Squad and grimaced, "Y-you don't mean that-"

"It wasn't them." Ash interrupted, "Team Rocket did this." He looked back at the fire, "We need to act fast. Misty, we need Staryu and Starmie. Brock, Geodude and Onix; have them use sand-based moves."

"_We're helping too!_" The lead Squirtle called out, "_Most of this is our fault anyway! We have to make up for it!_" His squad nodded.

Soot smiled, "Thanks. The turtles said they'll help."

Ash smiled too, "Sounds good."

The gym leaders released their Pokémon. The crowd of Water-type and Rock-type Pokémon stood in front of the inferno; ready to strike.

Soot smirked, "Alright, let's do this!"

.

*One non-climactic firefighting scene later

Officer Jenny stood in front of the police station with the Squirtle Squad in front of her. A crowd of the townsfolk and Ash's group stood in front of them.

"And so." Jenny announced, "We gratefully award this certificate to the Squirtle Squad." She handed the certificate to them, "Thank you for saving our town from the fire. What's more, we proudly appoint you the town firefighters."

The town applauded.

Later, Ash and the others made their way out of town. Soot was still in Marionetter state for some reason and walking beside Ash.

Soot pouted, "Dad, why didn't you let me help?!"

Ash sighed, "Soot, fire still affects you even if you don't feel it."

"Yeah, but I heal fast." Soot grumbled.

Ash frowned and moved his hands. Soot moved in front of him and pulled him into a hug. Pikachu and Clefairy were knocked off Ash's shoulders.

Ash hugged her back, "It's because I didn't want you to get hurt. I hated seeing you like that in the cave."

Soot raised a brow, "Dad, I fell out of hot air balloon and landed on my back."

Ash smirked, "That's different. Physical damage doesn't mean anything during Marionetter."

Soot rolled her eyes, "You're such a dad." She chuckled softly, "Is this hug the only reason I'm still using Marionetter?"

"Is it that obvious?"

Soot smiled, "Yeah, but I like it."

Brock and Misty couldn't help but smile at the scene. Clefairy smiled brightly and was about to run over to join in.

Pikachu noticed and stopped her. "_Let's give them a minute._" The mouse whispered.

Soot noticed something approaching and blinked, "What the?"

"Huh?" Ash pulled Soot out of the hug and turned to look. He raised a brow, "Squirtle?"

The Water-type was running towards the group, "_Hey, wait for me!_"

Soot raised a brow, "He wants us to wait."

They decided to wait. Ash used this time to deactivate Marionetter.

Squirtle caught up and breathed heavily, "_I want *huff* to come *huff* with you._"

Soot stared in shock, "Are you kidding me, right now?"

Squirtle frowned and looked at her, "_Listen, I get that your still mad at me, but-_"

"It's not that." Soot sighed, "I'm just trying to comprehend the fact that one of all three Kanto starter Pokémon wants to join our team. Especially when the professor was, allegedly, out of said starters when we went to get one."

Misty blinked, "That's- huh. That is kinda weird."

Brock scratched the side of his head, "I guess we're just lucky?"

Ash blinked, "You really want to join us? What about your team?"

Squirtle smiled and took off his glasses, "_They already know. I left one of them in charge for while I'm gone._"

Soot relayed the message. Ash raised a brow, "But, why? I'd really like having you on my team, but I thought you didn't like trainers."

Squirtle chuckled and put his shades in his shell, "_What can I say, ya grew on me._" He looked at the other Pokémon, "_Not to mention, your sla-_" he shook his head, "_your other Pokémon actually see you as a friend. Gotta admit, that'd be a nice change from that hag who threw me out._"

Soot smiled and relayed the message; deciding to leave out the slip up.

Ash smiled too, pulled out a Pokéball, enlarged it, and held it out.

Squirtle smiled, walked over and hit it. Another easy catch.

Soot laughed and shook her head, "Welp, now we have a full set of starters."

.

*Later; dinner

The humans sat down at the unfolded collapsible table and ate. The Pokémon all sat off to the side; eating as well. There was a bit of trouble when the others recognized Squirtle, but Ash vouching for him reassured them all. Or at least, enough for them to stop glaring while they ate.

Squirtle looked at Soot, "_So what were those Rocket guys talking about with that 'Righty-leg-a' thing?_"

Soot sighed, "Mightyena. Those three always mess up the name of my-" she paused when she realized something, "Wait a second. 'I already used that one' 'I came up with-'" she growled as her eye started twitching, "THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT ON PURPOSE!"

.

.

**Omega: Hey, what's going on with Yukiro?**

**Ohirume: He still hasn't recovered from his time-out.**

**Omega: Where did you send him?**

**Ohirume: A place that was mentioned in an old episode of Jimmy Neutron. Mime world.**

**Seishin: Mimes mimes mimes mimes mimes mimes**

**mimes Q 6x15 mimes mimes mimes mimes mimes**

**mimes mimes mimes mimes AGT Tape Face mimes**

**mimes mimes mimes mimes mimes mimes mimes**

**Omega: Should we do something?**

**Seishin: NOTHING BUT MIMES!**

**Ohirume: Nah. He'll be fine.**


	13. Ch 13: Bill

**Seishin: Alright! With the introduction of Dynamax, we ****finally**** have an explanation for the jumbo Dragonite!**

**Ohirume: Maybe, but I don't think I'll use that. I've had this story in my head for a long time and, while it might make things easier, I never planned to include a new generation into this timeline.**

**Omega: Is it really that difficult? You could just throw the stuff in and claim it was always like that.**

**Ohirume: It's not just that. I know it's unlikely, but I can't deny the possibility of new types, evolutions, pre-evolutions, or new- well, anything in the next generation. If some Pokémon change type, then I won't be able to cover it up.**

**Seishin: You could just do what Saphroneth did and break time.**

**Ohirume: I can't just rip off a professional!**

**Seishin: What?! You ripped off tons of fanfictions to make this story! You stole the mating concept from Colb-a-nater's "Inner Strength," ****me**** from nenilein's "The Pokémon Gods" on DeviantArt -even though they took down the story-, the creativity imbalance from a 'renegade Ash' story -also … taken down-, and we haven't even brought up the concept you stole from that Pokémon/Avengers crossover, "IronPika"!**

**Ohirume: You done?**

**Seishin: Not yet. And then there's the stuff from Card Game anime's! Marionetter and Power Integration from Yu-Gi-Oh, and 'crag' from Monsuno! Okay, now I'm done.**

**Ohirume: *sigh* Look, I'll cross that bridge after Sword/Shield comes out.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Night at the Lighthouse**

.

Misty groaned, "You really want to take a detour?"

Ash rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry, but I have a good reason. Bill's an old friend and one of Professor Oak's colleagues. Dropping by his lighthouse doesn't put us that far off track."

Soot nodded, "Trust us, you'll like him. He was one of the only Phantom Child researchers we liked. Mostly because he knew when to back off."

Brock shrugged, "I don't mind."

Misty sighed, "Fine." She perked up, "At least it's somewhere with a roof."

.

**Time Skip**

They set up camp for the night. Brock was cooking and Misty was sitting at the table with a bored expression on her face.

Ash spoke up, "You guys mind if I head off to do some training?"

Brock turned to look at him, "Go ahead. Dinner won't be ready for a few more minutes, anyway."

Misty shrugged, "I don't mind. Do you think you could leave your pool, though? It's kind of boring just waiting."

Brock looked at Ash in surprise, "You have a pool?"

Ash nodded, "It's just a little inflatable one."

Ash pulled over his backpack, pulled out the folded plastic, and tossed it out while holding on to the cord. The pool sprang out in front of him.

Ash looked over at the Water-type gym leader, "All yours, Misty." He headed off into the woods with Pikachu and Clefairy on his shoulders and Soot next to him, "Be back soon!"

.

*Ash

Ash found a clearing and released all of his Pokémon. Pikachu and Clefairy jumped off his shoulders.

"_So, we're out here to show them the watch, right?_" Pikachu said as he pointed at Charmander and Squirtle.

Charmander blinked, "_Watch?_" he started looking around, "_Watch what?_"

Squirtle sighed, "_I think he means the thing on the trainer's wrist._" He looked at Ash, "_What's so special about it?_"

Pikachu looked at Ash and smirked, "_They're curious._"

Ash smirked, "Alright." He hit the button on the side of his watch and the center popped up, "So, what do you guys think I should choose?"

Bulbasaur cocked his head, "_What are the options?_"

"Pikachu, Vaporeon, Braviary, Mightyena, Clefairy, and Banette."

Clefairy raised a paw, "_Oh, I pick Clefairy!_"

Pikachu chuckled, "_Alright, I'll pick Pikachu then._"

Bulbasaur thought for a moment before responding, "_I've already seen Braviary, Mightyena, and Vaporeon. I'll vote Banette._"

Pidgeotto blushed, "_Um-"_ '_I want to choose Braviary, but-_' she sighed, "_Clefairy._"

Butterfree nodded, "_I choose Clefairy, too!_"

Soot smirked, "Clefairy. That makes the vote 4 for Clefairy, 1 for Pikachu, and 1 for Banette."

Clefairy cheered.

Ash sweat dropped, "Clefairy, it is." He started rotating the watch's center.

Squirtle blinked and looked at Charmander. The Fire-type just shrugged.

Squirtle looked at Soot, "_What are you guys talking about?_"

Soot grinned at him, "You'll see."

Ash found the right silhouette and sighed. He hit the watch and a green light overtook him.

Charmander and Squirtle had to cover their eyes. They opened them to find Clefairy standing in front of them. Though she looked a bit different … and wasn't a 'she'.

Charmander blinked, "_Clefairy? But weren't you-_" he turned to look at where she was and found her still there, "_right … there?_"

He looked back and forth between the two nearly identical clefairy, "_What?_"

Squirtle walked up to the male Clefairy and stared. He looked down and saw the symbol on his stomach.

He looked back up to face the Fairy-type; wide eyed, "_T-trainer?_"

Ash smiled, "_What's up?_"

"_Woah!_" Squirtle jumped and backed up, "_Wha- but- how- What is this?!_"

Charmander walked over to Ash, "_Master?_"

Ash frowned and put a paw on Charmander's shoulder, "_Charmander, you don't have to call me that._" he smiled softly, "_We're friends, remember?_"

Charmander smiled brightly and jumped him, "_It is you!_"

Clefairy ran over to them and jumped Ash too.

Ash laughed as the pair cuddled him, "_Guys, that tickles!_"

Squirtle stared; slack jawed. He looked at Soot, "_Explanation! Please!_"

Soot laughed, "It's the watch. It lets dad turn into Pokémon and is the reason for his weird abilities. The Pokémon he named earlier are the other Pokémon forms he has."

Pikachu nodded, "_It's the reason Ash can understand Clefairy and I when he's human._"

Squirtle blinked, "_That … actually explains a lot._" He looked at Ash. The trainer-Clefairy was still being cuddled by the other clefairy and Charmander, "_How long does this last for?_"

"About fifteen minutes." Soot responded, "But he can change back to human or switch between the other forms whenever he wants by hitting the symbol from the watch. In this case, the green thing on his stomach. The time limit carries over if he switches."

Bulbasaur blinked, "_Then, why did we take a vote?_"

Soot shrugged.

Ash kept laughing, "_Guys, please stop!_" he flailed and accidently hit the symbol.

Charmander and Clefairy were flung into the air as Ash transformed into Mightyena.

Pidgeotto laughed, "_I'll get them._"

Soot chuckled, "Nice one, dad."

Ash's ears drooped, "_I owe them an apology._"

Soot walked over and rubbed her head up against him. Ash smiled softly.

Squirtle blinked, "_Huh. He was not kidding._"

.

*One training session later

Training was short, but efficient. Ash switched to, and remained in, Vaporeon form as he partnered up with Squirtle and Charmander.

He helped Squirtle practice his Water Gun and got him started on Ice Beam. The turtle was ecstatic to learn the move and could already generate a small bolt of the freezing attack. His aim needed work, though.

Ash told Charmander to practice Flamethrower by using it on him, but it took a while for Charmander to get started. He hesitated constantly out of fear of being punished for attacking his trainer. That took a lot of reassuring. His flames were good, but hesitating took away most of the power.

Ash's transformation timed out and the group stared walking back to camp. All of the Pokémon were still out.

Pikachu and Clefairy were on Ash's shoulders, Pidgeotto and Butterfree flew close behind Ash, Soot walked alongside Ash with Squirtle on her back and Bulbasaur by her side, and Charmander was in Ash's arms.

"_This is so awesome!_" Squirtle cheered, "_I've been trying to crack an Ice-type move for forever and I finally meet a mon who can teach me Ice Beam! And they're my freaking trainer!_" Squirtle laughed like a mad man, "_Eat it Grass-types!_"

Bulbasaur sweat dropped, "_I'm right here._"

Charmander frowned and looked up at Ash, "_So, I'm really not in trouble for attacking you?_"

Clefairy relayed the message.

Ash smiled sadly and held the Fire-type tighter, "I promise you're not. I'm the one who suggested it in the first place, remember?"

Soot looked up at the lizard, "Besides, Water-types are resistant to Fire-type attacks. Plus he knows Aqua Ring."

Charmander smiled and cuddled Ash's arm, "_You're the best trainer ever, Ash._"

Clefairy smiled and hugged the boy's head, "_He sure is._"

Ash chuckled, "You guys."

The campsite came into view. Brock was putting out the plates and Misty was lounging in the pool with her Pokémon.

Brock noticed them, "Nice timing. How did training go?"

Ash smiled, "Pretty good. Squirtle's making progress on Ice Beam and Charmander's Flamethrower is getting better."

Misty looked over at him, "Ice Beam? How did you teach him that so fast?"

Soot smirked, "Same way he taught Pikachu Iron Tail and Pidgeotto Steel Wing."

Brock took out his notebook out again, "How might that be?"

Ash chuckled, "Sorry, Brock. I like to keep my training methods a secret."

Brock frowned and put away the notebook. He shook it off and perked up, "Anyway, dinner's ready."

"Sweet!" Misty called out she hopped out of the pool. She pulled a towel out of her bag and started drying off, "What are we having?"

Ash sniffed the air, "Beef stew."

**Ohirume: Yeah, yeah, 'meat in the Pokémon world.' I'll cover that eventually.**

Brock chuckled, "You're not easy to surprise."

Ash shrugged, "I get that a lot." He walked over to the table, "Let's eat!"

After all the food was divvied out and Brock's Pokémon were released, everyone started eating.

Charmander ate rapidly, "_Sho goot!_" he said with his mouth full.

Pikachu raised a paw, "_Slow down there, buddy. Remember what happened at the Center?_"

Charmander gulped and rubbed the back of his head, "_Right, sorry._" He went back to eating, though not as fast.

Squirtle looked at Pikachu, "_What happened at the Center?_"

"_He ate fast and started choking._" Pikachu responded before flicking a piece of food into his mouth.

Squirtle raised a brow, "_That's it?_"

Pikachu chuckled, "_Not everything that happens to us is crazy. Just, most things._"

Charmander looked over to the humans and held up his empty bowl, "_Can I get seconds, please?_"

.

**Time Skip**

The group of Misty, Ash, Pikachu, Clefairy, Brock, and Soot came up to a beach at the edge of the forest.

Ash smiled, "We're getting close to Bill's place. We should be there by sundown."

Misty sighed in relief, "Thank goodness. We've been walking for hours."

They stepped on to the beach and immediately heard shouting.

"_You there! Trainer! Battle me! Prove that you're not a wimp and face me like a mon!_"

The group looked over to see a krabby glaring at them.

Ash looked at Pikachu, "Mind translating?"

Pikachu sighed, "_He wants to battle you. Also, he's talking himself up. A lot._"

Ash looked at his friends, "Krabby wants to battle me." He pulled out pokéball, enlarged it, and threw it, "Charmander, take the field!"

The Lizard Pokémon emerged, blinked in surprise, and looked at Ash.

Ash smiled, "Wild battle. You're up against Krabby." He pointed at the small Water-type.

Charmander looked at the crab and flinched, "_A-a Water-type? Ash, are you sure about this?_"

Pikachu relayed and Ash nodded, "I'm sure, Charmander. Just follow my lead."

Charmander nodded and turned to face his opponent.

Krabby eyes glowed blue, using Leer. Charmander flinched and took a step back.

Ash glared, "Stay calm, Charmander! Use Flamethrower!"

Charmander shook it off and fired a stream of flames. Krabby was engulfed in the attack. When the flames stopped, Krabby was covered in scorch marks and having trouble standing.

Ash blinked, "Woah." He pulled out a pokéball and threw it at Krabby. He was sucked in and captured with little resistance.

Charmander cheered and ran over to Ash, "_I did it! Ash, I did it!_"

Ash crouched down to pet him, "Way to go, Charmander. I'm proud of you."

Charmander's eyes lit up and he jumped into Ash's arms, "_Yay!_"

Ash chuckled before returning Charmander and walking over to retrieve Krabby's pokéball.

Misty walked over, "Nice catch, Ash."

"Why did you use Charmander, though?" Brock asked, "Wouldn't Pikachu or Bulbasaur have been a better match-up?"

Ash shook his head, "Charmander needed this. We already know he had it rough with his old trainer, so I thought beating something with type advantage would help boost his confidence."

Misty blinked, "You planned this?"

Ash chuckled, "Sort of. I didn't know what kind of Pokémon it would be, but I had a feeling we'd find a Water-type out here. Because, y'know, beach." He said gesturing to the sand/water landscape, "Come one, we still have to get to Bill's."

Everyone continued along the beach.

.

**Time Skip**

The sun had already set by the time they made it to the lighthouse. Brock and Misty were breathing heavily.

Soot smiled, "Here we are."

"yay" Misty said weakly.

Brock looked at the large door, "Are those Pokémon?"

Ash nodded, "Yep. Bill changes it up a lot but usual sticks with Pokémon native to Kanto."

Misty looked up at the door and squinted, "Hey, what's that one?"

Ash looked at her, "Which one?"

Misty pointed, "Far left, second row. Next to Arcanine."

Ash looked and raised a brow, "Uh, good question. It looks kind of like a cross between Mew and Hitmonchan … with a touch of Beheeyem."

Soot cocked her head, "Weird." She shrugged, "Ah, whatever. Let's head inside." She walked over to the side of the door and pressed a red button with her nose.

What sounded like a large bell or gong came from the lighthouse. Brock and Misty jumped. Clefairy and Pikachu flinched and hid behind Ash.

Ash chuckled, "Still going big on the doorbell, I see."

The speaker turned on, Who's there?

Soot smiled, "Hey, Bill."

Soot?! Is that you?! Hah, I haven't from you in ages! Is your father with you?

Ash walked over to the speaker, "As if you had to ask. I'm here with a few friends of mine and was hoping to introduce you all."

"Hi, there." Brock announced.

"Nice to meet you." Misty followed.

Ah, marvelous! Yes, please come in. You're timing actually couldn't be better. *nervous chuckling* I seem to have gotten myself stuck in one of my suits … again.

Ash deadpanned, "Bill, I keep telling you to put the release buttons on the insides."

The voice chuckled nervously again. The giant, decorated doors opened to reveal a large dark, hall. The group waked in.

Misty turned to Ash, "So, what did Bill mean when he said he was stuck in a suit."

Ash chuckled, "I'd rather not spoil the surprise. Trust me, you'll wanna see for yourself." He looked into the empty room, "Hey, Bill, mind if I borrow your phone real fast?"

"Go ahead." The voice, presumably Bill, called back, "It's right next to you."

"Thanks." Ash called back. He walked over to the phone, picked up the Bellsprout shaped dial, and punched in a number.

The screen lit up to reveal Professor Oak looking down at something. He looked up and nearly jumped, "Ash! Is that you?! Please tell me I'm not losing it!"

Ash blinked, "Um, hey professor. Are you feeling okay?"

"Are you kidding me?!" Oak shouted, "Over the past few days, my computer has been giving me alerts about your new catches and they've all been starter Pokémon! I can accept you catching a clefairy, but-"

"Professor Oak, calm down." Soot called out, "Yes, a squirtle, bulbasaur, and charmander have joined our team. All of them we met by chance and all them were abandoned by their trainers. Honestly, I'm still trying to figure it out. The point is: it's all real and you're fine."

Oak sighed in relief, "Oh, thank goodness. I was really getting worried." He perked up, "Regardless, it's quite impressive what all Pokémon you've caught."

Ash narrowed his eyes and smirked, "Thanks, but care to tell me why all nine are with me right now?"

Professor Oak rubbed the back of his head, "Oh, right. Did I forget to mention that I increased your carrying limit?"

Soot smirked at him, "Smooth."

Oak chuckled nervously. "So, where are you right now?" he asked, changing the subject.

Ash rolled his eyes while smiling, "Bill's lighthouse."

"Hello, Professor!" Bill called out, still unseen, "It's wonderful to hear from you!"

The professor smiled, "It's nice to hear from you too, Bill! Anyway, I have to go. Also, Ash, your mother wants you to call her when you get the chance."

Ash flinched, "C-can do professor. See ya." He hung up.

Soot chuckled, "Dad, are you scared about calling grandma? Come one, it's not like you went and hung up on her in the middle of a sentence."

Ash scratched his cheek, "well-"

Soot frowned and her eyes widened, "Oh, dear Arceus, you did. Do you have a death wish?!"

"Finally, I made it!" the light's turned on and everyone turned around to see a gigantic kabuto at the top of the staircase.

Brock flinched, "What the?! A kabuto?! I thought they were extinct!"

Soot chucked, "Yeah, that's not a kabuto."

"Soot is correct." The 'fossil' responded, "I am Bill, the one who owns this lighthouse. As I said before, I have gotten myself stuck in this costume."

Ash walked up the stairs and crouched down to inspect the suit, "This blue button between the legs, right?"

"Yes, that's the one. I'm afraid the forelegs are too short to reach it." Bill said while trying to reach it.

Ash pressed the button and jumped back. The suit opened up and fell apart around the man.

Bill sighed in relief, "Thank you, Ash. I've been stuck in that thing for hours."

Brock and Misty walked up to Bill.

"So, why were you wearing this big costume?" Misty asked.

Bill looked over at her, "Oh, it's part of research. Getting in a Pokémon's skin helps me get inside its head."

Pikachu and Clefairy blinked and looked at Ash. The boy noticed and shook his head.

Bill looked at Ash again, "Anyway, it seems like you have started your journey. If I don't get the chance to say so later, I wish you luck in the league."

Ash chuckled, "Thanks Bill, but I still only have two badges. It'll take a while to get the last six." He blinked upon remembering something, "Oh, right. I haven't introduced you yet." He gestured to his friends, "Bill this is Brock Slate and Misty Waterflower. They've been traveling with me for a while." He turned to his friends, "Guys, this is Bill."

Bill blinked in surprise, "Slate and Waterflower?" he smiled, "I must admit, it's not often that I get to meet gym leaders. Welcome to my lighthouse" He took a bow, "Please make yourselves at home."

Bill's stomach started growling. He looked up and scratched the side of his head, "One of you wouldn't happen to know how to cook, would you? My chef went on vacation and I've been stuck eating tofu for days."

Brock smiled and raised a hand, "I could make us all something."

Misty nodded, "Brock's cooking is some of the best."

Bill looked at him, "And it can be something without tofu?"

Brock nodded, "Of course."

Bill smiled brightly, "Splendid! Let me show you to the kitchen!"

Misty raised a hand, "And could you point me to a hot bath?"

Bill nodded, "Of course. The restroom is actually on the way to the kitchen."

The group walked off down a hall.

Soot nudged Ash, "Shouldn't you go ahead and call Grandma?"

Ash started sweating, "I-I mean probably. Though, maybe it could wait until-"

"That'll only make it worse and you know it." Soot interrupted.

Ash sighed, "Right." He walked back over to the phone and dialed his home phone number.

Delia appeared on the screen and smiled, "Oh, hello, sweetie."

Ash smiled, 'guess she forgot' "Hi mom."

Soot put her forelegs on the table, "Hi, grandma."

"Hello, Soot." Delia responded, still smiling. She blinked when she noticed something, "Ash, who's that Pokémon on your shoulder?"

Ash gestured to the Fairy-type, "This is Clefairy. She joined my team at Mount Moon."

Clefairy smiled and waved, "_Hi, phone lady!_"

Ash chuckled, "Clefairy, this 'phone lady' is my mom. My female meema."

Delia blinked again, "Wait a second. Ash, can you understand her?!"

Ash scratched the side of his head, "Um, yeah."

Delia's eyes lit up as she smiled again, "Oh, that's so adorable! I can't wait for us to meet up in person!"

Ash sweat dropped, 'should have seen that coming.'

Delia started again, "Have you been making friends?"

Ash smiled, "Yeah. Their names are Brock and Misty. They were actually gym leaders before they started traveling with me."

Delia smiled brightly, "Oh, Ash, that's wonderful!" she moved closer to the screen and whispered, "Do they know about the watch?"

Ash chuckled, "Whispering doesn't work on video phones, mom. And, no. At least, not completely. I've told them about the stuff from Power Integration, but that's it." Ash smiled sadly, "I'm just- I'm not sure how they'll react if I show them everything."

Delia gave him a sympathetic look, "I'm sure they'll understand, sweetie. Still, it's up to you."

Ash nodded, "Thanks. Love you, mom."

Delia smiled, "Love you too, Ash." she raised a finger, "Oh, one more thing." She smiled innocently and spoke in a cheerful voice, "Ashton Satoshi Ketchum, if you ever hang up on your mother again, not even Stone Edge will be able to make a wall strong enough to protect you."

Ash paled, "Y-yes ma'am!"

Soot hid under the desk. Pikachu and Clefairy jumped off Ash's shoulders and joined her.

Delia nodded, "Good. Bye, Ash. Bye, Soot. Love you." She hung up before Ash could respond.

Ash chuckled nervously, "All things considered, that went well."

.

*Later that night

Everyone sat down to dinner. Brock made triple bacon cheeseburgers and Bill couldn't have been happier.

Before they could finish, a deep but faint wailing sound rang throughout the lighthouse.

Bill's eyes widened, "They're back!" he scarfed down the rest of his food and ran off down a hall.

Brock and Misty looked at Ash. He shrugged, "I don't know either."

Ash sped up and finished eating before following Bill. Everyone else followed soon after.

Ash led them to the top of the lighthouse and found Bill standing there.

"Bill, what's going on?" Soot asked.

Bill looked at them and smiled sadly, "I'm sorry. I was hoping to surprise you all with this." He looked towards the sea, "I've discovered a Pokémon unlike any kind I've seen before. It resembles a dragonite but it's size rivals that of a wailord and its vocal patterns are nothing like I've heard before." He brought out a remote and pressed a button, "Listen."

The deep wailing from before sounded from the lighthouse. The Pokémon all frowned at hearing it.

Ash blinked, "Definitely not a dragonite."

Bill looked at Dark-type, "Soot, could you translate this?"

"He's lonely." Soot responded sullenly, "He's looking for a friend."

Bill frowned, "What about this?" he pushed the other button, "I tried to create a message in return." Another wailing sound came from the lighthouse.

Soot smiled sadly, "It's nice. It's shaky, but it sounds like you want to be friends."

Bill smiled, "That's what I was going for. I want to meet this Pokémon in person. And I know I for sure; I want to be his friend."

The ground started shaking and a gigantic silhouette appeared in the fog; eye's glowing.

Ash stared; wide eyed, "woah."

Brock stared in shock, "It's enormous!"

The Pokémon wailed sadly again. Bill pressed the button again and repeated his return message. Dragonite raised its head and looked towards the lighthouse. He wailed again. This time-

Soot smiled, "He wants to meet you!"

Bill looked at her; wide eyed. He looked back at Dragonite and played the return message again.

Dragonite's silhouette grew in size as he approached.

Bill smiled brightly, "It's working!"

Dragonite approached and reached out a claw. Bill mimicked by reaching out a hand.

The lighthouse's spotlight spun and shined directly in Dragonite's face. He flinched and covered his eyes.

Bill flinched and started waving his hands, "Dragonite, I'm sorry! Just wait a moment!" He was about to run off when Soot stopped him.

"Hold on." Soot looked at Dragonite, "Crouch down a bit!"

Dragonite ducked under the light and looked up, curiously, as it passed. His face could finally be seen. He kept watching as the light spun around; seemingly entranced by it.

Everyone stared in awe at large Dragon-type.

Soot frowned and started looking around anxiously.

Ash noticed, "What is it?"

Soot looked up at him and shook her head, "Nothing, I guess. I just, kind of, expected Team Rocket to show up and ruin all of this."

.

*Team Rocket

The trio was in their balloon flying high above the forest.

James looked at Jessie, "Weren't we supposed to-"

Jessie sighed, "Enough with the fourth wall breaking questions, James. We're not attacking the dragon."

James sighed, "Alright, fine. I suppose it's for the best. I was, kind of, against the plan in the original series, anyway."

Meowth groaned, "Will you two quit yappin?! It's a long flight ta Vermillion and I'm tryin' ta sleep."

.

*Bill's lighthouse

Dragonite continued watching the lighthouse spin. He was definitely entranced by it.

After the first hour, Ash and his friends got bored. Ash pulled out a deck of playing cards and suggested Go-fish.

After the third hour, Dragonite started yawning. He moved over to the beach and curled up; falling asleep as he took up most of the sandscape. *chuckles* Okay, I'm sorry. I couldn't resist making a joke that stupid.

Bill watched the sleeping dragon in a state of awe, "I can't believe it. He's finally here."

Soot chuckled, "And on tonight of all nights." She shook her head and looked at the breeder, "You were right, Brock. We are lucky. Impossibly so." She looked down at her cards. They were propped up against her detached arm, "Got any 8s?"

Brock scratched the back of his head and chuckled, "Well, I was mostly joking. Also, go-fish."

.

*Morning

As soon as morning rolled around, Bill ran down to the beach. Dragonite stirred awake and cocked his head at the man.

Bill's eyes lit up, "Dragonite! It's wonderful to finally meet you! I've been looking forward to this day for a long time!"

Dragonite blinked, licked his paw, and used it to groom his head. Ash and the others walked over.

Soot walked up to the beast, "Um, hi Dragonite."

Dragonite looked at her; tongue still out. He blinked again and laid his head on the ground in front of Soot. He grimaced and tried spitting out the taste of sand on his tongue.

Soot laughed, "Oh, man. He's like a puppy."

Ash walked up and put hand on Dragonite's snout.

Dragonite responded by licking him. Ash became covered in dragon spit.

Ash started laughing, "You really are just a big softy, aren't you?"

Most of the others started laughing, too. Soot grimaced.

She walked up and nudged Ash, "Dad, the watch." She whispered.

Ash's eyes widened. He looked down at the device right as the center changed from yellow back to green.

He looked back at Dragonite, "Oh boy."

Brock looked at him, "Everything okay, Ash?"

Ash sighed, "Yeah. It's just- everywhere"

Pikachu smiled slyly, "_We could just evaporate it._"

Ash looked at him and groaned, "I'll still need to take a shower, but fine. Just get it over wi-" he grimaced, and the saliva started to evaporate.

Ash's eye twitched, "Thanks."

Pikachu smirked and Misty and Brock laughed again.

Bill stared, "What's happening?"

Soot walked over to him, "I'll explain later."

Without warning, Dragonite stood back up and started walking back into the water.

Bill jumped, "Dragonite, wait! Where are you going?!"

Soot smiled, "Don't worry, he'll be back."

Bill looked at her in concern, "Are you sure?"

Soot chuckled, "Of course. You're probably the first being he's interacted with in years. There's no way he'll forget you."

Dragonite was already waste deep in the ocean. He turned around to look at Bill. The Dragon Pokémon smiled and waved at him.

Bill smiled and waved back, "Farewell, Dragonite! I look forward to us meeting again!"

The group watched as Dragonite walked off into the distance.

Bill smiled sadly, "I'm going to miss him."

Ash put a hand on his shoulder, "It's like Soot said, he'll be back."

Bill nodded, "Thanks."

.

**Time Skip**

Ash and his friends stood out in front of the lighthouse with Bill.

"Thanks for letting us stay the night." Brock said.

Bill smiled, "It was a pleasure to have you all here. I don't get a lot of visitors."

Ash walked up and held out a hand, "It was good seeing again, Bill."

Bill shook his hand, "Likewise. I'll be sure to inform the professor about anything I can find out about Dragonite."

Misty smiled, "Well, the pictures should be good start."

Bill looked at her and frowned, "Pictures?" he grimaced, "AH! I forgot to take pictures!"

Soot blinked, "Dragonite was watching the lighthouse for three hours and laying on the beach for another six. How did you never once think to take any pictures?"

Bill sank to his knees and groaned, "How could I have missed such an opportunity?"

Soot chuckled and put a paw on the man knee, "Aw, cheer up. Just remember to next time. Alright?"

Bill chuckled, "Right."

The group walked away from the lighthouse, towards Viridian. They waved goodbye to Bill and he waved back.

"Take care!" Misty called out.

"Good luck!" Brock followed, "And, don't worry, there a few days' worth of leftovers in the fridge!"

Soot chuckled, "Just remember to heat it up! See ya!"

"I'll be sure to come and visit again, Bill!" Ash said, "And remember; release buttons on the insides!"

Bill laughed, "Farewell!" He blinked, "Wait, Soot! You never told me what was going on with Ash earlier!"

Soot grimaced, "Uh. Call Professor Oak about it! He'll explain!"

.

*That night; Bill

Bill woke up with a start when the ground started shaking. He ran up to the top of the lighthouse and found Dragonite propping himself up against the peak and pawing at the spinning light.

Bill stared in shock, "Y-you came back!"

Dragonite stood back up and looked at the man. The Dragon-type blinked before licking him.

Bill laughed, despite the saliva, and put a hand on Dragonite's snout, "I can't wait to get to know you." Bill jerked, "Wait here!" He ran back into the lighthouse.

The light shined in Dragonite's eyes and he ducked down again. He watched the light with an apprehensive glare.

Bill reemerged and found Dragonite again. He sighed in relief, "Oh, thank goodness. He's still here."

He walked over to the railing, "Dragonite!" he called out, "Come here for a moment!"

The oversized Pokémon crouched down to be at eye level with Bill.

Bill turned around and held a disposable camera in front of him, "Say cheese!" The camera flashed.

Dragonite blinked and backed up while rubbing his eyes.

Bill chuckled, "I'm sorry about that! I'll wait until morning for more pictures!"

Dragonite shook his head and looked at Bill. He licked the man again.

Bill chuckled some more, "I may need to invest in waterproof clothing."

Dragonite yawned and went over to his to spot on the beach. He curled up and went to sleep.

Bill smiled softly, "Sweet dreams, Dragonite. Maybe in the morning, we can come up with a name for you."

.

.

**Faux: Zacian!**

**Omega: Zamazenta!**

**Gem: Zachariah! *laughing* I'm sorry, I have no idea what you guys are talking about.**

**Ohirume: *sigh* They're arguing over which new legendary is better.**

**Omega: It's obviously Zamazenta! Zacian is just some blue hound with a big sword!**

**Faux: Do not diss the sword! You agree with me, right Rob?**

**Ohirume: Don't drag me into this!**

**Seishin: Didn't you say you liked the attacc doggo?**

**Ohirume: Only because it reminds me of Sleygal! … and Sacred Wingal.**

**Faux: Ha!**

**Omega: What?! Are you kidding me?!**

**Ohirume: I told you I didn't want to get involved! And Yukiro, stop saying 'attacc' like it's a word.**

**Seishin: It's a funny meme!**

**Ohirume: IT IS NOT! I've seen it on YouTube so many times and I'm sick of it! Honestly, I feel nothing but shame for writing that!**


	14. Ch 14: Vermillion

**Pike: *grumbles***

**Faux: You okay, buddy?**

**Pike: *sigh* It's the Vermillion Gym chapter.**

**Faux: Ah. Raichu. *chuckles* Don't let him get to you, bro. Besides, I seriously doubt Trix is going to make the same mistake we did the first time.**

**Pike: *glaring* That doesn't make me feel better.**

**Faux: Would you feel better if we spared?**

**Pike: *shrug* Alright, but no Grace or Ki.**

**Faux: Deal! Aura Transmution! Chi!**

**Pike: *gulps* Oh, right. Earthbending. Spark Forge! Magnhild!**

**Gem: Since when did Pike start calling stuff out like that?**

**Omega: Since this is a low-quality chat with no action descriptors aside from what's inside a pair of asterisks.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Pikachu X VS X Raichu**

.

Ash went off on another training session and was currently high above the clouds in Braviary form. Pidgeotto and Butterfree were with him.

Pidgeotto managed to calm her nerves, "_So why are we up this high?_"

Ash looked at her, "_I need to figure out the new dragonite form and this is the only quick and safe way to do so._"

Butterfree cocked his head, "_What do you mean?_"

"_The size._" Ash responded, "_If it turns out to be as big as the original, then I can't be in a populated or dense area._"

Pidgeotto cocked her head, too "_'turns out?' But you guys all said that the dragonite you scanned was gigantic. So, shouldn't it be the same for this?_"

Ash shook his head, "_It's a fair assumption, but we can't be sure. Remember, my clefairy form is male, even though Clefairy is female. The watch can be weird with these things. I want to test it before I end up transforming into it by accident._" He took a deep breath, "_Stand back, you two. I don't want to end up knocking you out._"

The bird and bug flew further away from their trainer. He looked between them and nodded.

He looked down at the symbol on his chest, "_Here we go._" He hit the symbol and the green light overtook him.

Feeling the new wings, he immediately started flapping as he opened his eyes. He examined at his new form and found the symbol on his chest. He looked between Pidgeotto and Butterfree. They didn't seem that much closer.

Butterfree flew over, excitedly, and got in Ash's face, "_Woah! Ash, you're so big!_"

Pidgeotto flew over as well, "_Yeah, but it's smaller than I expected._"

Ash held up a claw and looked at it, "_Huh … I think I'm the average size. I guess that means the big guy is just a normal dragonite. Sort of._"

.

*Soot and the others

Clefairy pointed to the sky, "_Look! They're coming back!_"

Soot squinted, "And dad's still a dragonite. Guess we have our answer."

Ash, Pidgeotto, and Butterfree landed in front of the crowd. Krabby was still unconscious from when Ash changed into Braviary. Pikachu enjoyed that.

Soot walked over and looked at the dragon with a raised brow, "So, normal size."

Ash chuckled, "_Yup. Hopefully Bill will come up with an answer for the big guy._"

"_Woah!_" Charmander called out as he ran up to Ash. He stared up at his trainer in awe, "_Ash, this is the coolest form yet! Can you please teach me how to fly when I evolve?_" He frowned and looked down, "_I mean, if I ever get strong enough to evolve._"

Ash smiled sadly and got on a knee to pet Charmander, "_If it's what you want, then I know you'll evolve someday. We'll both work hard to make it happen._"

Charmander looked back up at him and smiled, "_You really think so?!_"

Ash smiled back, "_I know so._" Charmander cheered and jumped into Ash's arms. Ash held him and chuckled, "_As for flying; you won't need my help with that. Once you evolve, your instincts will kick in._" He put charmander back down and grinned, "_In the meantime, how about I teach you Dragon Rage._"

Charmander's eyes lit up, "_Yeah!_"

Ash chuckled again and turned to face the conscious Water-type, "_Hey, Squirtle. Do you wanna learn Aqua Tail, after we're done?_"

Squirtle smiled brightly and trembled from excitement, "_Best! Trainer! EVER!_"

Ash looked at the Fairy-type, "_Alright Clefairy, Charmander and I are about to start practicing Dragon-type moves so get ready to be a test du- um, I mean practice target._"

"_Yay!_" Clefairy cheered as she bounced.

Soot smirked with a raised brow, "You seem a little too excited about this."

Clefairy nodded, "_The other Pokémon back home used to practice Dragon moves with my people all the time._" She giggled, "_The shooting one's tickle._"

Ash smiled slyly and fired a Dragon Rage at the giggling Fairy Pokémon. When the dust settled, Clefairy sat on the ground laughing, "_Again! Again!_"

Charmander stared in awe at his trainer's attack, "_That was awesome!_" he looked at Ash, "_You're really going to teach me that?!_"

Ash smiled down to him, "_That's the plan._"

The explosion woke up Krabby. He held his head with a claw, "_Ugh. I had this weird dream that-_" he noticed Ash.

Ash noticed too and waved paw, "_Hey, Krabby._"

The crab fainted again.

"_Ha!_" Pikachu shouted in triumph.

.

**Time Skip**

Ash and friends stood at the entrance to Vermillion City.

"Alright!" Misty cheered, "We're finally here! Bubble bath, here I come!"

Brock sighed in relief, "And I can finally get this laundry done."

Ash chuckled, "We can do all of that and restock on supplies at the Pokémon Center."

Pikachu frowned, "_But what about the gym?_"

Ash pet him, "We can head their right after."

Soot looked up at him, "Yeah, it's not going anywhere. It's not like we're going against the Battle Pyramid."

Pikachu pouted, "_But the gym's probably closer! Why don't we just go now?!_" He blushed when his stomach started growling.

Ash chuckled, "That's why. We've had live of berries alone for three days now. We could use something more filling."

Pikachu grumbled and sighed, "_Fine._"

Misty sweat dropped, "You sure you can't just teach Pikachu how to talk?"

Soot looked up at her, "It's not that easy. I only figured out human language by learning from example."

Brock pulled out his notebook and wrote down what Soot said. He looked at her, "So, is that all it takes for a Pokémon to learn how to talk or is there something else?"

Ash put a hand on his shoulder, "We'll tell you on the way to the center."

Soot nodded and made her way into the city, "Walk and talk, people. Walk and talk."

.

*Shortly before the group reaches the center

"So, to clarify," Brock started as he read from his notes, "If your average Pokémon wanted to learn how to ta- I mean, speak human, it'd be easiest to start with words that align with their natural language."

Soot nodded, "Right. If Pikachu wanted to learn, he should start with words that are made of the sounds, 'p' 'ee' 'k' 'a' 'ch' and 'oo.' A big part of it is lining them up in ways that wouldn't make sense, otherwise."

Pikachu smirked, "_That doesn't sound too hard._"

Soot smirked, "Say 'Ash'."

Pikachu raised a brow, "Pikapi."

Soot shook her head, "No, 'Ash.' Like how a human would say it. For now, it would be made of the sounds 'a' and 'ch'."

Pikachu smirked again, "Kachu" he blinked, "Ka-" he grumbled, "K-k-ka- _Augh! Why is this so hard?!_"

Ash chuckled, "You need to separate the 'k' and 'a' sounds. You, also, probably need to separate 'ch' and 'oo,' and 'p' and 'ee.' Practice enough and you'll be able to say things like 'key,' 'coup,' and 'patch'."

Clefairy raised a paw, "_Oh! What about me?!_"

Soot smiled, "'c' 'l' 'e' 'f' 'a' 'ir' 'r' and 'ee.' Your species has a pretty good variety, so you'd probably learn a bit faster than Pikachu."

"_Yay!_" Clefairy cheered.

Pikachu pouted.

Brock wrote vigorously; trying to get as much as he could.

They came up to the Pokémon Center and made their way to the front desk.

Nurse Joy noticed them and smiled, "Welcome to the Pokémon Center. How may I help you?"

Ash smiled, "Routine checkup, please. Also, we've been low on supplies for a few days and could use some food."

The nurse nodded, "Very well." she pulled out three pokéball trays from under her desk, "Please place your pokéballs here."

Brock and Misty placed their three pokéballs into the trays, and Ash placed his six into the remaining one. Pikachu and Clefairy jumped down from Ash's shoulders and Soot propped herself up against the desk.

Joy blinked and looked at Ash, "You don't need to place all of their pokéballs into the tray if the Pokémon are already out."

Ash chuckled nervously and held up the three pokéballs, "I didn't. The professor that sponsors me increased my party limit." He sweat dropped, "Without telling me, first."

The nurse blinked, "Oh." She shrugged, "Alright then."

She placed the pokéball trays and two small Pokémon on the cart and wheeled them to the back. Soot followed her.

Clefairy looked at Pikachu, "_I thought Nurse Joy already knew about our team._"

Pikachu chuckled, "_Different nurse. It's like the Officer Jenny thing._"

Clefairy's jaw dropped as the doors closed behind Nurse Joy.

Ash snickered.

Brock looked at him, "What is it?"

"Pikachu just told Clefairy about Nurse Joy." Ash responded, "He said, 'It's like the Officer Jenny thing'."

Misty and Brock laughed.

"Hurry!" The group turned around to see a young boy and a chansey run into a center. Chansey pushed a stretcher with a beat up Rattata on it, "You'll be okay Rattata. Hurry!" They rushed past into the backroom.

Brock frowned, "That rattata looked like it was in rough shape. What do you think happened to it?"

"I'm afraid this is fifteenth one this month." The group flinched and turned to see Nurse Joy behind the counter.

Misty blinked, "Nurse Joy? I thought you just took our Pokémon to the back."

The nurse laughed, "That was my twin sister. She asked me to come and help a few weeks ago."

Ash blinked, "Oh." He looked at the door to the back, "So, what happened to Rattata?"

Joy frowned, "I'm afraid it's the gym leader. Come look."

She led the group to the back room. There were beds lining the walls with injured Pokémon in all of them. Their trainers all sat at the side of the bed with sad or worried expressions.

Ash's eyes widened, "Lieutenant Surge did this?!"

Nurse Joy nodded, "Yes, they all battled him and lost. They're expected to recover, but it's still upsetting."

Brock frowned, "I heard he was tough, but this-"

Misty glared, "This isn't right. A gym leader shouldn't take a battle this far."

Ash sighed, "Unfortunately, this is probably his lesson."

His friends looked at him in surprise.

"What?!" Misty blurted out, "What kind of lesson ends with the opponent in the hospital?!"

"The reality of being outclassed." Soot responded as she appeared between all of them.

Misty flinched, "Gah! Stop doing that!"

Soot chuckled, "Sorry."

The other trainers in the room stared at the talking Pokémon.

Soot noticed and her eyes narrowed, "It's not that weird." She looked up at Misty, "And, dad's right. Surge doesn't hold back and uses his personal team to show trainers how tough a battle can really be."

Everyone stared at her in surprise. She glared, "What?! I can do research, too!" She looked at Ash, "By the way, dad, everyone's healed up and back in the lobby with the other nurse."

Ash blinked, "Really? That was fast." He shrugged it off and pet her, "Thanks, Soot."

Ash and the others made their way back to the lobby, with Nurse Joy. The other trainers watched as they left.

A girl sitting at her sandshrew's bed looked to her friend sitting next to her, "Did that Pokémon just call him 'dad'?"

The boy blinked, "Um … I think so."

.

*Ash and others

"_Ash, you'll never believe it!_" Clefairy shouted, "_The Nurse Joy here isn't the same one from when we met Charmander!_"

Ash chuckled, "Um, Clefairy." he pointed at the other Nurse Joy with them.

Clefairy blinked and looked between the two Nurse Joys repeatedly. She looked at Ash with a scared expression, "_They're multiplying!_"

Soot, Ash, and Pikachu laughed hysterically.

Misty sighed, "Yep."

"Please hurry! Just hold on Pidgey!" Another boy and Chansey ran past the group and into the back room. A mostly charred Pidgey was on the stretcher.

Soot blinked, "Okay, I feel bad for him, but- Why would he choose a pidgey against an Electric gym? Especially this one?!" she looked up at Ash, "You have plan, right dad?"

Ash put a hand to his chin, "Bulbasaur's probably my best-"

Pikachu glared, "_Hold it! If anyone's taking that raichu down, it's gonna be me!_"

Ash looked at the mouse in surprise, "Huh? You wanna battle them?"

Pikachu nodded with a determined glare.

Clefairy frowned, "_But what if you get hurt like the others?_"

Pikachu glared at her, "_I won't!_" he looked at Ash, "_You have to let fight him!_"

Ash blinked, "Um … okay?"

Soot looked towards the humans in the room, "Pikachu wants to battle Lieutenant Surge. He's not taking 'no' for an answer."

Pikachu smirked, "_Well what are we waiting for?! Let's go!_" he jumped down and ran for the door.

Ash intercepted and picked him up, "Hold it, buddy. You and the others might be feeling better, but us humans still need to freshen up."

Pikachu frowned "_But-_"

"Pikachu." Ash put the mouse back on the bench, "Please, be patient."

Soot smiled, "Besides, Clefairy and I will keep you company."

Pikachu pouted and crossed his arms, "_Fine._"

Ash smiled softly, "Thanks." He looked at the canine, "Soot, you're in charge."

Soot nodded, "Got it."

The humans walked to another part of the Center.

"Alright!" Misty cheered, "Bubble bath, here I come! … again."

They disappeared down a hallway when they turned a corner.

Soot frowned and looked at Pikachu, "Okay, what's going on with you?"

Pikachu turned away, "_It's nothing. I just want to get to the fight._"

Soot got in front of him, "Not buying it. You've been on edge ever since we got to the city. Don't think I haven't noticed."

Pikachu pouted and looked away again, "_It's! Nothing!_"

Clefairy put a hand on his shoulder, "_Pikachu._"

The mouse looked at her and sighed, "_It's because of someone from my old tribe. A raichu who always looked down on anyone at an evolutionary state lower than their maximum. Even if they were a different species._"

Soot frowned, "Like Surge's partner."

Pikachu growled, "_That jerk made me hate the idea of evolving. I made a promise to myself that I'd become stronger than any raichu._"

Soot frowned, "I'm sorry Pikachu, but that's not possible."

Pikachu glared at her, "_How would you know?! Just because you're fully evolved doesn't make you better!_"

Soot shook her head, "That's not what I meant. You said that you want to be stronger than any raichu, without evolving. That isn't possible. Raichu, even Alolan ones, are naturally stronger, faster, and more resilient than any pikachu."

Pikachu was about to argue.

"But-" Soot continued, "That doesn't mean you can't win against one."

Clefairy blinked, "_But, you said-_"

"I said that a pikachu can't become stronger than a raichu." Soot smirked, "But strength isn't everything. In a battle, strategy is the real decider."

Pikachu's eyes widened, "_So, what do I do?!_"

Soot smiled softly, "Trust dad. He wants to win this, too, and he's still letting you battle. He's going to come up with a plan."

Pikachu frowned and scratched the back of his head, "_So, we just wait?_"

Soot nodded, "For now." She perked up, "In the meantime, how about I help you come up with some ideas for the battle."

Pikachu looked at her in surprise, "_You can do that?_"

Soot chuckled, "Creativity isn't as exclusive as you may think." She jumped up onto the bench and sat down, "I've already got an idea on how you can mostly negate Electric-type attacks."

Pikachu stared in shock, "_What?! Are you serious?! What is it?!_"

Soot grinned, "Iron Tail."

.

**Time Skip**

Ash made his way back to the lobby. He found a small group of trainers sitting around Soot. They were the same ones from the back room, and they all had their Pokémon with them.

"Grass-types are resistant Electric-type attacks, but that only really applies if they're grounded when hit." Soot explained a to trainer with an oddish in his lap, "If you want to battle Surge again, you shouldn't take a direct approach. Remain steadfast against Special Electric attacks and try to dodge anything else. When you find an opening, go with poisoning moves and wait it out. This won't guarantee you victory, but it will heighten your chances."

Ash walked over to the crowd, "What's going on?"

A trainer holding a caterpie got in front of him, "Wait your turn! I've been waiting to get advice from the talking Pokémon for over ten minutes!"

Soot rolled her eyes and walked over to Ash. She rubbed up against his leg and smiled up at him, "Hey, dad."

The trainers all stared; wide eyed.

Ash crouched down to pet her, "Hey, Soot. So, you're giving them all advice on how to face Surge?"

Soot chuckled, "Yeah, they overheard me telling Pikachu how to use Iron Tail to ground himself from Electric attacks and they just started asking me for advice."

Ash put a hand to his chin, "Iron Tail to ground yourself." Ash smiled brightly and pulled her into a hug, "Aw, sweetie, you're so smart! I'm so proud of you!"

Soot struggled to escape, "Dad, you're embarrassing me! And stop calling me sweetie!"

"Wait! You mean that's your Pokémon?!" The boy from earlier shouted as he held his pidgey.

Soot gave up and looked back, "Unfortunately."

Ash let go and pouted, "Aw, Soot that hurts."

Clefairy ran over and jumped onto Ash's shoulder, "_Yay, you're back!_"

Ash chuckled and pet her before blinking in surprise. He looked at his other shoulder; nothing.

He looked back at the bench, "Pikachu?"

The mouse's ears flattened, and he started rubbing his arm.

The boy with the caterpie walked up to Ash, "Um, I'm sorry about before but can I please speak with your Pokémon? It really knows a lot."

Ash looked at Soot, "Any objections?"

Soot smiled, "I don't mind." Her eyes narrowed; still smiling, "It's not often someone asks me for advice."

Ash chuckled and looked back at the boy, "You heard her; go ahead. And, by the way, her name is Soot."

"I'll, also, answer to Miss Ketchum." Soot followed.

Ash raised a brow while grinning, "Since when?"

"Five seconds ago." She stuck her tongue out.

Ash chucked, "Alright, then. I'll leave you guys to it." He walked over to the bench.

"So, um, Miss Ketchum," Caterpie boy started, "What do you think Caterpie and I should do against Surge."

Soot smirked, "Lots of String Shot."

.

*Ash, Clefairy and Pikachu

Ash sat down next to the mouse, "Pikachu, is everything okay?"

Pikachu sighed, "_More or less. I'm sorry about earlier._"

Ash pat him on the back, "It's okay. Would you feel better if you talked about it?"

Pikachu frowned, "_I just- I really want to beat that raichu without evolving. Soot told me I'll never become stronger than one, but that I can still win with a good enough strategy._" He looked up at Ash, "_She said you'd be able to come up with one._"

Ash smiled softly, "Well, she's right. After I got out of the shower, I looked up Surge again and found something that should give us an edge."

Pikachu blinked, "_Really?_"

Ash nodded, "In an interview a few months ago, Surge proclaimed that evolution is the only for a Pokémon to become better. He even admitted to evolving his pikachu into a raichu less than a week after it evolved from a pichu."

Pikachu frowned, "_You're not actually saying I need to evolve to win, are you?_"

Ash shook his head, "No, I'm not. Think about it, what can you learn as a pikachu that you can't as a kantonian raichu or a pichu?"

Pikachu raised a brow, "_Is that a trick question?_"

Ash chuckled, "Okay, fair enough. In this case, I mean Agility. The only time your species can learn it is late during the Pikachu stage of your life."

Pikachu's eyes widened.

Ash smirked, "Even if you can't out speed Raichu at first, a couple Agilities should have you running circles around him. Literally. And until then, you can use it too dodge his attacks."

Pikachu stood up, "_So, I can really win this?!_"

Ash smiled, "Yup."

Pikachu smiled brightly before frowning again, "_But, what if they figure out what we're doing and do something different?_"

Ash pet him, "That's for me to worry about. All you need to focus on is staying calm and being prepared to change tactics. Just like any other battle."

Pikachu stared up at Ash in surprise. He smirked and nodded, "_Alright._"

Clefairy jumped down form Ash's shoulder and onto the bench. She looked at Pikachu with worried expression, "_Are you feeling better?_"

Pikachu smiled sadly, "_Yeah. I am."_

Clefairy smiled brightly and hugged him.

Pikachu smiled and returned the hug, "_Thanks, Clefairy. I'm sorry about earlier._"

Clefairy kept smiling, "_It's okay._"

Ash smiled, "We can head to the gym when Brock and Misty are ready." He looked at the crowd, "Besides, I think Soot's busy for now."

Soot looked at the boy holding the pidgey and sweat dropped, "Um, gimme a sec." she looked around before nodding, "Okay, use Sand Attack to counter Electric moves and Quick Attack to dodge the others and strike. Sand Attack won't nullify the attacks, but it should weaken them."

The boy frowned, "But, Pidgey only knows Tackle."

Soot blinked and deadpanned, "In that case, you have a lot of training to do."

.

**Time Skip**

Brock and Misty came back to the lobby.

Ash noticed and stood up, "You guys ready?"

Misty nodded, "Yep." She blinked in surprise, "What's Soot doing?"

Ash chuckled, "Giving battle advice to trainers."

Brock put a hand to his chin, "She really is impressive."

Soot stared at Sandshrew before looking up at the girl holding the mouse, "How exactly did you lose?"

Ash chuckled, "Come on, Soot, we're heading to the gym. Pikachu's been waiting long enough."

"Coming, dad." Soot walked over.

The girl with the Sandshrew frowned, "Wait! I didn't get any advice!"

Soot sighed and looked back, "Don't dodge the electric attacks. Sandshrew is immune to them."

The girl blinked, "But he chased Sandshrew around the field with Thunderbolt and warned us not to get hit."

Soot shrugged, "Surge just said that to tire him out. Don't fall for his tricks."

Nurse Joy walked over to Ash, "I'm sorry, but did you say you were battling Lieutenant Surge with a Pikachu?"

Ash nodded, "That's right."

"Then you're going to need this." She held out a small box. She opened it to reveal a green stone with a lightning bolt symbol in the center.

Ash blinked in surprise, "A thunder stone?"

The nurse nodded, "You're pikachu won't be able to win as it is."

Pikachu glared at the Nurse, "_Hey, I don't-_"

Ash nodded and took the stone, "Thank you, Nurse Joy. I'll take it into consideration."

Pikachu stared at Ash in shock.

Nurse Joy smiled, "You're welcome. Good luck." She walked back to the counter.

Pikachu glared at Ash, "_What the Yvel, Ash?! I told you I didn't want to evolve!_"

Ash looked at him and smiled, "And you won't have to, so long as you don't touch the stone." He put the stone into plastic bag and put that in his backpack "I'm only keeping the option open."

He put his hand to his mouth to whisper to the mouse, "And besides, I can use it to evolve my pikachu form."

Pikachu blinked, "_Huh. Okay, then._"

.

**Time Skip**

The group stood at the doors to the gym.

Pikachu gulped, "_Here we go._"

Ash looked over to him and smiled, "Don't worry, bud. Just like we planned, remember?"

Pikachu grinned and nodded, "_Right._"

The group pushed through the doors. A pair of older trainers stood at the in front of the group; glaring.

Ash walked forward, "My name is Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town. I'm here to challenge Surge for the Thunder Badge."

One of the trainers smirked and looked back, "Hey, boss, another victim for the emergency room."

A large man walked forward, "Which one?"

The giant gym leader stood in front of the group with a smirk. Clefairy flinched and hid behind Ash's head. Pikachu glared at the man.

"Welcome to the Vermillion Gym!" Surge crouched down and pulled Misty into a hug. He pulled back and looked at her, "Oh, my next challenger's a cute one. Don't think I'll go easy on ya."

Misty deadpanned and sweat dropped, "I'm not the challenger."

Surge became confused, "Huh? Then who is?"

Ash raised a hand, "That would be me. The one who actually requested the challenge."

Surge looked over at Ash and stood back up, "Oh, you." He put and hand on Ash's hat, "Okay, baby."

Ash rolled his eyes and pushed the man's hand away, "I know I'm a lot smaller than you, but you don't have to call me that."

Surge smirked, "I call everyone that loses to me baby."

Pikachu hissed from Ash's shoulder.

Surge noticed and laughed, "Hah, a Pikachu?" He looked back to the other trainers, "Hey look, baby brought along a baby Pokémon!" The three of them started laughing.

Pikachu glared, "_Why you-_"

Ash put a hand in front of the mouse, "Don't let him get to you. He's just trying to psych us out."

Surge frowned before smirking again, "Let me show ya somethin' baby." He pulled out a pokéball and threw it, "Go, Raichu!"

The large mouse appeared in front of Surge and smirked, "_So, who's next?_" he looked at Pikachu and deadpanned, "_Really? Is this it?_"

"If you wanna give up, now's your chance." Surge said.

Ash chuckled, "You honestly thought I'd be scared off that easily?"

Surge stared at Ash in surprise.

"I already have a plan for you Surge." Ash continued with a smirk, "One that I know you're not gonna like."

The lieutenant blinked in surprise and then smirked, "I'll give ya this; ya got guts. Alright, let's get started."

The lights in the gym turned on and the gym trainers moved to the side of the battlefield. They stood behind a pair of podiums.

There weren't any bleachers or a viewing area, so Brock, Misty, and Soot stood behind Ash. Clefairy jumped off Ash's shoulder and stood on Soot's head.

Ash and Surge stood at either side of the field, with their Electric mice in front of them.

The male trainer took up a microphone, "This will be a one-on-one gym battle between the Vermillion City gym leader, Lieutenant Surge, and the challenger, Ash. Lieutenant Surge has chosen Raichu and Ash has chosen Pikachu. The battle will be decided when either of them are unable to continue. If the challenger manages to win, he'll get the Thunder Badge." A wrestling bell went off.

Surge raised an arm, "Go, Raichu!"

Ash followed, "Pikachu, it's your move!"

The Pokémon jumped onto the field and stared each other down.

Ash went first, "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Surge smirked as Raichu was hit. Raichu stood their; unfazed.

Raichu smirked, "_Too bad. Your trainer didn't know about my Lightning Rod ability._"

Pikachu smirked back, "_Well then, thanks for telling us._" He glanced back to his trainer, "_You heard him, right Ash?!_"

Ash smiled and nodded, "Nice work, buddy."

Raichu stared in shock.

Surge blinked in surprise but shook it off, "Raichu, show him a real Thunderbolt!"

"Pikachu, Agility!" Ash responded.

Raichu fired his attack; only to miss as his opponent sped away.

Ash continued, "Close in with Quick Attack!"

Surge grimaced, "Intercept with Mega Punch!"

Pikachu sped towards Raichu as the larger mouse pulled back his paw. Raichu shot forward when-

Ash smirked, "Break into Iron Tail!"

Surge's eyes widened, "What?!"

Pikachu canceled his run as he slid under the Mega Punch. Acting fast, Pikachu got on grabbed Raichu's arm and used it as leverage to bat him in the face with his glowing tail. Raichu was shot backwards and landed with a skid.

Raichu glared and rubbed his face, "_How the heck did you do that?_"

Pikachu smirked, "_A really smart dog taught me._"

Misty smiled, "He got em!"

Brock had his arms crossed, "Even so, Steel-type moves aren't that effective against Electric-types."

Soot nodded, "That's true, but it was still the right move. Iron Tail did more damage than Quick Attack would have."

"_You can win this, Pikachu!_" Clefairy cheered.

Surge looked at Ash in shock. He shifted to a grin, "Not bad. Raichu, Body Slam! Center!"

Ash's eyes narrowed, 'Center?' "Dodge with Agility!"

Pikachu dodged as Raichu slammed into the ground. The second stage evo smirked and jumped back to his hind legs. He now stood in the middle of the arena.

Surge smirked, "Time to end this! Raichu, Full Power Thunderbolt! Shut it down!"

Raichu smirked as he charged his attack. Electricity built up around him.

Ash frowned, 'So, that's it! He's attacking entire field, from the center, to make sure we can't dodge. But-' he smirked, "Pikachu, go with Soot's plan!"

"_Take THIS!_" Raichu shouted as he attacked the entire battlefield with a faux-Discharge.

Pikachu smirked at the oncoming attack. He used Iron Tail and jammed it into the ground.

The entire battlefield and most of the gym were torn apart by the Electric-type attack. Dust was kicked up in all directions.

Surge smirked, "It's over." His smirked disappeared as he saw the pikachu standing on its tail; unfazed.

Surge stared, dumbfound, "what?"

Brock smiled, "He used Iron Tail as a ground and nullified the attack! Genius!"

Soot smiled, "Thank you."

Surge grimaced, "Raichu, another Thunderbolt!"

Raichu panted and tried attacking. But it failed.

Surge blinked, "Raichu?"

Ash smiled slyly, "Maybe firing at 'full power' wasn't your best choice. Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

Pikachu shot forward.

Surge glared, "Raichu, Take Down!"

Raichu tried to grab Pikachu, only for the running mouse to jump between the paws and nail Raichu in the gut. Not letting up, Pikachu landed and spun around to hit Raichu with another Iron Tail.

Raichu spun around in a daze and collapsed; his eyes swirling.

The gym trainer at the podium stared in shock before speaking up, "U-um, Raichu is unable to battle. Pikachu … wins."

"_Woo!_" Pikachu raised his arms in triumph and fell onto his back.

Ash walked over and picked him up, "Way to go, Pikachu."

Pikachu smiled, "_Thanks. Can we go back to the Pokémon Center? I'm exhausted._"

Ash chuckled.

Ash's friends ran over to him. Clefairy jumped onto his shoulder.

"Ash, you did it!" Brock declared with a smile on his face.

"You won!" Misty followed.

Soot smirked, "Yeah. You finally earned a gym badge for real."

Ash chuckled, "Very funny, Soot."

Surge walked over to them with his gym trainers by his side.

Ash and Surge shook hands, "Congratulations. Nice job, Ash." he reached into the shirt pocket and pulled something out, "As proof of your victory, I present the Thunder Badge."

Ash smiled and accepted the badge, "Thank you, Lieutenant Surge."

Surge smiled, "You really fought well out there. I have to admit; I haven't had that good of a challenge in a long time." He raised a brow, "Although, what was that 'Soot plan' thing you said at the end."

Soot walked forward, "That would be me. The grounding technique Pikachu used was something I came up with at the Pokémon Center. Soot's my name."

Surge looked down at the canine in surprise. He crouched down to her, "How are you talking?"

Soot chuckled, "About a year's worth of practice."

Surge blinked, "Huh."

.

**Time Skip**

Ash, his friends, and even Surge waited in the Pokémon Center for Pikachu and Raichu.

The group rented a few rooms. Brock and Misty went to their rooms a while ago.

Surge sat at the bench with Soot next to him.

Surge sweat dropped, "Geez. With all the trainers I've been sending to this place, it feels weird coming here after a loss."

Soot smirked, "Well, you better get used it. A lot of the trainers you beat have been asking me for advice in facing you. I happily obliged."

Surge's eyes narrowed, "What kind of advice?"

Soot shook her head, "Nice try, but I'm not messing with their chances."

Surge chuckled, "Fair enough. It'll be nice to get a few more challenges that aren't so one sided."

The other trainers all crowded around Ash. Clefairy was in Ash's lap.

"You really beat Surge?!" a boy asked as his Caterpie stood on his shoulder.

Ash held up his Thunder badge, "Yup."

The girl's eyes lit up, as did her Sandshrew's, "That's amazing! Was it hard?!"

Ash nodded, "Yeah." He put the badge back in his Jacket, "Surge really knows what he's doing."

The boy with the oddish frowned, "Do you think we can beat him, too?"

The other boy held his Pidgey and joined in, "And what about what Miss Ketchum said? Will it really be enough?"

Ash smiled sadly, "I can't say for sure. But you've all faced Surge before and saw what he's capable of. If anything, that gives you more of an advantage than I had."

The trainers all smiled.

"But-" Ash continued, "That doesn't mean you should expect an easy victory. Soot's plans will help but they won't secure the win if Surge catches on. You need to be ready for the plan to fail at any moment."

The boy with the Rattata stared in shock, "What?! Why would you come up with a plan just for it to fail?!"

Ash raised a finger, "It's about adapting. If you make a decent plan and only expect it to work, then you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Plans can crumble if your opponent is smart enough to see through them. Following Soot's plan will help, but you need to be ready to change tactics."

Nurse Joy wheeled Pikachu and Raichu out of the back on a cart.

Pikachu jumped down and looked over at Ash. He saw Clefairy with him. She was being petted by one of the other trainers and smiling blissfully.

Pikachu smiled softly at the Fairy.

Raichu smirked and patted Pikachu's back, "_I gotta admit, you've got yourself a cute one there, kid._" Looked up and down at Clefairy, "_Quite the looker._"

Pikachu blushed, "_W-what?! We're not- We're just friends!_"

Raichu blinked, "_Really?_" he smirked again, "_Maybe I could try my luck, then._"

Pikachu grimaced.

Raichu laughed and pat his lesser evo's head, "_I'm kidding. I'm kidding._" He looked over to Soot with a smirk, "_Besides, I think I've got my eye on another beauty._"

Raichu eyed her as he put a hand to his chin, "_Look at that tail._" He whistled, "_Ya think your trainer would let her spend a night at the gym with me?_"

Pikachu stared at him, wide eyed.

Ash walked over with Clefairy on his shoulder, "Hey Pikachu, you feel better?"

Pikachu nodded, "_Yup._" He jumped back onto Ash's other shoulder.

Ash smiled, "Good to hear. Come on, we rented a few rooms for the night."

"Oh, one thing." Ash crouched down and got into Raichu's face; surprising the mouse. He glared and spoke in a harsh whisper, "If you ever talk about my little girl like that again, I'll mangle your reproductive esophagus to the point that all of your descendants will be rotom."

Raichu covered his throat and paled while staring at Ash.

Pikachu snickered, "_Yeah. He can understand our kind._" He pointed at Clefairy, "_Hers to._"

Clefairy giggled, "_You're in trouble._" She sang.

Soot walked over and cocked her head, "Is everything alright, dad?"

Ash looked at her with a smile, "We're okay, Soot. Raichu just found out I can understand him." He glanced over at the larger of the mice, "Isn't that right?"

Raichu forced a smile, "_Y-yeah. Right._"

Soot chuckled, "Fair enough. Let's head to the room. It's getting late and I'm tired."

Ash nodded, "Sounds good." He stood back up and made his way down the hallway. Soot followed.

Raichu stared at the trainer in shock. He flinched as Surge put hand on his head.

Surge blinked, "You okay, Raichu?"

Raichu laughed nervously and nodded. He glanced down the hallway at Ash and the others.

Surge followed his gaze and smiled slyly, "Aw. Does Raichu have a little crush on the mightyena?"

Raichu grimaced and looked at Ash. The boy was glaring back at him.

Raichu flinched and shook his head vigorously, "_No! Not at all! No way!_"

Surge laughed and pet the mouse, "Haha. You're so shy. Come on, lets head back to the gym."

Raichu nodded vigorously and bolted out the front door.

Surge chased after him, "Raichu, wait up! Why are you in such a hurry?!"

.

*Ash's room

Ash was in the restroom. The other Pokémon waited outside, on the bed.

Soot looked at Pikachu, "So, Raichu had a crush on me?"

Pikachu chuckled, "_Yup._"

Soot smirked, "How did dad take it?"

Pikachu smirked, "_Ash threatened him. He was practically trembling._"

Clefairy giggled, "_Raichu was really scared._"

Soot chuckled, "Yeah. Sounds like dad."

.

.

**Ohirume: Are you kidding me, Faux?!**

**Faux: *nervous chuckling* I mean, we didn't cause that much damage.**

**Pike: *sweat drops* We trashed an entire city.**

**Faux: Yeah, but it was Jump City. Y'know, from a "Teen Titans Go" dimension.**

**Ohirume: Hm. Okay, I'll give you that. Just, please start the fight in one of those worlds next time.**


	15. 4th of July special - not chapter

**Seishin: Hey there readers! Yukiro Seishin here! I highjacked the account for today to do a comment response … thing to celebrate the Fourth of July.**

**Omega: To everyone who's disappointed, don't worry. The real chapter will be up tomorrow.**

**Gem: Shouldn't Rob be here?**

**Seishin: Nope! I locked him in the basement!**

**Faux: We have basement?**

**Seishin: We do now.**

.

From wishindo (chapter 4):

I see you have yet to get a review on one of your stories. THAT CHANGES TODAY! Good so far, and if no one else reviews, but the story still gets views, your writing will be in no need of review. Rhyme was accidental between reviews and views, but deliberate with views and review, however forced ;)

**Omega: Um … thank you?**

**Seishin: OMEGA, SHOW A LITTLE RESPECT! This reader was the first one to comment on the story! Thank you so much for your support, wishindo. We really appreciate it.**

.

From Johnathen (chapter 4):

Yeah that was dumb BUT Tecnically ash wouldn't be breaking the rules if he used two at a time due to it being a double battle

**Seishin: *chuckles* Yeah, that joke was partially taken from "Child of Mew" by DarkFoxKit. It was a reference to how only single battles were the only kinds of battles back in Gen 1.**

**Faux: Yup. The single battle 'rule' was also acknowledged by Gisselle during the Pokétech chapter.**

.

From CorruptHero (chapter 10):

Now you have me picturing a 7 year old Ash putting a Scyther in a chokehold

**Seishin: Woo-Hoo!**

**Faux: *snickers* Okay, that is pretty funny.**

**Gem *pouts* I feel bad for Scyther, though.**

**Omega: Really? That mantis cut off Soot's leg in a blind panic.**

.

From Bachi the cat (chapter 1):

when Professor. Oak said"Thank Arçeus, they fell for it" i got a good chuckle out of it

**Seishin: *chuckles* Fun jokes are fun.**

**Gem: Why did the professor do that anyway?**

**Faux: *sweat drops* Gem, it was because he had to make sure we got Pikachu as our starters. The professor in my world did it too.**

**Gem: Really? But why, though. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy he did, but why?**

**Faux: … are you serious?**

**Gem: What?**

**Seishin: Ugh! He did it because already knew, as a child, that your starter was supposed to be Pikachu! He was Sammy!**

**Gem: Sammy? … Wait, what?! Professor Oak was Sammy?!**

**Omega: Gem, his first name is Samuel.**

**…**

**Seishin: #Future reference to a movie that we haven't addressed aside from in a minor joke**

**Omega: That isn't how hashtags work.**

**Seishin: Oh, right. #Futurereferencetoamoviethatwehaven'taddressedasidefrominaminorjoke**

**Omega: … I retract my previous statement.**

.

From Bachi the cat (chapter 2):

so gary acknowledged that ash will get to master level eventually, but still arrogant enough that he'll still get stronger faster, first.

**Faux: *scratches side of head* Really? Huh. Never thought about it like that.**

**Seishin: *shrugs***

.

From Bachi the cat (chapter 4):

i thought the beginning and ending segments were comments responses, until now.

**Omega: … Bachi, I blatantly spoiled what we were in the first chapter.**

**Seishin: STOP ANTAGONIZING THE READERS, OMEGA!**

**Faux: It's okay cat, it was a fair assumption. You did, however, give Ohirume the idea to make this. So, thank you.**

.

From Fire Elemental Frank (chapter 13):

this was a sweet chapter, I couldn't stop smiling the whole time I read it.

**Seishin: Aw thank you, Frank. Rob wanted to take a playful and innocent approach on Dynamax Dragonite. He had fun doing it.**

**Omega: Seishin, Rob already said that he wasn't going to include Dynamax into this story.**

**Faux: What? He said, "*sigh* Look, I'll cross that bridge after Sword/Shield comes out." So, he hasn't decided yet.**

**Omega: It doesn't change the fact that Dragonite isn't a Dynamax … yet … maybe.**

.

From TheSilverUmbreon (chapter 14):

can't go wrong with a good ol' threat from papa ash

honestly can't wait for the next flirt that comes out of male 'mons mouth

an officer jenny k-9 like pokemon would be pretty entertaining

**Seishin: Well, given the way Power Integration works, they would have to be from the Eevee, Poochyena, or Pichu evolution trees for the big guy to understand them. Either that or they would have to annoy Pikachu, Clefairy, or Soot enough to tell Trix what they said.**

**Omega: Weren't you yelling at me for antagonizing the readers, earlier?**

**…**

**Seishin: Hehe. If you think that's good, just wait until the St. Anne chapter tomorrow. I won't spoil things too much, but Trix will be getting mad.**

.

.

***CRASH***

**Ohirume: Oh *huff* freaking Yvel. *huff* YUKIRO!**

**Seishin: Rob? Hey, you made it out of the lava room!**

**Faux: LAVA ROOM?! You said he was in the basement!**

**Omega: And you believed him?**

**Ohirume: *glares* Seishin! You! Are! Dead!**

**Seishin: Yuh-oh. Sorry guys, that's all for now. Tune in tomorrow for another chapter of "Pokémon Trix: Tales of Soot and Ash." I hope you're excited for it, because ****I**** sure am. Heh heh. *runs* Woop! Woop! Woop! Woop! Woop! Woop! Woop! Woop! Woop!**

**Ohirume: Get back here you 10-year headache!**

**Gem: Should we help Yukiro?**

**Omega: Oh, not a chance. He's had this coming for a long time.**

**Faux: Agreed.**

**Yugo: Well readers, while the author is beating the ever-loving Yvel out of Yukiro, enjoy a few scrapped scenes from the chapters that have already been posted.**

**Faux: What the- Yugo?! Where have you been?!**

**Yugo: Rob forgot about me and Team Fusion. At this point I might just be a part of these non-canon special chapters.**

.

.

Poketech:

Why: I didn't know how to continue this.

Where: Immediately after the principal berates Misty for talking to Ash

.

Ash grabbed the man's shoulder, "And you don't talk to my friends like that!" He squeezed and the man shouted and fell to his knees.

Ash crouched down and got in his face, "I'm going to tell you something, that you aren't to forget."

The principal looked at Ash and stared in shock.

Ash glared at the man with intimidate, "I am never going to join this school. I have already begun my journey and nothing you say will ever change that. You are going to stop mailing my family acceptance letters and you will delete our email address from your records. Do I make myself clear?!"

The man nodded shakily, unable to say anything.

Ash closed his eyes, "Good."

He turned to the only student he really knew, "You're wasting your time here, Joe. My advice, learn what you can and then leave."

Ash and Soot walked out the door.

Misty stared, "What the Yvel just happened?"

.

**Time Skip**

Half an hour later, Brock, Misty, and Joe found the duo in the 'junk room.' The only place in the school with actual training supplies.

Soot was firing Shadow Balls at fragile targets. Ash was at a standing punching bag where the seams were coming loose.

Brock walked up, "Ash?"

Ash turned and glared. His glare faded when he saw his friends, "hey."

.

.

Hidden village:

Why: Didn't know how to continue / angsty.

Where: After –

Misty looked at Soot, "Doesn't Ash need you to translate for him, too?"

Soot shrugged, "Eh, he'll be fine. Besides, it'll teach him not to sleep through a crisis."

Misty smirked, "Nice."

.

Bulbasaur looked at Soot, "_Why do you keep saying that? Your meema is the one who saved us all. Heck, he risked his life out there!_"

Misty looked at Soot, "What did he say?"

Soot smiled, "He's just nitpicking. By the way, I think Brock could use some help."

Misty shrugged and went off to help her friend.

Bulbasaur glared, "_Why won't you tell them the truth?! Ash saved us all and the other humans are treating him like a lazy sap!_"

Soot didn't look back, "Bulbasaur, why do you think dad didn't correct them himself?"

Bulbasaur raised a brow, "_What do you mean?_"

"When he got back to the village, Misty berated him because of what I said. He had the chance to say that I was lying and that he saved all of them. So, why did he play along with my lie?"

Bulbasaur blinked in surprise.

Soot followed his gaze, "He went along with it because he doesn't want any more humans to know about his powers, yet. Dad trusts Brock and Misty and he wants to tell them about it. Not so they'll like him more, but because he hates lying to them."

Bulbasaur looked at her, "_So why doesn't he tell them?_"

Soot smiled sadly, "Because he's afraid." Bulbasaur looked at her in shock, "He's afraid that they'll reject him. 'A freak human with Pokémon powers.' 'a monster disguised as a Pokémon'."

**Ohirume: That part was also cut out of the chapter. I didn't think to save it. Ash said this as part of his apology to Bulbasaur.**

Bulbasaur's eyes widened at the familiar words. He frowned and made his way over to Ash.

*Ash

"Hey Bulbasaur." Ash said without turning around.

The Seed Pokémon's eyes widened, "_How did you know it was me?_"

Pikachu relayed the message. He and Clefairy will be doing this during the entire conversation between Ash and Bulbasaur, even when it isn't typed.

Ash turned to face him, "I heard you walking over. Is there something you wanted to talk about?"

Bulbasaur frowned, "_You saved our village today. You risked your life to stop those trai- those crooks and everyone is treating you horribly because of a lie. Your hatchling told me why but- _" Bulbasaur wasn't sure what else to say.

Ash smiled sadly, "You don't understand my reasoning. It's like Soot said, I'm afraid to tell them."

All of the Pokémon present looked at Ash in surprise.

Pikachu stared at Ash, "_What?! Ash, in the time I've known you, you've jumped off a waterfall, stared down a flock of murderous Spearow, and knocked out a Poison-type with your bare, __human__ hands! And all of that was the first day of our journey!_"

"Actually, that was closer to two days." Ash corrected, "Also, how did you know about Ekans? I thought you were hyped up on laughing gas when that happened."

"_Don't change the subject?!_" Pikachu shouted, "_You faced all of that without hesitating at all! Why are you so afraid of Brock and Misty?! Do you trust them that little?!_"

Ash sighed, "I'm afraid because I trust them. I know it doesn't make sense, but I can't help it. Every time I think about telling them, all I can imagine is them calling me freak and leaving forever."

Clefairy frowned, "_But, they already know about most of your Power Intagation stuff, right?_"

Ash shook his head, "They think it all has to do my gloves or Marionetter."

"_So?_" Clefairy argued, "_They know you're not like other humans, but they still stay and they still like you. Doesn't that mean something?_"

Ash looked down, "I just- I know it's dumb, but- but-" he clenched his teeth, "But, I can't explain it, alright?! I just don't want to lose them in case I'm wrong and I know exactly how messed up that is! It's selfish and stupid, but I can't help it! Okay?!"

The surrounding Pokémon just stared.

.

Hidden village:

Why: Couldn't follow

Where: Other Hidden Village deleted scene / Meant to go between Bulbasaur talking to Soot and Bulbasaur talking to Ash.

.

He was about to walk over to the boy, when Soot stopped him.

He looked at her, confused, "_What is it?_"

"I know you want to talk to him, but please wait until the morning." Soot responded, "He may not be showing it, but he's still worn out from earlier. Using a move for that long will put a lot of strain on anyone."

Bulbasaur frowned, "_Then, he should be resting. Not putting a bigger burden on himself with all this extra work._"

Soot smiled sadly, "He can't. The others would never let him live it down."

.

.

Squirtle Squad vs. fire:

Why: reveal too early.

Where: Meant to be the firefighting scene.

.

Ash nodded, "Sounds good." He crossed his arms again, pulled his hands into fists, and stuck his thumbs up, "Officer Jenny, watch after Soot."

Soot's eye widened, "Wait, what?! Dad, you'd better not-"

Ash pressed his thumbs down and Soot went limp. She fell back and was caught by the cop.

Soot glared, "Dad, what the Yvel?!"

Ash smiled sadly, "I'm sorry, Soot. But fire still does damage, even if you can't feel it. I'm not letting you get hurt again." He ran off into the forest fire.

Jenny stared in shock, "Did-did he just-"

Brock sighed, "Yeah, he did."

Soot groaned and looked at the Squirtle Squad, "Will one of you please go after him?"

.

**Time skip**

'_Why did I agree to this?!_' Squirtle thought as he ran through the burning forest.

He shot a Water Gun at a bush, "_Trainer! Trainer! Where are you?!_" he didn't notice a large branch break off a tree and fall towards him.

"_Look out!_"

Squirtle turned around right as blue form tackled him out of the way. The vaporeon turned around with a skid and shot a Water Gun at the branch.

Ash turned to look back at the Tiny Turtle Pokémon, "_You need to be more careful!_"

Squirtle stared in shock, '_That voice!_' "_Why do sound like the trainer?!_"

Ash rolled his eyes, "_Now is not the time for that! If this fire spreads, the town will be destroyed!_" He inhaled and fired another Water Gun at a tree.

**Ohirume: One thing to note. I do plan to keep the 'detonator release' thing for Marionetter.**

**Seishin: Kirā Kuīn!**

**Yugo: Baitsa Dasuto!**

.

.

**Omega: Yugo, what did you mean by 'non-canon?' This is a fanfiction.**

**Yugo: Well, non-canon. This is a spin-off chapter.**

**Omega: Yes, but of the pre-chats and post-chats that don't affect the actual story ... directly.**

**Yugo: Exactly. I won't be showing up in those and all of you will act as if this chapter never happened.**

**Gem: What?! You mean we'll never see you again or remember you?! But you were the original!**

**Yugo: Oh, I'll show up again. In the next special chapter.**

**Gem: Oh. But when is-**

**Faux: Uh, guys. We have company.**

**Yugo: Huh? *Looks to the side* Oh right. *clears throat* Alright, now we're really done. See ya next time.**

**Seishin: *weak laugh* see ya next chapter. *faints***

**Faux: 'Til we 'meet' again. *chuckles***

**Omega: Sayonara.**

**Gem: Bye bye!**

**Ohirume: Thanks for your support. Also, tell me what you think about the new avatar and cover images. I literally put them together in a day; each.**

**Omega: It explains why they look as bad as they do.**

**Ohirume: *sigh* yup.**


	16. Ch 15: Saint Anne

**Ohirume: Yukiro, it's time.**

**Seishin: To duel? Alright, just let me get the lumenizers.**

**Ohirume: What? No.**

**Seishin: Oh, then what- OH! Uh, Rob, I'm flattered but I'm a figment of your-**

**Ohirume: Wha- NO! Why would you even think- ugh. It's time for your cameo!**

**Seishin: Oh, well I guess that's … Wait, what?! REALLY?!**

**Ohirume: YES!**

**Seishin: ALRIGHT! Gate Card Open! Iku Ze! *Jumps***

**Omega: Are you sure about this?**

**Ohirume: Not in the slightest.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Anne**

.

"Hurry up!" Misty called out as she dragged Ash and Brock across a suspension bridge. Soot ran alongside them.

"Misty, will you please tell us where we're going?" Brock called out.

As they made their way across the bridge; a giant cruise ship came into view.

Misty smiled brightly, "There!"

She ran towards it at top speed with Ash and Brock in tow. Soot sighed before chasing after them.

.

*Vermillion Shipyard; barely a minute later

Soot looked up at the boat and blinked, "A cruise ship?"

"Not just any cruise ship!" Misty responded, "This is the St. Anne! One of the largest and most luxurious ships in all of Kanto. I actually built a scale-model of it."

Ash smiled, "You must really be a fan of it. Maybe we can get tickets."

Misty smiled sadly, "I wish, but they're crazy expensive. We'd never be able to afford it."

"Well then today's your lucky day!"

The group looked at the source of the voices and were immediately met with a pair of party poppers shooting confetti towards them.

A pair of 'tan' 'teen' girl's' stood in front of them and spoke in unison, "You guys are waylucky! You can go on a super deluxe Sea Cruuuuuise!"

Everyone stared in confusion.

Ash blinked, 'Team Rocket?' "what?"

The pair sprung forward. "Well, it's like, y'know, we have these incredible, super cool tickets for you!" The 'orange haired' one proclaimed.

The 'blond' followed, "Coo-ool!" They continued switching off like this.

"Cool, huh?!" she held out three tickets in front of them, "These are tickets for the biggest party ever! On board the St. Anne cruise liner!"

"Coo-ool!"

"The coolest ship on the Sea! Everyone's going to be together and have, like, the coolest party!"

"Coo-ool!"

"And the party's for Pokémon trainers, only!"

"Coo-ool!"

"Step this way!"

The 'blond' giggled at a frequency that made Ash and the Pokémon flinch.

"It'll be a radical party! All of the most radical Pokémon trainers will be there! So, here are your tickets, dudes!"

Soot sweat dropped, 'They can't be serious.' "We can't afford those."

"Oh, well, like, you don't understand!" the 'orange haired' one continued.

"Coo-ool!"

"They're totally free!" The only one that's actually said anything this whole time shoved the tickets into Ash's hands.

Ash looked down at the tickets and glared at the duo, "Why are you just giving them to us?"

Orange hair smiled sadly, "Oh, like, we have to go out with our boyfriends, but we wanted to give our tickets to cool Pokémon fans."

"Coo-ool!"

"We saw you and thought you looked really cool. Just take them and have a really cool time. Have a nice day!"

The pair ran off.

Misty took a ticket and smiled brightly, "I can't believe it! I finally get a chance to ride the famous St. Anne!"

Ash sweat dropped, "Uh…"

Brock took a ticket too, "What a lucky break! Come one, let's hurry!"

Misty nodded, "Follow me!"

The pair ran off towards the giant ship.

Soot sweat dropped, "They … do know that was Team Rocket, right?"

Clefairy looked at Soot, wide eyed, "_Wait, what?!_"

Ash sighed, "This can't end well."

.

**Time Skip**

The group stood at the base of the steps leading to the St. Anne. Their arguing was drawing attention to them.

Misty waved a hand, "Oh please, Ash. I'm sure you're just being paranoid."

Ash sighed, "I'm telling you; it was them. They had the same faces and hair-dos, and Jessie didn't even try to disguise her voice. Not to mention, their excuse hardly made sense."

"Well, maybe they just happened to look like Team Rocket." Misty argued, "And, how was it so unbelievable? They had to cancel to go on a date with their boyfriends."

Ash pointed, "Exactly! They bought three tickets for the most expensive ship in Kanto and decided to just give them to random strangers instead of trying to get a fourth to take their boyfriends on the cruise?! And even if they didn't have to cancel, why did they buy three tickets for the two of them?!"

Misty frowned, "Well- Even if it was Team Rocket, what could they have done?! The St. Anne is a famous cruise liner! How could they have done something to mess with it without anyone noticing?!" She glared and put her hands on her hips, "And don't try telling me it's a fake! I know the St. Anne when I see it!"

Brock looked at the boy, "She does have a point, Ash."

Ash frowned, "You guys really want to go through with this? Even if it might be a trap?"

Misty nodded, "Please, Ash. I've been dreaming of riding this ship for so long."

Ash sighed before smiling softly at them, "Alright."

"Yes!" Misty cheered. She hurried up the steps and was shortly followed by Brock.

Soot looked up at Ash, "Dad, are you sure about this? The odds of this not being a trap are slim."

Ash frowned, "I know. But you heard Misty; she's been dreaming of this for a long time. I don't want to be the one to ruin that." He started walking up the steps, "Let's just be careful." Soot followed.

Ash made it to the top of the steps and presented his ticket to the attendant, "The pikachu, clefairy, and mightyena are with me."

The attendant nodded and gestured in front of him, "Right this way."

Ash sweat dropped, 'he didn't even take the ticket' "Thank you." He pocketed the ticket and walked over to the entrance.

He found Brock and Misty standing there, looking into the large area in awe. They kind of had a right to.

Soot's eyes widened as she saw the two-story ballroom, "Woah."

Pikachu and Clefairy were speechless.

Ash blinked, "This is- I-I don't know what to call this."

Misty grinned, "Bet you're happy we accepted the tickets now, huh?"

Ash chuckled, "Alright, I'm sorry. So, what should-"

"Alright, bring 'em on!"

Ash looked over at a large crowd, "huh?" he noticed a starmie and raticate ram into each other in midair.

Soot noticed too, "Is there a battle going on over there?"

"Looks like it." Ash responded. He turned to his friends, "You guys wanna check it out?"

Brock scratched the side of his head, "I was actually hoping to check out some of the breeder stands."

Misty sweat dropped, "And, I wanted to look around. Y'know, finally see it all in person."

Ash smiled, "Alright. How about we split up and meet at a table in … 2 hours?"

Brock and Misty considered this and nodded.

Ash nodded too, "Alright, see you guys in a bit." Ash and Soot made their way over to the, apparent, battlefield.

They made it right as Raticate knocked out Starmie with a Hyper Fang. A glowing sign that read 'WIN' lit up above a man in a suit and top hat.

Soot pouted, "Aw man. We missed it."

A few nearby trainers looked at her in surprise.

"Well now, is anybody else brave enough to challenge my Raticate?!" the gentleman announced to the crowd.

Ash smiled and raised a hand, "I'll give it a shot."

The gentleman looked over at him and noticed Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy.

He smirked, 'Now, one of them would make a fine trade.' "Very well, then."

Ash walked over, across from the gentleman. Pikachu and Clefairy jumped down from his shoulders and stood, with Soot, beside him.

Ash pulled out a pokéball and threw it, "Butterfree, take the field!"

Butterfree emerged and stared down his opponent.

The man blinked, "A Butterfree? What about all those Pokémon you have out with you?"

Ash shrugged, "They just don't like pokéballs."

Gentleman smiled, "No matter. Let's get started." He held out a hand, "Raticate, Jump Kick!"

Ash followed, "Butterfree, Whirlwind!"

Raticate jumped off the ground, towards Butterfree. Butterfree knocked back the rat before it even got close.

Ash didn't let up, "Sleep Powder!"

Blue dust spread over Raticate. The rodent struggled to stand up, but ultimately failed.

Ash pointed at Raticate, "Butterfree, use Tack-"

"That's quite enough." Gentleman interrupted as he returned Raticate, "Let's call this a draw."

Ash blinked in surprise, "Huh?"

"A draw." The gentleman replied shamelessly, "It's obvious our Pokémon are too evenly matched. So, it's only fair"

Ash frowned, 'great, one of those guys.' he pointed a pokéball to Butterfree, "Good job, Butterfree. Return."

The butterfly disappeared in the red beam.

"Boooo! What a rip-off!" said a voice from the crowd.

"I beg your pardon?!" The man responded with a frown.

A white-haired 13-year-old with brown eyes and light skin walked out of the crowd. He wore a black t-shirt, red jeans, and red and black sneakers.

He glared at the man, "I mean, come on! The Aporia crataegi was about to finish off your Ondatra zibethicus and you just return the thing and call a draw?! WEAK!"

Ash blinked, "Aporia what?"

The teen looked at him, "Y'know, the black-veined white butterfly." Everyone just looked at him in confusion. He sweat dropped, "The butterfly that- you know what? Forget it."

He turned to look at the gentleman again and smirked, "It still doesn't change the fact that you're too much of a wimp to accept a loss."

The gentleman glared at the teen, "I-I don't have to take this! Good day, sir!" He stormed away.

The white-haired boy chuckled, "Loser." He turned to look at Ash, "Sorry about that. That guy just got on my nerves." 'I mean, come on! He indirectly called Evenly Matched fair! That card might as well be the exact definition of one-sided!'

Ash chucked, "It's okay." he raised a brow, "Have we met before? You seem familiar."

"In your dreams!" the young teen called out with a smirk, "Up until this point, you have never met me in person!" He looked off to the side and put a hand next to his mouth, "You guys probably already know what that means." He chuckled, "Chapter 8, self-reference! Boom!" he sweat dropped, "I immediately regret saying 'Boom'."

Ash and his Pokémon stared at the guy in confusion. Ash followed his line of sight and saw a confused trainer looking around nervously. The trainer pointed to themself; looking kind of freaked out.

Ash looked back at the white-haired man, "Who are you talking to?"

"Not important!" The guy spun around to look at him, "What is important is that we haven't introduced ourselves! So, aloha, mon ami! Yukiro Seishin, at your service." He held out a hand and smiled brightly.

Ash chuckled nervously and shook his hand, "Uh, I'm Ash Ketchum." He gestured to his other Pokémon, "These guys are Pikachu, Clefairy and Soot. Also, I think you meant to say 'alola'."

"I did not." Yukiro continued smiling, "Anyway, on with the show!"

He jumped high above the floor and landed where gentleman was.

Yukiro pulled out a strangely colored pokéball. Instead of the normal red coloring, the upper half was divided into the three equal sections; light green on the left, pink in the middle, and light blue on the right.

Yukiro glanced to the side, 'Bonus points to whoever can figure out the significance of the design.'

He held the ball out in front of him, "Ash Ketchum, I challenge you to a battle!"

Ash blinked in surprise but shook it off and smirked, "Alright. What are the rules?"

"One-on-one." Seishin responded, "But, I've gotta warn ya, my Pokémon isn't like anything you've seen before."

Ash smirked, "Sounds like fun."

Yukiro chuckled, "Okay. But don't say I didn't warn you." He spun and threw the pokéball, "Go! Lamborguineapig!"

Ash blinked, "Wait, what?"

Yukiro's 'Pokémon' emerged on the field. It was a small, brown guinea pig with wheels instead of feet and pointed shades for eyes. It had a toothy grin on its face.

Ash, his Pokémon, and the crowd stared at the creature in shock.

"What the Yvel?!" Ash blurted out, "What is that?!"

Yukiro smirked, "I just told you, it's a lamborguineapig. They're Race-types from the Starbomb islands. More specifically, this one is the variant from Egoraptor island." He looked to the side again, "And obviously, that was the disclaimer. My advice; check out the Egoraptor version of "The New Pokérap" animation. It's undoubtably the best among them."

Soot's eye twitched.

Ash pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered, "Just gonna ignore that." He looked at the white-haired boy, "What the heck is Race-type?!"

Yukiro snapped and pointed at Ash, "More logical than a Stereo-type!"

An awkward silence overtook the crowd.

Yukiro looked around in disappointment, "Nothing?"

Someone's kricketune started chirping.

Yukiro looked at the Bug-type and deadpanned, "Thanks for that." He sighed, "Alright, who's battling my little freak?"

Ash looked down at the … thing and frowned, 'This is going to be tough. I don't even understand it's type.'

He looked to his sides, "Do one of you guys wanna try?"

Soot looked up at him, "I'll give it a shot."

Ash looked back at the wheeled rodent. It was currently doing donuts.

He looked back at Soot and nodded, "Okay, just be careful."

Soot nodded and jumped forward to face Lamborguineapig.

Yukiro smirked and put a hand to hand chin, "Ooo. The spoopy darcc doge. This'll be fun."

Soot sweat dropped, "Uh … okay?" She shook it off smirked, "Just, don't expect an easy win."

The crowd all stared at her. "Did that Pokémon just talk?!" "How is that possible?!" "Wait, is that Miss Ketchum?"

Soot blinked and looked towards the source of the last voice. She found a boy and girl; the latter of which was accompanied by a sandshrew.

Soot smiled, "Wha- Hey, it's you guys! What are you doing here?"

The girl smiled, "We won some tickets! And look!" she held up a Thunder badge, "Your advice worked! I beat Surge!"

"Hah! Nice!" Soot cheered, "Congratulations!"

Yukiro raised a finger, "Um, sorry to interrupt, but we're about to start a battle."

Soot chuckled at him, "Right, sorry." She looked back at the pair, "You guys sit tight and watch."

The boy nodded, "Okay. Good luck, Miss Ketchum."

Soot smiled and stared down Lamborguineapig.

Ash smiled, "You can take the first move."

Yukiro smiled back, "Sweet!" He put a hand in front of his face and pointed forward, "Lamborguineapig, Den kō sekka!"

Ash blinked, "Denko what?!"

The rodent glowed white and shot forward. Soot's eyes widened, 'Quick Attack!' She jumped out of the way; just barely.

Yukiro tipped a bowler hat has was suddenly wearing, "Now, Πίδακας" he looked to the side again, "Another spelling for that is 'Pídakas'."

The rodent became engulfed in water and shot towards Soot. Her eyes narrowed, 'Aqua Jet this time!' She shot forward with a Sucker Punch.

Soot and Lamborguineapig met at the center of the field in a stalemate. Soot got the upper hand and batted the wheeled rodent back towards its trainer.

Yukrio's bowler hat disappeared and his eyes were shaded over, "Yareyare. Guess I'll have to step it up." He looked up and smirked wickedly, "Use Fast Track!"

Lamborguineapig's shades lit up and a short glowing road appeared in front of it.

Soot grimaced, 'That can't be good.' She fired a Shadow Ball.

Lamborguineapig sped away from the attack. The glowing track appeared in front of it as it raced. They shot directly at Soot.

Ash's eye widened, "Soot, dodge it!"

She complied and jumped up to dodge the rodent. What she didn't expect was the track to curve instantly and Lamborguineapig to nail her in the gut.

"Augh!" Soot was shot into the air like a missile.

Ash's eyes widened, "Soot!"

The Sandshrew girl and the boy stared in shock, "Miss Ketchum!"

Yukiro smirked, made a fist, and stuck his thumb up, "Finish her!" He pressed the thumb down into his index finger's phalanx.

Lamborguineapig's glowing track spiraled up towards the canine.

Soot opened one eye and looked down at the approaching opponent, 'What am I supposed to do?! This thing's moving too fast and I can't tell where it's going!' she looked down at the field and noticed something.

Soot's eyes widened, 'The track! The start is still there!' she grimaced, 'I don't know enough about this attack to know if this'll work.' She formed a Shadow Ball in her right paw, 'But I don't have a lot of options.' "Shadow Ball plus Sucker Punch!"

Soot volleyed the Shadow Ball at the start of the track. Lamborguineapig noticed and grimaced as its entire road shattered into nothing. The worst part was, it was right in front of Soot.

Soot grinned, "Gotcha."

She opened her mouth and bit the rodent with Fire Fang. Lamborguineapig screeched as the flames got it. Soot let go and Sucker Punched the rodent back towards the ground.

Lamborguineapig hit the ground and was implanted into the carpet. Soot landed on the other side of the field and stared at her opponent cautiously.

Yukiro crouched down and looked at his Pokémon. There were white spirals on its shades.

Yukiro stood back up and stared in horror, "OOOOOOH MYYYYYY AAAARRRRRC!" he started laughing, "I'm kidding! I'm kidding. I just wanted to throw in another JoJoke. That makes three!" He shot his hands into the air, "Trifecta!"

Yukiro looked at Ash with a smirk, "I lose."

Most of the crowd cheered at Soot's victory; the rest were still trying to process Yukiro's … everything. Although, a few of the younger ones did start laughing at the 'clown.'

Soot sighed in relief and sat down.

Ash immediately pulled her into a hug, "Soot, you were incredible!"

Soot chuckled, "Thanks, dad."

Yukiro smiled sadly at the display, 'We definitely made the right choice.' He shifted to a sly smirk, 'Arceus owes me twenty bucks.'

A small watch alarm went off. Yukiro pulled out a chainless pocket watch, and frowned, "Aw man." He turned towards a window and flung the watch out of it, "Yeet!" He returned Lamborguineapig and gave Ash a sad smile, "Sorry, but I gotta run. My cameo's over." He ran out the entrance to the ballroom.

"Hey, wait a second!" Soot shouted as she chased after him. Ash followed.

They found Yukiro leaning against the ship's railing and looking at them.

Yukiro smiled and waved at them, "See ya at the league, Trix!" he turned around and leapt the railing; going overboard.

"Woah!" Ash grimaced and ran over to the railing with Soot.

They found Seishin standing on a brown bass guitar; floating on the water.

He looked up at them and smiled, "I know what you're thinking and you're completely right! They never showed this function in any of the Fooly Cooly series, despite the fact that they can fly!" He paused and put a hand to his chin, "Wait, is that a valid argument?" he shrugged, "Eh."

The bass started revving and sped off into the sea. "Adiós, Xiǎo Zhi!" he shouted as he rode away.

He glared back, "And it's Za Warudo!" he turned back to face the sea and smirked, "Vier."

He rode off into the distance and disappeared.

"_I-I don't- what was-_" Pikachu stuttered. He looked at Ash, "_Why did he call you Trix?_"

Ash blinked, "I don't know and I'm not sure I want to know."

Soot blinked upon realizing something, "Did he say, 'see you at the league'?"

"Yeah." Ash said, still staring at the sea.

"Excuse me." The group flinched and turned around to see a boy holding a Squirtle.

He was looking at Soot, "I'm sorry, but, that girl said you gave her advice on beating someone named Surge?"

Soot blinked, "Uh, yeah. The Vermillion City gym leader. I actually helped a few other trainers work out a strategy."

The boy's eyes widened, "Do you think you could help me, then?! I've been trying to beat this really stuck up guy, but his Weepinbell keeps destroying me and Squirtle."

The turtle in his arms pouted.

"Weepinbell, huh?" Soot thought for a moment before remembering something, "What all moves does Squirtle know?"

.

**Time Skip**

The two hours had passed. Ash and his friends sat at a table for lunch. Except for Soot. She was at the table next to them.

Word spread pretty fast about the 'advisor Pokémon' -as people were starting to call her- and they just kept coming. Eventually, she started requiring payment for questions. In the form of buffet foods for her and the others.

Ash told the others about Yukiro. So, now, they were trying to figure that out.

"So, he surfed away … on a guitar." Misty said with a raised brow.

Ash was rubbing is temples, "Yeah. I'm just as confused as you are. And if that wasn't weird enough, he had this crazy Pokémon called lamborguineapig. He said it was a Race-type."

Brock scratched the side of his head, "I've never heard of either of those things."

Ash sighed, "Me neither."

Soot looked over from the table, "He also called dad these weird names like 'Trix' and 'Xiǎo Zhi,' spoke to the air, and called out most of his attacks in gibberish. He ran off saying his 'cameo' was over."

**Ohirume: To clarify the 'gibberish' comment. Notice how everyone refers to 'English' as 'Human' in this story. This Pokémon world only has one human language with some minor deviations between regions.**

"Cameo?" Brock asked, "Like in a TV series?"

Ash nodded, "Exactly. And, I already looked around the ship. I couldn't find any hidden cameras." He paused, "Well, other than security cameras."

The gentleman from earlier walked over, "I'm, ever so, sorry about earlier. That ruffian was completely out line."

"_I wouldn't say 'completely'._" Pikachu responded with a deadpanned expression. Clefairy giggled.

The gentleman looked over at Soot and smirked, "Y'know that Pokémon of yours is quite extraordinary!"

Ash looked over at her.

Soot looked up from her plate at trainer holding a Pidgey.

"Pidgeh vasus magamite, huh?" she swallowed and smiled, "I actually had someone else ask me something pretty similar a few days ago. The Electric-type attacks can be countered using Sand Attack, and you can dodge the others with Quick Attack and even Whirlwind if you can aim it well enough. The real issue here is attacking. Normal attacks won't do much and Flying-type attacks will do even less. So, unless you can find a tutor to help Pidgey learn Heat Wave, you'll need to rely on hit and run tactics. If You have to go with 'hit and run', focus on Normal-type moves." She bent down and took another bite out of a sandwich.

The girl blinked in surprise, "Pidgey can learn Heat Wave?!"

Pidgey mimicked their trainer, "_I can learn Heat Wave?!_" the bird tilted it's head, "_What's Heat Wave?_"

Ash chuckled and smiled softly, "Yeah, she really is." He felt a sense of pride in his daughter. The gentleman's next words tore that away.

Gentleman continued smirking, "Ever thought about tradin' it?"

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy all stopped eating and flinched at the man's question. They looked at Ash in alarm.

Ash looked up at the man with a deadpanned expression, "Not once."

The man's smile didn't falter, "Now don't be like that. Ya see, friends who trade then trade with their other friends, and so friendships grow deeper and continue to spread wider and wider. Trading and making friends is one of the best things about having Pokémon. That's how Pokémon friendships get to spread all around the world."

The gentleman held out a pokéball; still smiling, "Now, how about tradin' that, there, Pokémon for my Raticate?"

Ash clenched his fists and his arms started shaking. Brock and Misty flinched and started covering their eyes.

Ash took a deep breath to calm himself and glared at the man, "I don't know what kind of dreamland you live in, but that isn't how it works. I don't even know your name, and I can guarantee you that, if we trade, I will only remember you as the new number one regret of my life. That said, I will never trade, sell, or give away Soot, no matter the circumstance. Now get out of my face and leave us alone, unless you want me to do something that I might regret." Ash turned back around.

The gentleman stared at Ash in complete shock. Brock and Misty blinked and sighed in relief.

Soot overheard and laughed like a maniac, "Oh, man! That-that was just-" she went back to laughing and fell out of her chair, "Woah!" she continued laughing from the floor. The surrounding trainers gradually joined in the laughing.

The gentleman looked at her.

"Hey!"

He flinched and looked back Ash.

The boy glared, "What are looking at?"

The gentleman flinched and ran off as fast as he could.

Soot recovered and propped herself up against table right on time to see the man run away. She started laughing again and began hitting the table, "O-oh, Arceus!"

Misty looked at Ash with a soft smile, "You handled that a lot better than I expected."

Ash frowned, "Maybe but-" he picked up a bread roll and it immediately started smoking. He dropped it on to his plate when it was toasted.

Brock looked at the roll and back at Ash, "I thought your gloves where heat resistant."

Ash nodded, "They are."

Misty's eye widened, "Yikes."

The doors all started slamming themselves shut. All of the ship's attendants tore off their uniforms to reveal Black suit with red 'R's on them and vacuum packs strapped to their backs.

Everyone in the ballroom grew anxious. "Hey!" "What are they doing?!" "Who are they?!" "What is this?!"

The lights went out. A spotlight came on to reveal Jessie and James standing on a tall podium, wearing the same vacuums as the others. They started the motto, although James seemed pretty downtrodden.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double."

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie!"

"James."

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

James sighed, "Surrender now, or prepare to fight."

"Meowth! Dat's right!"

Jessie pointed towards the crowd, "Team Rocket will now take possession of your Pokémon!"

Ash looked at Misty with a deadpanned expression.

Misty grumbled, "Alright! I'm sorry for doubting you! Can we please just stop these guys?!"

Ash smirked and cracked his knuckles, "With pleasure. I need blow off some steam anyway." He looked around at the group, "Misty, watch after Pikachu and Clefairy. Brock, stay with Soot. If you want to use Marionetter, go for it." He started walking towards the podium.

Misty blinked, "Okay, then." She looked at Pikachu and Clefairy, "I guess you guys are with me."

Brock looked over at Soot, "So, Marionetter?"

She looked back and smirked, "Oh, yeah."

Soot ran across the table and jumped in front of Brock. She turned to face away from him, "Go for it!"

Brock smirked and opened the zipper on her back. He crossed his arms as the strings attached, "Soot, Marionetter!"

Soot smiled, "Alright, I'll walk you through- Woah!" She was interrupted when she suddenly stood on her hind legs with her pads pointing out in front of her.

She blinked, "Have you been practicing?"

Brock chuckled as he held his hands together, "Maybe a bit."

Soot smirked, "Sweet!" She formed a Shadow Ball in each paw.

Brock smirked and pointed his hands towards a grunt.

.

*Ash

One of the Team Rocket grunts noticed Ash approaching and got in his way. Big mistake.

The grunt held out his hand, "Hey, you! Hand over your-"

Ash interrupted by upper cutting the grunt in a jaw. The man landed on the ground about five seconds later.

A lot of the surrounding trainers looked at Ash in surprise.

Another of the grunt's charged at Ash, "You'll pay for that!"

The grunt threw a punch at Ash. Before the grunt realized it, Ash's fist was in his gut. Ash pulled back and the grunt fell to the floor.

"If you idiots want our Pokémon-" Ash glared up at the trio, "THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO ME FIRST!"

The other trainers looked at Ash in surprise. They became determined.

"Yeah, we can't just surrender!" "Let's fight back!"

The trainers all cheered and pulled out their pokéballs. The grunts grimaced.

Jessie glared, "What are you waiting for?! Suck up there Pokéballs!"

The grunts turned on their vacuum and started gathering pokéballs.

A grunt smirked as the pokéballs approached. He blinked when a purple, translucent sphere approached and entered his vacuum, "Was that a-" His question was answered when his pack exploded.

"Bullseye!" Soot cheered, "Nice aiming Brock!"

Brock smiled, "Thanks!"

Misty raised an arm, "Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Clefairy, Disarming Voice! Staryu and Starmie, Water Gun!"

The four Pokémon, along with a good eighty-something others, fired away at the grunts.

.

*tRio

Jessie and Meowth watched in shock as the twerps rallied the trainers and destroyed their forces. James was still sulking about being tricked into buying a magikarp for 30,000₽ (Pokédollars or Poké).

Ash was knocking out grunts left and right with various punches and kicks; some too fast for them to really see.

Misty was talking up the trainers and leading them in the charge.

Brock was helping Soot fire at the grunts and destroy the vacuums. They even managed to hit some of the one's that were turned off.

Meowth grimaced, "Ah, Crag! We're gettin' slaughtad."

James pouted, "Another failure. Why did we have to invite the twerp, again?"

Jessie's eye twitched, "Even if we can't get the Pokémon, we can still try and get the Phantom."

Meowth flinched, "What?! Jess, we agreed that-"

Jessie shook her head, "That' not what I meant. Just watch." She looked out towards the crowd, "Listen up! All grunts target the twerp! The kid who keeps throwing punches! We can use him as leverage!"

.

*Ash

Ash grimaced and stared at the trio in shock. The remaining grunts all set their sights on him and smirked. Ash started sweating and took up a fighting stance. He glanced at his watch and grimaced at the thought of using it; especially in front of this crowd.

One of the grunts pointed at Ash, "Get him!"

The grunt took a step forward and was immediately hammered by six Shadow Balls and flung into a table. The other grunts stared in shock before they were all barraged with more attacks.

Ash stared in surprise as trainers and their Pokémon all stood around him; even Brock and Soot. Apparently, Soot instructed Brock on how to make her walk. Pikachu and Clefairy took back their places on Ash's shoulders and glared at the Rockets.

The girl from the Vermillion Pokémon Center -with Sandshrew- glared, "If you want him, then your gonna have to go through us!"

Soot glared, "No one threatens my father and gets away with it!"

Ash smiled; feeling touched at the act. He looked back at the grunts and smirked, "Pick your next move wisely!" he chuckled, "Ah, who am I kidding. You guys are toast."

The last few conscious grunts started backing up.

Ash shook his head, "Nuh-uh! That's too good for you guys!" He pulled out a pair of pokéballs, "Follow my lead!" He tossed them into the air.

Pidgeotto and Butterfree emerged.

Ash pointed at the Team, "Pidgeotto, use Gust! Butterfree, use Whirlwind!"

The trainers caught on and started calling out attacks.

"Pidgey, use Whirlwind!" "Golbat, use Whirlwind!" "Masquerain, Gust!" "Pidove, use Gust!"

"Now Spearow, Whirlwind!" "Noctowl, Ominous Wind!" "Drampa, Hurricane!"

There were more, but we don't have all day.

The grunts -unconscious included- were picked up by at collective wind moves. The resulting tornado tore through the ship's roof and flung the grunts into the night sky.

The trainers cheered as the attackers disappeared.

Ash returned his Pokémon and sweat dropped as he stared at the hole, "I'm sure they can fix this."

Misty frowned, "I sure hope so."

.

*tRio

Jessie, James, and Meowth were, ironically, the only members who weren't blasted off by the storm. They hid in the hallway and were panting.

Jessie sighed, "I can't wait to get off this lousy bucket."

A small alarm went off.

James blinked and pulled out a handheld radio.

The mission has failed. Came a distorted voice from the device.

Meowth blinked, "Da boss?"

All Team Rocket members still aboard are to abandon ship at once. Concrete evidence of our presence here must be erased.

Jessie's eyes widened, "What does he mean by that?"

An explosion shook the ship.

James's gold painted pokéball was knocked out his hands and rolled down a hallway.

He grimaced, "Wait, there goes my salary advance!" he chased after the ball.

Jessie followed, "There goes my money, too!"

Meowth chased after them.

.

*Passengers

Ash flinched, "What was that?!"

An alarm went off and a computerized voice sounded.

Attention all crew and passengers. A technical malfunction has damaged the St. Anne.

All of the doors unsealed and opened.

Please remain calm and make your way to the lifeboats. Attention all crew and passengers. A technical- You get the gist.

The crowd panicked and started running towards the exits.

Misty stared in shock, "This … can't be happening."

Ash ran over and shook her, "Misty, snap out of it! I'm sorry about the ship, but we need to move!"

Another explosion went off. This time, a few of the chandeliers were shaken loose and started falling.

Ash grimaced and pulled Misty out of the way of one of the them.

The other passengers screamed and jumped back as the light fixtures fell. One of them blocked a door.

Ash looked over at Brock, "We're gonna need more exits!"

Brock snapped out of it and nodded, "Right!" He went through the motions for aiming, again, and pointed at the wall, "Soot, go for it!"

She grinned, "On it!" She opened fire at the walls and blew giant holes in them.

When she stopped, Brock aimed again. She followed as such.

"Everyone, hurry!" Ash shouted, "Get to the lifeboats!"

No one hesitated. The room quickly emptied. Ash and his friends waited until everyone else made it.

Ash smiled and ran over to Soot, "Nice work, you two." He closed the zipper on Soot's back, "Let's get out of-"

Another explosion went off and the ship started tipping.

The group was thrown off their feet from the sudden movement. Ash hit his head on a table.

As he fell unconscious, he recognized a sense of weightlessness.

.

*Undisclosed location

Giovanni pinched the bridge of his nose. The mission he had planned for so long had failed. Granted, it wasn't that elaborate, but it was still expensive. Persian was trying to comfort him.

Multiple screens lit up in front of him, revealing the grunts he sent to the ship.

He sighed, "Status report."

One of the grunts frowned, "Sir, I'm sorry to say, but the mission-"

"I already know that. We hacked the security cameras." The boss interrupted, "What's the status on the operatives?"

Another grunt spoke up, "Two members are unaccounted for: Jessie and James as well as the talking Meowth that accompanies them. As for the rest of us; minor injuries, mostly."

"Minor injuries?! I've got second degree burns on my chin! I don't what that kid did, but it was NOT normal!"

Giovanni's eyes narrowed, 'That boy.' "You make a good point. Check the ship's records and find out who that trainer is."

"We already did, sir. His name is Ashton Satoshi Ketchum. He's a ten-year-old trainer from Pallet Town."

Giovanni's eye widened, 'Ketchum?! Pallet Town?!'

A grunt frowned, "Boss?"

Giovanni shook his head, "I-it's nothing. Where is he now?"

"We believe he's still aboard the ship with the unaccounted operatives. But, one thing was kind of strange."

"One thing?!"

"Shut it, Charles! Jessie and James seemed to recognize the Ketchum boy, and vice versa. It was like they'd met before."

"You don't think they're traitors, do you?" another grunt asked.

Giovanni shook his head, "No. Despite all of they're recent failures, they're loyalty knows little bounds. If they made it, they'll contact me. I'll figure out their connection to him, then."

"What?! You mean we're not gonna do anything about that freak?!"

Giovanni glared, "I will handle it. For now, all of you are to lay low. End transmission."

The screens all turned off.

Giovanni eyes narrowed. He opened a drawer and pulled out an old picture.

"Ketchum … it couldn't be."

.

.

**Seishin: Hehe. So that's it. Now we know that-**

**Ohirume: Seishin, don't you dare!**

**Seishin: Why? The readers are bound to figure it out anyway. Why hide it?**

**Ohirume: Does the term 'spoiler alert' mean nothing to you?!**

**…**

**Mizuro: YOU TOOK MY BASS?!**

**Seishin: What? I needed a surfboard. Besides, it's not like I broke it.**

**Mizuro: IT'S FULL OF SEA WATER!**

**Seishin: Well, I'm sorry that Rob didn't make it waterproof.**

**Ohirume: Do not blame me for this!**

**...**

**Sorry about the delay. Non-stop wi-fi problems.**


	17. Ch 16: Sunken Anne

**Omega: *shivers***

**Gem: You okay, Omega? If your cold, we can-**

**Omega: Not happening, Gem! And I'm not cold. The chapter's title just brings up bad memories from another world. Wait, where's that music coming-**

**Seishin: Will We Never Know Of Freedom?!**

**Ohirume: Na! Na-na-na-na-na! Na! Na-na-naaaa!**

**Seishin: *Saxophone intensifies***

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**290998**

.

Officer Jenny of Vermillion City sighed as she picked up a phone and dialed. She always hated this part of the job.

The screen turned on to reveal a woman with brown hair.

"Hello, this is Delia Ketchum." She blinked when she saw who was calling, "Officer Jenny? Why are you calling?"

Jenny frowned, "Hello Ms. Ketchum, I'm calling about your son, Ash."

Delia frowned, "What happened?"

"There's been an incident." Jenny's expression darkened, "I'm sorry to say, but your son has been presumed deceased."

Delia raised a brow, "What do you mean 'presumed'?"

Jenny's blinked in surprise, "Um, there's been a shipwreck. Your son was on board and witness reports say that he didn't make it off before it sank."

Delia's eyes narrowed, "Then why would you assume he's dead?"

Jenny's eyes widened, "M-ma'am the ship has been completely submerged. I'm sorry for being blunt, but it's very unlikely that anyone could survive that."

Delia rolled her eyes, "This is my son we're talking about. A shipwreck isn't going to put him down that easily. Call me back when you have proof."

Delia hung up.

Jenny stared at the blank screen in shock. She looked out the window towards the sea, 'Maybe I should wait until after we check the wreckage to call the other families.'

.

*St. Anne

Ash stirred awake and found himself on the floor. He looked up and found a table and couch directly above him; hanging from the ceiling.

Ash blinked, "What the?" he looked out the window and deadpanned, "Great."

"DAD!" "_Ash!_"

Ash turned around right as Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy jumped him.

Soot teared up as she hugged him, "You're awake!"

Ash smiled softly and pet her, "It's okay, Soot. I'm not hurt." He looked around at the Pokémon, "I'm just happy you guys are alright."

Brock and Misty came to and held their heads.

Brock groaned, "What happened?"

Soot looked at them, "The ship started tipping. I phased us through the floor." She looked up, "Or, ceiling now, I guess."

Misty looked around with a sad look on her face, "The St. Anne." She grimaced and looked down.

Ash walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. Misty looked at him with tears in her eyes.

She wiped them away and looked an opened door with a glare, "Let's move. We need to get out of here."

Misty started walking. Everyone followed.

They came to a flooded stairwell.

Ash grimaced, "Crag. The ship's leaking everywhere."

Misty took a deep breath to calm herself, "It's okay. As long as there's air in here, it'll take time to fill up with water."

Brock started sweating, "Sure, but we better not waste any time."

Ash looked around, "It looks like we have two options." He towards the stairs, "Climb up to the hull" he pointed down to the water, "Or swim down to the deck."

Soot frowned, "If we go down and reach a dead end, most of us will risk drowning. If we go up, there's a chance that the hull's already been breached and something's just keeping the water from coming down." She looked at the water, "We can void a lot of risk by having someone go down and check."

Misty nodded and pulled out a pokéball, "Leave it to me. Go, Goldeen!"

The fish emerged and looked at the group.

"Goldeen, I need you to dive down to the deck and try to find a way outside." Misty told her Pokémon, "Be careful."

Goldeen nodded and dove into the water.

After a few minutes, the group became worried.

Ash frowned, "Do you think she's okay?"

Misty looked around at the water, "Maybe, she can't find a way out."

The water started bubbling, catching the groups attention.

Something blue and stringy popped out of the water and Misty flinched, "Ah! It's a mareanie!" she paused and raised an eyebrow, "In Kanto?"

Soot squinted, "No, it's-"

Goldeen bobbed out of the water and flung Jessie, James, and Meowth on to the stairwell.

Brock glared, "You three!"

The trio started coughing up water and noticed the group.

Jessie smirked and pulled out a pokéball, "We've got you cornered now, Twerps!" James pulled out a pokéball, too.

Pikachu and Clefairy stepped forward and got into there fighting stances.

Misty and Soot got in between the two groups, "Stop!"

Misty looked at the trio, "Look, you don't like us and we sure as Yvel don't like you! But this place is already unstable! A battle would only make things worse!"

Soot nodded, "Misty's right! I already checked outside, and this thing is sitting on a spike! Adding weight could send us tumbling into the abyss!"

Meowth blinked, "What?! How could you 'ave checked outside without floodin' da place?!"

Soot rolled her eyes, "I can turn intangible and hold my breath longer than you think, scratchy."

Team Rocket looked at each other and nodded. Jessie and James put away their pokéballs. Soot looked at her teammates. Pikachu and Clefairy frowned but backed down.

Pikachu sighed, "_Fine. But if they do anything to hurt us, they're toast._"

Clefairy nodded, "_Yeah!_"

Soot smiled, "Fair enough." She looked at Misty, "They'll cooperated."

Misty nodded, "Good." She looked around, "Look, we're all I trouble here. It'd be best for everyone if we worked together to escape."

Ash nodded, "She's right." He walked over and held out hand to Jessie, "Truce?"

Jessie sighed and shook the hand, "Truce."

"So, what's the plan for getting out of here?" James asked.

Ash pointed a thumb at the Water-type trainer, "We follow Misty."

Jessie glared, "Why her?"

Soot deadpanned, "Do you know anyone else here who built a scale model of this thing?"

The three of Team Rocket members looked at Misty in surprise.

Misty nodded, "I learned all about the structure of the St. Anne. Since the way to the deck is blocked …" Misty looked at Goldeen, "Is it blocked?"

Goldeen nodded, sullenly.

Misty smiled sadly, "It's okay, Goldeen. Thank you for checking." She pulled out a pokéball, "Return." The fish disappeared.

Misty looked back at the group, "As I was saying; we'll have to climb to the bottom of the ship. We can cut a hole in the hull and escape."

James flinched, "But won't the water come pouring in?!"

Ash looked at the man, "It's still our best bet for getting out of this alive." Ash looked at Misty again, "Lead the way."

Misty smiled and led them up the inverted stairwell.

Misty looked around and pointed down a hallway, "This way." She walked down the hall.

They continued following her. They came to a darkened hallway.

Misty frowned, "Crag. The lights must be out."

"On it." Ash said as he tossed a pokéball, "Charmander, come one out!"

Charmander looked at Ash and flinched upon seeing Team Rocket, "_Ash, what's the going on?! Why are they here?!_"

"We called a truce with them, Charmander." Soot responded. She glared at the trio, "For now."

Ash nodded and pointed down the dark hall, "We need you to light the way."

Charmander smiled and nodded, "_Okay! I won't let you down, Ash!_"

They continued down the hallway with the Fire-type lighting the way.

Brock looked at Misty, "Where does this hall lead to, anyway?"

Misty looked ahead, "The engine room; where the hull is the thinnest. It's the best spot to try and cut through." She opened a door, "We just need to cross-"

The room they entered was nothing but a fiery inferno down below. The staircase connecting the sides was torn in two.

Misty stared in shock, "-this room."

Soot sweat dropped, "Oh, boy."

Jessie and James looked at each other sorrowfully and held hands.

"Jessica." James started.

"Yes, James?" Jessie responded. Cue the switch-off.

"Whoever said beauty doesn't last, must have been thinking of us."

"I'll always remember what a wonderful dresser you were."

"So will I."

They hugged.

"Will you two knock it off?!" Misty shouted, startling the duo, "There's gotta be some way to get off this ship!" She looked at the door across the room, "There must be some angle we haven't thought of yet."

Brock spoke up, "We could climb onto the staircase and use it as a bridge. We might be able to jump across the tear."

Soot looked closely at the staircase before shaking her head, "I'm afraid not. The gap is too wide. And even if we could jump it, the doorway is still too far away from the stairs."

Misty followed, "What about some of our flying Pokémon? They could carry us across."

Ash looked around and frowned, "The staircase will get in the way and the angle's too awkward. An avian Flying-type as big as Pidgeotto will need more room." He reached forward; over the flames, "Plus the air is too dry for Butterfree, Staryu, or Starmie."

James went next, "What if your Water-types put out the fire? We could climb down and back up."

Ash sniffed the air and shook his head, "Can't. Electrical fire."

Ash pulled out a pokéball, "I may have something, though." He pointed it at the Fire-type, "Thanks for the help, Charmander. Return." He put the pokéball away, pulled out another, and threw it into the hall they came from, "Bulbasaur, you're up!"

Bulbasaur appeared and noticed the Rockets immediately.

He glared, "_What are-_"

Ash put out a hand, "We called a truce, Bulbasaur." He pointed back, "Right now, we need your help with this."

Bulbasaur raised a brow and walked forward.

He flinched when he saw the blaze, "_Woah! What do you expect me to do about this?!_"

"We need to use your Vine Whip as a bridge." Ash pointed across the room, "Aim for that door."

Bulbasaur grinned, "_Okay, that I can do._" He brought out his vines and reached across to the other side.

Misty smiled, "Great idea, Ash!"

Ash nodded, "Thanks, but we should probably go one, if not two, at a time. A Vine Whip can only hold so much." He looked at the Mouse and Fairy Pokémon, "Pikachu, Clefairy, you guys go with Brock and Misty first. No arguing."

The pair frowned but nodded and jumped onto the other humans' heads.

Brock and Misty made their way across the vines. They got to the other side unscathed.

Ash looked at the trio, "You guys, next."

Jessie glared, "How do we know you won't drop us?!"

Ash looked at her, dumbfound, "Do you honestly believe I would do that?" He pinched the bridge of his nose, "Fine. Soot, go with Jessie and Meowth. James, you're with me."

.

**Time Skip, short**

The temporary group made it across. Team Rocket was panting from the heat.

Ash held a pokéball out to Bulbasaur, "Thank you for the help. Return." He looked up at the hull. It was creaking loud enough to wake a snorlax.

Ash looked around, "Alright everyone, this is it. Once we cut through, water's going to start pouring in like crazy." He looked at Team Rocket, "Do you guys have a Water-type?"

James perked up upon remembering, "I do!" he brought out a gold pokéball and held it high.

Jessie and Meowth smiled brightly, "We're saved!"

Soot sweat dropped, "Okay?"

Ash pulled out a few ropes out of his backpack, "Everyone take a rope and tie yourself to your Pokémon. If it's a Water 2, wait until this place starts flooding to let it out."

James blinked, "Water 2?"

"A fish." Soot responded, "Like Goldeen."

Ash and Misty each tossed up a Pokéball, "Squirtle!" "Starmie! Staryu!"

The three of them emerged. Squirtle glared at Team Rocket.

Ash put a hand on his head, "Not the time, Squirtle. I need your help getting out of here."

Squirtle frowned but nodded, "_Fine._"

Meowth blinked, "Wait a sec! Your dat lead Squirtle from da Squirtle Squad!"

Ash ignored them and spoke up, "Get ready, guys! I'm about to punch through this thing." He brought up his left hand and made a finger gun.

Soot's eyes widened, "Wait, dad! Are you sure about that?!" she looked at Team Rocket, "What about them?"

The trio blinked in surprise. "What?" Jessie asked.

Ash sighed, "I know, Soot. But the only other options are to have Charmander weld through it or have Pidgeotto or Pikachu use a Steel-type move. Falling from that height or getting wet is only going to hurt them."

Ash's hand twitched and the remaining two claws appeared on his pointer finger and thumb.

Jessie, James, and Meowth stared in shock.

"What?" Jessie started.

"Da?" Meowth followed.

"Heck?" James finished.

Ash squinted and fired from his pointer finger. The claw dug into the hull and a small stream of water started pouring in.

"Almost." Ash pointed his thumb at the same spot and fired again. The hull burst open and the water shot out like a geyser.

Misty smiled, "Alright!" she pulled out and tossed another pokéball, "Goldeen!"

Misty, Brock, and Ash's Pokémon quickly tied themselves to a Water-type. Misty to Goldeen, Brock to Starmie, Soot to Staryu, and Pikachu and Clefairy to Squirtle.

Misty blinked, "Ash, what about you?"

Ash smiled, "Don't worry, I'll bring up the rear. You guys go ahead."

Brock frowned, "But Ash-"

Soot spoke up, "Guys, trust him. We need to move."

Ash nodded, "Squirtle, Starmie, Staryu, Goldeen, get them out of here!"

The Water-types nodded and started swimming up the waterfall and out the hole.

"_Be careful, Ash!_" Clefairy called out as they disappeared.

Ash smiled as they left. He turned towards the tRio. They were still staring up at the hole in shock.

Ash rolled his eyes, "You guys better hurry and bring out that Water-type."

He jumped into the center of inverted geyser.

James blinked, "Oh, right." He tossed his pokéball, "Go, Magikarp!"

.

*Outside

Squirtle, Staryu, Goldeen, and Starmie continued pulling the others towards the surface. Ash emerged shortly and followed.

Ash heard something crumble. He stopped and turned around. The ship was staring to fall off the rock.

Ash eyes widened and he looked around, 'Where the Yvel are they?!' he looked at the ship again and grimaced, 'Crag!'

He swam back towards the ship.

Misty looked back and her eyes widened. She was about to have Goldeen turn back when Soot put a paw on her shoulder.

Soot shook her head and pointed upwards. Misty kept frowning and looking back.

Soot shook her head again. She touched her throat with a paw, pointed it back at Ash, and nodded.

Misty still frowned but nodded. They continued upwards.

Soot glanced back and frowned, 'You better know what you're doing, dad.'

.

*tRio

Jessie, James, and Meowth held each other as they were swept away by the current. Magikarp flailed while still tied to them.

"I'm sorry, guys!" James cried out.

"Forget about da money! We have bigga things ta worry about!" Meowth shouted.

"It's not that!" James shouted, tears in his eyes, "I'm sorry you two had to get paired with someone dumb enough to buy this useless thing! You two wouldn't be in this mess if we had never-" he stopped when Jessie and Meowth hugged him.

"Don't you dare, James." Jessie responded coldly, "Don't you dare think that we'll ever regret having known you."

Meowth followed, "If we have ta go down, we're happy it's with you."

James teared up, "You guys." He hugged them back as the trio was swept away by a wave and forced under.

As he fell unconscious, Meowth noticed something swimming towards them, 'A mermaid?' He fainted alongside the others.

Ash stared at the trio tied to the red fish and sighed.

The vaporeon deadpanned, "_They could have mentioned that it was a Magikarp._"

.

*Brock, Misty, Soot, Pikachu, Clefairy, Squirtle

They group managed to find a makeshift wooden raft. *sigh* Yeah, they don't explain it in the anime either.

Misty already returned Starmie, Staryu and Goldeen.

Misty looked over the edge and frowned, "Where is he?!"

Soot put a paw in her shoulder, "Misty, stay calm. It's only been eight minutes. Dad still has time."

Brock frowned, "Still, what if something happened?!"

Ash burst out the water and tried to catch his breath.

Misty smiled, "Ash, you're okay!"

He looked towards the group, "I need help with this!"

Ash swam towards them while pulling a rope. When he got close enough, everyone grabbed the rope and pulled. Team Rocket laid on the raft; unconscious. Magikarp flopped around on the deck.

Ash pulled himself onto the raft and laid on his back, "Can you guys *huff* please help them?"

.

**Time Skip**

James, Meowth, and Jessie were revived a while ago. They hugged each other in joy; having survived. Magikarp was still flopping on the raft.

Squirtle was returned earlier and Pikachu and Clefairy sat by Ash.

Soot sweat dropped, "You just had to lose her pokéball, didn't you?"

"We were drowning!" James shouted. He blinked in surprise, "Wait, Magikarp's a girl?"

Misty rolled her eyes, "Can we worry about that later? Right now, we need to find a way out of this."

Ash nodded, "Misty's right." He looked around, "We're completely surrounded by ocean and I can't see anything that might help."

Soot frowned, "If you're saying it, then we really are in trouble."

Brock spoke up, "Maybe, we could send a Pokémon to look around."

Ash considered this and nodded, "It's worth a shot." He tossed a pokéball into the air and released Pidgeotto.

She reacted to Team Rocket like the others did.

"Ignore them." Ash told her, "We need you to try and find land or a boat; something that will help. We're counting on you." he frowned, "Be careful, girl."

Pidgeotto nodded, "_Okay._" She flew off.

Ash sat down, "Now we wait."

Meowth frowned, "What if it doesn't find anyt'ing?"

Ash glared, "Pidgeotto's a female. I'd expect a Pokémon to notice something like that."

Jessie glared, "Will you just answer the question?!"

Soot sighed, "If she doesn't find anything, then we try something else. For, now be patient."

Team Rocket sat down and waited with everyone else.

Around an hour later, Ash stood back up, "Pidgeotto's back."

Everyone looked as the bird flew back.

Ash held out an arm for her to land on, "Any luck?"

Pidgeotto frowned, "_Sort of. There's island in that direction._" She pointed a wing, "_But it's far. Also, the Pokémon there are __big__. Like, freakishly big!_"

The Pokémon present all frowned. Soot relayed the message.

Misty looked at the bird, "You mean like Dragonite?"

Pidgeotto stared in surprise, "_Were they really that big?!_"

Pikachu shrugged, "_Maybe._"

Ash put a hand to his chin, "Even so, it's probably our only option." He petted the bird, "Thanks, girl." He returned her.

Brock stood up, "Alright. Let's get rowing."

"I'll get some oars." Soot said before she jumped into the water.

Jessie raised a brow, "How is it supposed to find oars out here?"

Ash glared, "Do not call Soot an 'it.' And she didn't mean literally."

Soot returned momentarily with a large section of planks; likely from the ship's deck. They were connected by metal bars.

She pulled herself back onto the deck and shook herself dry. She looked at Ash, "Go ahead, dad."

Ash nodded and pulled the planks closer. He twitched his right hand, bringing out the five claws, and started cutting through the metal.

Team Rocket stared as he did this.

"How are you doing that?" James asked.

Misty glared, "None of your business."

Ash didn't look up, "It's the gloves. My claws are unbreakable and can shoot off. You saw it on the ship."

His friends looked at him in shock.

Ash continued cutting, "They already saw me open the ship's hull. Denying it will only drive a larger wedge in the truce."

Brock and Misty still seemed uneasy.

"Done." Ash held up the planks and handed them out.

Jessie groaned, "Great."

Misty glared, "Shut up and row."

.

**Time Skip**

The sun was starting to set. The island was still nowhere to be seen.

Ash frowned, 'Pidgeotto wasn't kidding.' He looked around, "Let's go ahead and break for the night."

"Finally!" Team Rocket called out as they fell to their knees.

Brock and Misty sighed in relief and sat down.

Ash reached into his bag and pulled out a bag of fruit.

He got up and started passing the fruit around, "Eat up. We have a lot more rowing to do in the morning."

Misty smiled, "Thanks." She started eating.

Brock, Pikachu, and Clefairy followed suit. Jessie, James, and Meowth started tearing into the fruit like savages.

Ash looked at Soot and frowned, "Why aren't you eating?"

"Why aren't you?" Soot said with an accusing look, "Don't think I didn't notice." She nudged the berry over to him.

Ash frowned and pushed it back, "Soot, no. You need to eat."

"I'm not the one rowing in the morning." She nudged it back.

"I'll be fine." Ash said as he pushed it again.

Soot sighed and bit the berry in half. She nudged the second half over to him, "There."

Ash frowned, "Soot-"

"Dad, just take it." Soot said in an annoyed tone, "We both know I don't need to eat as often as you."

Ash sighed in defeat, "Fine." He picked up the bit into berry and ate.

Night rolled around and the group slept. Magikarp was still flopping on the deck.

.

**Time Skip**

Morning came up and they continued rowing. After a few hours, they had to take another break. Their stomachs were all growling.

Clefairy frowned, "_I'm so hungry._"

Brock looked at Ash, "Do you have any fruit left?"

Ash shook his head, "We finished it all last night." He looked into the distance, "I was hoping we'd be there by now."

Misty grumbled, "I should have stuffed my face on the St. Anne."

"I want some food." James whined.

Jessie glared, "Stop it! Complaining isn't going to get us anything to eat!"

Meowth looked at Magikarp, "Well … dere is one ting."

Ash, his Pokémon, Misty and Brock stared at him in shock.

"You cannot be serious." Brock responded.

Jessie glared, "Well it's not like we have a lot of other options!"

Ash pinched the bridge of his nose, "Even if that was legal, a magikarp isn't edible."

Misty nodded, "Ash is right. Magikarp are made of almost nothing but scales and bones."

"Freaking Yvel!" James shouted, "First, this thing can barely swim and now we can't even eat it?!" He stood up and walked over to her, "You good for nothing fish! I don't want to be your master anymore!" He kicked it into the water, "Good riddance!"

Magikarp flailed in the water and started glowing. Everyone's eyes widened as Gyarados appeared in front of them.

Soot's eyes widened, "Oh crag."

James smiled and looked up at the serpent, "I'm James, your master. Obey-"

Gyarados roared at him. James flinched and whimpered.

Misty glared at him, "What is wrong with you?! You just criticized and kicked her, and still expected her to listen?!"

Brock grimaced, "We need to get out of here!"

Misty tossed three pokéball, "Staryu! Starmie! Goldeen!" she quickly tied Ash's ropes to them and the raft, "Get us out of here!"

The three Pokémon pulled as Gyarados chased them. She was catching up.

"We need to lose some weight!" Ash called out.

"On it!" Soot shifted her eyes to their inherent state and slammed on the raft. They started picking up speed.

Ash held up a hand and smirked, "Intangibility." he smiled at the canine, "Nice work, Soot."

Jessie shivered, "This feels so weird."

Gyarados stopped chasing them and just … started roaring. They stopped the raft and stared in confusion.

"What's going on?" Ash asked worriedly.

Brock smiled, "Maybe it's tired out. It did just evolve, after all."

Team rocket cheered, "We made it!"

Soot frowned as her eyes returned to normal, "No, it's not roaring in anger. It's calling something."

"Calling something?" Misty's eyes widened, "The stories- It's Dragon Rage!"

Everyone looked at her in shock.

"_I got it!_" Clefairy jumped out in front of them and spread her arms.

Gyarados continued roaring. Four more Gyarados appeared from the water.

Clefairy blinked, "_I-I can still handle this._"

Soot grimaced, "No, something's wrong. If this was an energy style Dragon Rage, there'd be some kind of flames."

The gyarados started swimming in circles.

Ash's eyes widened, "Crag! It's vortex style!"

Misty grimaced and held out three pokéballs, "Staryu, Starmie, Goldeen, return!"

James flinched, "What are you doing?! We need to get out of here!"

Misty put the balls away, "We can't! Vortex style Dragon Rage can't be outrun in a body of water!"

The gyarados picked up speed and formed a massive water cyclone.

Soot grimaced, "Brace yourselves!"

The cyclone approached and tore the raft apart. Everyone screamed as they were swept away in the storm.

.

.

**Faux: It's on fire!**

**Seishin: Uh, sorry Faux. But it's a bit late to join in the song.**

**Faux: What song?! The training grounds are on fire!**

**Ohirume: We don't have training grounds.**

**Faux: Well something's on fire!**

**Omega: What the **** happened to my room?!**

**Seishin: Faux, run.**


	18. Ch 17: Pokémon Land

**Omega: Get back here you Kyubi rip-off!**

**Faux: I'm sorry!**

**Omega: 'Sorry' isn't gonna fix my room!**

**Faux: I didn't know it was your room! Why was it just a white void full of training gear?!**

**Omega: That's my business!**

**Seishin: Gate Card open! Faux, over here!**

**Faux: Geronimo!**

**Omega: *sci-fi portal sound* No, you don't! *jumps***

**Ohirume: … They just went to Trix's world, didn't they?**

**Seishin: Woo-hoo! Cameo dos!**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Escape from Pokémon Park**

.

Soot stirred awake, "Ugh, my head."

She looked around and found herself on a beach. Pikachu and Clefairy were lying in the sand with three pokéballs next to them. Soot grimaced and ran over.

Soot shook mouse, "Pikachu, wake up!"

Pikachu opened his eyes slowly, "_Soot?_" he sat up and held his head, "_What happened?_"

Soot frowned, "I'll tell you after we get the others." She looked at the pokéballs and Fairy-type.

Pikachu followed her gaze and grimaced, "_Clefairy!_" He ran over and started shaking the pink Pokémon.

"_Ah!_" Clefairy jerked awake and butted heads with Pikachu. The pair fell back and held their foreheads.

Soot snickered before walking over to the pokéballs and opening them.

Squirtle, Charmander, and Squirtle appeared.

Pikachu stood back up and rubbed his head, "_Are you guys alright?_"

Squirtle laid on his back and gave a thumbs up, "_I'm good._"

Bulbasaur stood up and nodded, "_Same._"

Charmander looked around, "_Where are we? Where's Ash?_"

Soot frowned, "I don't know. We got separated." She looked into the forest, "For all we know, this could be an uncharted island."

Charmander frowned.

"_Hey! Look over there!_" Clefairy called out as she pointed towards the ocean.

Everyone looked and found a slowpoke laying on a rock.

Charmander's eyes lit up, "_Maybe he's seen the others!_"

Clefairy nodded and ran over to Slowpoke with Charmander.

Soot sweat dropped, "uh."

Clefairy smiled and waved at the other pink Pokémon, "_Hi there!_"

Charmander followed, "_Could you tell us where we are, please? And if you've seen any humans around?_"

Slowpoke just stared off into the distance. No response.

Clefairy tilted, "_Hello?_"

Charmander looked to her, "_Maybe they can't hear us?_"

"That's not the issue." Soot walked over and frowned, "This guy is a slowpoke. Most of them are naturally oblivious to the outside world. We aren't gonna get an answer out of him."

Slowpoke stood up and started walking backwards. He laid down again and stuck his tail in the water.

Clefairy blinked, "_What's he doing?_"

"Fishing for shellder, probably." Soot responded, "Slowpoke have a one of the most unique evolutions on earth. They evolve into slowbro by when a shellder bites their tail and slowking when a shellder bites their head while they're wearing a King's Rock."

Charmander tilted his head, "_What happens to Shellder?_"

Soot looked at Charmander, "It evolves with Slowpoke into a new form that can't be obtained otherwise. Despite how it sounds, it stays a shellder"

.

*Team Rocket, minus Meowth

Jessie and James woke up screaming when a krabby pinched them. The pair recovered and stared at each other in surprise. They looked around.

"Could it be?" Jessie asked.

James followed, "Does this mean-"

They hugged, "We survived again!"

James blinked, "Wait, where's Meowth?!"

Jessie frowned, "Maybe Ekans can-" she reached for the pokéball and found nothing. She grimaced, "Ekans is gone!"

James reached behind his back and flinched, "Koffing too!"

Jessie sank to her knees, "What are we supposed to do?"

James frowned and looked around. His eyes widened and he pointed, "Look! A phone booth!"

Jessie looked up and stared in shock. She stood back and smiled, "Yes! We can call for help! How lucky can we get?!"

They hurried over and got inside.

James pulled out a change purse and frowned, "Uh, oh."

Jessie deadpanned, "Right, the fish." She started dialing, "No matter, we'll just call through collect."

James's eyes widened, "Wait Jessie, who are you calling?!"

Jessie smirked as she held up the phone, "Hello, Boss."

James grimaced.

The boss spoke, voice disguised again, "So, it appears you did survive the shipwreck."

"Of course." Jessie responded with a smile, "Now for the introduction. Prepare for-"

"Finish that sentence and I'm hanging up!" The boss threatened.

James flinched and snatched the phone away, "I'm sorry, sir! Please forgive us!"

The boss sighed, "Fine. I was actually expecting this call, anyway. There are a few things I need to ask you."

Jessie and James blinked in surprise.

"Um, what it is?" James asked.

"It's about that boy who ruined the mission. Ashton Satoshi Ketchum."

Jessie grimaced, "What about him?"

"We did some digging and found an old rumor about a 'Phantom Child.'" Jessie and James flinched. The boss continued, "I want you to tell me everything you know about the boy and his mightyena."

James stuttered, "W-why would you think we know anything about him?"

"The grunts say that you recognized the boy and I watched everything from the security cameras. You muttered something and told all of them to target the boy. You'd better have a reason for making such a move."

Jessie took the phone, "Um- w-well you see- we've run into him a lot during our missions; most of which he's ruined. We heard about the Phantom Child thing and have been trying to snatch it for you."

"Then why did you target the boy?" The boss asked accusingly.

Jessie continued, "We, um, thought we could use him to make the toughy- I mean, mightyena surrender."

James spoke up, "We think we can use her to lure out the real Phantom Pokémon!"

Jessie stared at James in shock. James frowned and shrugged.

The boss didn't respond.

Jessie frowned, "Um, boss?"

"Monitor the boy." The boss responded, "I expect regular reports. That is all."

Jessie blinked in surprise, "Yes sir." She put the phone back and glared at James, "What the heck was that?!"

James waved his hands, "I'm sorry Jessie, but we had to tell him something."

Jessie continued glaring, "Don't you remember James?!"

.

*Undisclosed location

"If the Boss finds out the twerp is the Phantom Pokémon, he'll send all of Team Rocket after him and our promotions would be ruined! Not to mention we could get in trouble for lying to him, now!"

"I know, but we had to say something! And I wasn't lying; getting his dog would still lure out the twerp." James paused, "Wait, did we forget to ask for help?"

Giovanni hung up and stared at wall in front of him in shock.

He clenched his teeth, picked up the phone again, and started pressing buttons.

Recording deleted

.

*Soot and others, Night

Soot and the others made their way through the forest with Charmander lighting the way.

Pikachu frowned, "_I don't see Ash or the others anywhere._"

Soot frowned too, "Those gyarados must have thrown us all around the island. Dad, Brock, and Misty could be anywhere."

Squirtle crossed his arms, "_Something's kind of bugging me about that._"

Bulbasaur looked at him, "_What do you mean?_"

Squirtle pointed at his wrist, "_Well, that crazy watch thing Ash has. He's gotta have something in there that can track us down._"

Soot considered this and shook her head, "Not if Brock and Misty are with him. Dad's still unsure about telling them and I doubt they'll let him out of their sight while we're all out here."

Pikachu looked at Soot, "_But what about Pidgeotto or Butterfree? Couldn't they look instead?_"

Soot frowned, "That depends. Pidgeotto said that the Pokémon here where massive, but she didn't really have a comparison. Dad might be worried they'll get hurt if he sends them to find us."

Charmander frowned, "_You don't think that he-_"

"Don't even finish that thought, Charmander." Soot responded calmly, "Dad would never abandon us." She smiled at him softly, "I know that for a fact."

Charmander smiled sadly, "_Thanks. I just hope we find him soon._"

"Alright, Pokémon, surrenda!"

Everyone flinched and looked at the source of the voice. Soot deadpanned when she saw Meowth. Koffing and Ekans were in the bushes behind him.

Soot grumbled, "What do you want, hairball?"

Meowth glared, "I'll show you who's a hairball." He pointed at the group, "Okay, guys, go get 'em!"

The Pokémon tensed and got into their fighting stances. They blinked in surprise when nothing happened.

"Huh?" Meowth turned to look at his Teammates' Pokémon, "Hey! I said go get 'em."

"_You not Master!_" Ekans responded.

"_Not Master._" Koffing followed.

Meowth grimaced, "What?! Ekans, you did what I said back with da Squirtle Squad, rememba?"

Ekans turned away, "_Different! Master say to listen! I only obey Master!_"

Koffing nodded, "_Only Master._"

Soot chuckled and sat down, "What do ya know? The Poison-types are loyal to a fault."

Meowth flinched and turned back towards the group. Five of the six Pokémon were glaring at him.

"Come on, how is dis fair?! I'm outnumbad six ta one!" Meowth turned towards the Poison-types, "Seriously, I could use some help!"

Ekans and Koffing turned away. Meowth groaned and hit the ground.

Soot frowned as her teammates approached the fallen cat and mumbled, "Crag." She spoke up, "Wait."

Clefairy blinked and looked at her, "_What?_"

Soot sighed, "Look, I don't like this either, but we need all the help we can get to find the others." She looked at the Poison-types, "You two; will you help us look if we promise to help you find your trainers?"

The Snake and Poison Gas Pokémon looked at her and nodded immediately.

Meowth's stared at them in shock, "What?! You'll listen to da enemy, but not me?!"

Soot glared, "It's because they care more about finding your teammates than fighting us." She sighed, "Can we just call a truce again? We're not going to get anywhere by fighting." He held out a paw.

Meowth groaned but shook the paw anyway, "Fine. But this ain't gonna last, mutt."

Soot frowned, "I don't expect it to." She looked up into the night sky, "It's late. We should go ahead and set up camp. Come on, we passed a clearing earlier." She started walking back the way they came. The other Pokémon followed.

Pikachu ran up beside Soot and looked at her in concern, "_Are you sure we can trust them?_"

Soot shook her head, "Not Meowth. But Ekans and Koffing are genuinely loyal to Jessie and James. They won't fight back if it means finding them."

They came up to the clearing, set up some sticks, and Charmander got a fire started.

Soot smiled at the lizard, "Nice work." She looked towards Bulbasaur, "Wanna help me pick some berries?"

Bulbasaur nodded, "_Sure, let's go._"

Soot started walking back into the woods with Bulbasaur next to her.

The other Pokémon sat around the fire and waited.

After a few minutes, Meowth spoke up, "Why do you all listen to dat muggy-ono anyway?"

Squirtle glared, "_Don't insult Soot._"

Clefairy nodded, "_She's the only one of us who can find a way out of this._"

Meowth raised a brow, "What da ya mean by dat?"

Pikachu glared, "_It's none of your business. Just know that Ash leaves her in charge for a reason._"

Meowth glared back, "Will you quit with da secrets?! With every other crazy ting about her, what else could be so special dat you can't tell us?!"

"It's creativity."

The Pokémon all looked to see Bulbasaur and Soot. Bulbasaur had his vines woven into a basket with a large assortment of berries.

Meowth blinked, "What?"

Soot frowned, "I'm creative, like a human. I can see things and come up with ideas that normal Pokémon can't."

Meowth stared, wide eyed, "H-how is dat possible?"

"One of the perks of being raised by a human from birth." Soot stated, matter-of-factly. She looked to the Seed Pokémon, "Go ahead and divvy out the fruit."

Bulbasaur nodded, "_Okay._"

Bulbasaur complied and the Pokémon all ate as they sat around the fire.

Charmander looked at Bulbasaur, "_How did you do that thing with your vines?_"

Bulbasaur swallowed, "_I watched Melanie make baskets back at the village. Soot gave me the idea to weave my vines like that._"

Pikachu smiled, "_Nice. Be sure to remember that._" He looked at Ekans, "_What were you all doing out here, anyway?_"

"_Looking for Masters._" Ekans responded sullenly.

"_Masters gone._" Koffing followed.

Clefairy frowned, "_Us too. We're trying to find Ash._"

Soot smiled softly, "I'm sure there looking for us too. We just have keeping looking."

Pikachu's eyes widened, "_Wait, what if we end up where the others were while we're looking?! It would just take longer to find them!_"

Soot shook her head, "Maybe, but not by that much. Don't forget that I'm a canine Pokémon. My sense of smell is probably the strongest among us. If we end up where one of the humans were, I can track them." 'Plus, dad could just track us the same way.'

She blinked and looked at the Poison-types, "Do you guys happen to have your pokéballs with you?"

Meowth's eyes widened, "Uh- gimme minute." He ran back into the woods. He returned a minute later, panting, and held up the balls, "Got em."

Soot snickered, "How about I carry them for you."

Meowth blinked and looked at her in surprise, "How?"

Pikachu sighed and walked over. He held out his paws, "_Just hand them over._" Meowth frowned but gave them to the mouse.

Pikachu walked over to Soot. She smirked and held out her right foreleg. Pikachu held the balls over it the leg and dropped them. The pokéballs disappeared into the limb.

Meowth and the Poison-types stared in shock, "What da?!"

Soot smirked, "Selective intangibility. I turned a portion of my leg instead of all of me." She held up her left foreleg, "I'm keeping ours in this one."

After a few more minutes, the group went to sleep.

.

*Moments earlier, Highest Mountain peak on island

A zoroark laid against a large rock and tried to catch its breath. Unlike a normal zoroark, its leg structure resembled a Lucario's, it had hazel brown eyes, and its black fur was slightly darker than average. Their most notable feature was their black fox tail. Its shape and length resembled one from a Kanto ninetales.

"Thank Arceus *huff* I lost him." It said in a young male voice.

"You sure about that, Fox-thing?" said a deeper voice.

Zoroark flinched and turned around. He grimaced as he saw an Eighteen-year-old man with black hair and the same eyes as him.

He wore a metallic green, long-sleeve jacket with black lightning bolts stretching across the arms and abdomen, and a pair of eye symbols with yellow sclera and red pupils on the shoulders. He wore matching green jeans and black sneakers. He also had a raichu tail wrapped around his waist with the bolt acting as a buckle.

The teen glared and cracked his knuckles, "You're gonna pay for that, Ketchum."

Zoroark chuckled nervously, "C-come on, Omega. You wouldn't hurt yourself, would you?"

"Faux." Omega's glare deepened, "You do realize how I transform, right?"

"R-right. Well-" Faux glanced to the side and blinked in surprise. He looked at Omega, "Wait, do you know where we are?"

Omega continued glaring, "Trix's world, origin year 1998."

Faux shook his head, "No, this place specifically."

Omega rolled his eyes, "Faux, you freaking know I don't." He blinked, "Freak." He deadpanned, "Right, K and PG worlds."

Faux stood up, "Well then, you might like to know that this place is called Pokémon Land."

Omega pinched the bridge of his nose, "Of course it is. Do you seriously not think it's weird that most things in these worlds have the word 'Pokémon' in them?"

Faux glared, "I keep telling you, it's completely normal!" He stopped glaring, "And that's not what I meant. Pokémon Land is a tourist site filled with gigantic, robot Pokémon."

Omega gave an annoyed expression, "You're point?"

Faux smirked, "It's owned by Giovanni and turns up a lot of profit for Team Rocket."

Omega blinked in surprise and looked around, "So, we're on an island full of robotic Pokémon titans that funds an evil organization." His eyes narrowed, "Owned by a version of that monster." He looked back at Faux, "What's supposed to happen to this place?"

Faux smiled brightly, 'Yes!' "Ash and the others will accidentally destroy six of the robots in front of a crowd of tourists and I remember which ones. The destruction ruined the attraction and tore away a lot of funds from Team Rocket."

"So, as long as we don't target those six and mess with Trix's timeline, we'll have an island full of robots to hunt." Omega grinned maliciously, "And we'll even add on to this Giovanni's burden."

Faux nodded, "Exactly. The Pokémon are pikachu, charizard, kabutops-"

"Faux, you know I don't know what those are." Omega interrupted in an annoyed tone.

Faux frowned, "Right … Just, tell me when you notice one and I'll tell you if we can attack it."

Omega looked down to the forest and pointed, "What about that one?"

Faux followed his gaze and squinted, "It looks like a rhydon. That one isn't on the list."

Omega smirked, "Sounds good." His tail unwrapped from around his waist, "Omni, ODM."

"Understood, Satoshi." A high-pitched voice responded.

Omega's shoulders opened to reveal a pair of thin, but large, spools of metallic green cables with small grappling hooks. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of green sewing scissors. He flipped a switch and they grew to massive size. He pulled the blades apart; breaking the screw connecting them. The pieces of screw shattered into green threads and disappeared into Omega's fingertips.

He pointed a blade at the robo-rhydon; still smirking, "Alright, Faux. Let's hunt us a rhino." He frowned, "Poor choice of words." He jumped off the cliff.

Faux sighed in relief, "Thank Arceus." He jumped off the cliff too, "Aura Transmution! Ki!" He followed Omega from the air.

.

*Later that night

Soot woke up as she felt something shaking her. She looked and found Meowth standing over her. She jumped in surprise, got on her feet, and glared, "You-"

Meowth covered her mouth with a paw, "Shh. I jus' wanna talk." He whispered.

Soot batted the paw away and whispered harshly, "Never do that again! And what do you mean 'talk'?"

Meowth frowned, "What da ya think I mean?" He walked into the bushes and motioned her to follow.

Soot looked over at the other Pokémon. All of them were still asleep; even Ekans and Koffing.

Soot looked towards the bush and sighed, 'This better not be a trap.' She walked into the bush to follow the cat.

She arrived at a smaller clearing and saw Meowth leaning against a tree. Soot looked around, scrutinizing the area, 'Doesn't seem like there are any traps.'

Soot sat down and glared, "What do you want to talk about?"

Meowth glared back, "What you said earlia. About how you became creative."

Soot nodded, "Like I said, I was raised by a human from birth."

"Quit lyin'." Meowth responded in an annoyed tone.

Soot raised a brow, "What?"

"You keep sayin' you were raised by a human." Meowth responded, "But we both know dat ain't true."

Soot's eyes narrowed, "What are you talking about? My dad's a human and he raised me."

Meowth clenched his teeth, "Quit tryin' ta deny it! We already know your pops is da Phantom Pokémon!"

Soot's eyes widened.

Meowth smirked, "See? Ya reaction says it all. Now how about da tru-" he was cut off as a Soot's claw implanted itself into the tree he was leaning against; an eighth of an inch from his head. He looked at the leg and stared in horror when he found that it wasn't attached to Soot. Meowth looked back at Soot; she was directly in front of his face with her eyes in Banette state.

"Where the Yvel did you hear that?!" Soot asked with a quiet fury.

Meowth stared in shock, "Y-your leg is-"

Soot glared, "Answer me!"

Meowth flinched, "I-it was just afta we lost at dat village place! Da braviary dat beat us had da same voice as da twoip! W-we looked him up and found out about you bein' da Phantom Child! We jus' put two and two togetha!"

Soot's eyes narrowed, "That's why you had those grunts target him isn't it?" Meowth nodded. Soot continued, "Who else knows about this theory of yours?"

"Only me, Jessie, and James. No one else knows."

Soot's eyes returned to normal, "Good." She reattached her leg and pulled it out of the tree.

Meowth blinked, "What? Dat's it?"

Soot glared, "You just said that no one else knows and that you came up with this theory shortly after the attack on Melanie's village. If you had any intention of telling someone, you would have done so by now."

Soot started walking back towards the campsite.

Meowth glared and ran over, "Hold it! You still haven't answad my question! How did you become creative if da twoip is a Pokémon?!"

Soot glared back, "My father and grandmother are humans. My mother was a Pokémon. You can believe whatever you want but it won't change the facts."

She disappeared into the bushes.

Meowth stared as she left, 'You can believe whatever you want but it won't change the facts. But then, what's the twerp?' his eyes widened, 'Wait, her mother 'was' a Pokémon?! What the Yvel is that supposed to mean?!'

.

*Morning

The group of Pokémon continued their search.

"_Ash, where are you?!_" Pikachu called out.

"Dad, can you here us?!" Soot followed.

"_Gone. Gone._" Koffing complained.

Ekans looked at him, "_We find them!_"

Meowth remained mostly silent. He was still thinking about last night.

"_Woah!_" Charmander shouted as he looked ahead.

Everyone followed his gaze and flinched. Facing away from them was a gigantic blue turtle with cannons poking out of its shell.

Squirtle took a step back, "_A blastoise?! But how did they get so big?!_"

Soot gulped, "Now we know what Pidgeotto meant."

Clefairy looked at Soot, "_Maybe they've seen Ash or the others._"

Bulbasaur nudged Squirtle, "_Try talking to them._"

Squirtle flinched, "_What?! Why me?!_"

"_You're from the same species._" Bulbasaur responded, "_He might listen._"

Soot put a paw on Squirtle's shoulder, "We'll jump in if things go south."

Clefairy blinked, "_South?_"

"_If something goes wrong._" Pikachu told her.

Squirtle took a deep breath and nodded. He walked over to Blastoise and raised a paw, "_Hey! Big guy! Can we talk for a bit?!_"

Blastoise turned around and glared at him. As the large turtle moved, Soot heard something that made her eyes widened.

Squirtle laughed nervously, "_Um- W-we're looking for our-_"

"Squirtle, get out of there! Now!" Soot shouted.

Squirtle looked at her in surprise, "_What?_"

Squirtle frowned when he heard something click. He turned to see Blastoise pointing their cannons at him.

Blastoise! The turtle fired a stream of water at Squirtle.

Squirtle ran from the stream; towards the group. Everyone else joined in the escape.

They ended up in a large rocky valley. They all sat down or leaned on something to catch their breath.

Meowth glared at Soot, "What da heck was dat?! Why did you shout at it?!"

Pikachu looked at Soot and frowned, "_I hate to agree with Meowth, but he has a point. Your shouting might have been what made Blastoise attack._"

Soot caught her breath, "What did Blastoise say when it attacked?"

Squirtle raised a brow, "_What do you mean? They didn't say-_" he paused, and his eyes widened, "_anything. I-I just heard him say 'Blastoise'!_"

Everyone else's eyes widened in realization.

Soot nodded, "Yeah. That wasn't a Pokémon."

Charmander stared in shock, "_What?! Then what was it?!_"

Soot looked back, "It was a robot. When it moved, I heard gears turning and shifting metal. Its voice even had traces of static."

They felt the ground shaking and looked to see a giant venasaur walking through the valley. It walked by without noticing them.

Soot blinked in surprise, "And apparently, Blastoise isn't the only one."

Squirtle grimaced, "_Seriously?! So, were stuck on an island full of giant-sized robots?!_" He sat down and put a paw on his head, "_Freaking Yvel! Things just keep getting worse!_"

Soot shook her head and smirked, "No, this is good. Robot's mean that this island is not only inhabited, but under management of some kind. In other words-"

Pikachu smiled brightly, "_There are other humans here! We can find a way off the island!_"

Soot nodded, "After we find Dad and the others, we can look around for a base of operations and get help."

Bulbasaur frowned, "_But what about the robots? Won't they attack us?_"

Soot looked at the venasaur, "I don't think we have to worry that much. The blastoise only attacked after we got its attention. Plus, the venasaur walking by shows they either have terrible peripheral vision, or they aren't actively interested in us. If we stay low and avoid them, we should be fine."

Meowth stared at Soot, "You figuad all a dat out dat fast?"

Clefairy looked at him with a smirk, "_Told ya so._"

Soot started walking, "Come on. We need to keep looking. If you see a robot, don't hesitate to say something."

.

*20 seconds later

"_How did this even happen?!_" Pikachu screamed as the group ran.

The group was being chased the robotic blastoise and a charizard.

"Jus' keep runnin'!" Meowth shouted.

"SOOT!"

Everyone looked to the left. Ash, Brock, Misty, Jessie, and James were up ahead in a mine cart. They were dragging a giant pikachu and kabutops by a long cable.

Soot smiled brightly, "DAD!"

"_ASH!_" Ash's other Pokémon cried out.

"_MASTER!_" Koffing and Ekans shouted.

"HELP!" Meowth screamed, "Stop da cart!"

"We can't!" Ash shouted. He pointed to the Rockets, "These two broke the brakes!"

Jessie glared, "Don't blame us! This thing's probably just old!"

"Ash, up ahead!" Misty shouted.

Ash looked ahead and grimaced, "Seriously?! Who puts a loop on a minecart track?!" his eyes widened, "Wait, that's it!"

He looked at Pokémon, "There's a loop up ahead! With any luck, we should end up next to each other! Be ready to jump!"

Soot looked ahead and stared in shock, "What?! Who puts a loop on a minecart track?!"

"Who cares?!" Meowth shouted, "Lets jus' hurry!"

Brock frowned, "Hold on tight!"

The humans ducked down as they approached the loop.

Jessie screamed in terror, "Stop the ride! Stop the ride! I want to get off!"

Still running, Soot watched the cart, 'At the rate their moving-' She smirked, 'This should work!'

The cart reached the end of the loop. Jessie was in a daze.

Ash looked to the Pokémon and held out a hand, "NOW!"

The Pokémon all leaped at the cart. Bulbasaur and Charmander were caught by Brock. Misty caught Squirtle. Jessie and James caught their respective Poison-types and cried happily. Pikachu, Clefairy, and Soot jumped Ash and knocked him down.

Ash sat up and hugged them tightly, "Thank Arceus, you're okay!"

The three hugged him back.

James frowned, "Wait, where's Meowth?!"

"Hey!" Jessie and James looked over the side and found Meowth hanging on to the rim of the cart, "Pull me in already!"

The duo grabbed the cat and pulled him in.

A crash in the distance caught everyone's attention. They turned to see the blastoise, venasaur, and charizard being dragged along with the pikachu and kabutops.

Soot stared in shock, "You have got to be kidding!"

"Could things get any worse?!" Misty cried out.

James watched the giants and answered, "Well, based on our recent run of luck, I would say the cable should snap."

Jessie followed, "That should happen abooouuut now."

Soot raised a brow and flinched when the cable snapped. The robots they were carrying tumbled and landed on a beach in a heap.

"Next," James continued, "we'll be hurdled into the air."

The cart came to a bump and flew off the track. Ash gave the trio a wary look.

Meowth went next, "Den, we'll probably crash inta somet'ing."

Soot looked ahead and grimaced, "ZAPDOS!"

Everyone looked at the approaching electric bird and screamed. They crashed through the wing and scattered nuts and bolts everywhere.

Brock looked around, "Huh. You were right, Ash, they are robots."

The damaged robot plummeted towards the others. Something glinting caught Ash's attention; making him look to the side.

Far off into the distance, he saw a giant hitmonchan throwing punches at a pair of flying … specks; one green and one white.

Hitmonchan punched at the green speck. Green responded by racing around and across the extended arm; slicing it as it moved. White flew around and shot green electricity at the robot; making it shake. Green swung back around and took the robot's head off. As the head fell to the ground, White glowed, turned black, and dropped to the ground; disappearing into the tree line. Then a tree coated in … black metal flew into the robot's chest and tore a gapping whole into it.

The entire scene went down in under 10 seconds.

Ash stared in shock as the robot fell to the earth, "What the-"

"And then, finally-" Jessie said, unknowingly cutting off Ash.

James followed, "We hit … the water."

The cart started falling towards the water.

"Afta a very, very long drooooop!" Meowth finished.

Ash snapped out of it and looked at Charmander. He grimaced, "Squirtle, freeze the water! NOW!"

Squirtle jumped in surprise and fired Ice Beam frantically. The water froze into a large, uneven circle. The cart crashed into the iceberg and shook the whole thing. Everyone groaned and laid on the ice.

Squirtle looked around and grinned, "_Haha! I did it! I am awesome!_"

Jessie glared at Ash, "The water landing would have been softer."

Ash didn't look at her, "We have a charmander with us and I don't have his pokéball with me. The water would have hurt him."

Soot blinked, "Oh, right." She stood up and walked over to Ash. She held out her left foreleg and three pokéballs fell out of it, "The starters were still in these when we found them."

Ash took them and pet her, "Thanks Soot."

Soot walked over to the tRio and held out her right leg. Two pokéballs fell out.

Jessie and James stared in confusion.

Soot rolled her eyes, "They belong to Koffing and Ekans."

She walked back over to Ash. The boy was surrounded by his other Pokémon with Brock and Misty next to him.

Soot sat down with a sighed, "What a day."

"No kidding." Ash pulled her into a one-armed hug and smiled, "I'm just happy you're safe." He pulled the other Pokémon into a group hug, "All of you."

Clefairy smiled sadly and hugged back, "_I missed you, Ash._"

"_Me too._" Charmander followed.

Bulbasaur nuzzled him, "_Yeah._"

Squirtle was still smirking, "_Yeah yeah, whatever. Did you see that Ice Beam?!_"

Pikachu looked at Squirtle with a deadpanned expression, "_Really?_"

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Pokémon Land!"

Everyone jumped and turned to see a gyarados themed boat sail by. There was a woman with a microphone speaking in front of the passengers.

"Here, you'll see various Pokémon at over ten times their natural size. Of course, the Pokémon are all mechanical. So, don't worry, it's very safe."

"SAFE?!" Soot shouted, catching passengers' attention, "We've been stuck on this island for over a freaking day and these things have done nothing but chase and attack us! How is that 'safe'?!"

The tourists started muttering, "Did that Pokémon just talk?" "Is this part of the attraction?" "What does it mean they were attacked?"

The tour guide blinked and flinched upon noticing the pile of destroyed robots, "What happened to the robots?!"

Ash groaned and fell onto his back, "We need a vacation."

Soot sighed, "At least we found a way off the island."

.

*Faux and Omega

"Well, that was fun." Faux said with a smirk.

The Illusion Fox Pokémon sat on a gigantic severed beedrill head with wires and jagged metal poking out everywhere. Technically, he was sitting on a floating rock above the robotic head.

Omega kicked a piece of sandslash spike and smirked, "Agreed."

He looked over at the pile of robotic sandslash. It sat in the ashes of what used to be the rest of the beedrill. All of the remaining metal was either cut, torn, melted, or just randomly bent.

Omega grinned, "This'll set that *word_too_horrible_to_'censor'_safely* back by decades."

Faux frowned, "Dude, you know there are some worlds were he's our dad, right?"

Omega looked up at the fox, "I know, but it doesn't change how I feel about that son of a glitch." 'Seriously?! Glitch?!' "Besides, who said I was talking about his mother?"

Faux grimaced, "Okay, ew." He jumped down from the rock, landed on the ground, and put his paws together, "Aura."

Faux jumped when the rock smashed into the ground behind him. His ears drooped, "I need to stop doing that." he looked at Omega, "Should we head back?"

Omega shrugged, "Might as well. You still need to fix my room."

Faux flinched, "What?!"

Omega glared, "Did honestly think I'd forgotten about that?" he reached around and grabbed Faux by the mane, "You're on cleaning duty."

Omega waved his other hand in front of them. A hole with a grid like pattern appeared. Omega walked through the portal as he dragged the zoroark.

The fox grumbled, "Lousy dimension walker."

The teen glared, "Ancestral inherent hairball."

Faux pouted as the hole closed.

.

.

**Omega: Keep cleaning!**

**Faux: *whimpers* Can't you just send me to otherworld again?**

**Seishin: You're not Goku! Death shouldn't be an escape route!**

**Omega: Seishin, why are you helping?**

**Ohirume: It's his punishment for sending Faux into the chapter.**

**Seishin: What about Omega?! He opened a portal too!**

**Ohirume: Omega knows how to keep from messing with a storyline. If he hadn't gone, things would have gone psycho, FAST!**


	19. Ch 18: Porta Vista

**Gem: I'm ready, Rumey!**

**Ohirume: … Okay. First, when did you start using that nickname? Second, what are you talking about?**

**Gem: It's my turn for a cameo … Right?**

**Ohirume: … no.**

**Gem: Oh. When are we doing mine, then?**

**Ohirume: I've … gotta go. I promised Yukiro I would help him and Faux fix Omega's room.**

**Gem: Oh, um, okay. *sighs* I'm sure it'll happen soon.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Beauty and The Glitch (Omega: Seriously! Why 'glitch'?! It doesn't even work here!)**

.

After the nightmare that was the Saint Anne and Pokémon Land, Ash and his friends decided to take a break from their journey. They traveled to Porta Vista for a vacation. They group had most of their Pokémon out and everyone was enjoying themselves in one way or another.

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, Clefairy, Goldeen, Staryu, Starmie, and Squirtle were swimming. Pidgeotto, Butterfree, Charmander, Bulbasaur, Geodude, Ash, and Soot were laying on -or next to- lounge chairs with Onix was curled up around them. Krabby scuttled around the beach until he pinched someone and was returned. Zubat freaked out from the intense sunlight and was immediately returned.

Soot smiled and stretched, "This is the life."

Ash looked off into the distance, "Yeah." Something was on his mind.

Soot noticed and frowned, "You alright, dad?"

Ash snapped out of it. He looked at Soot and smiled sadly, "Yeah. Sorry." He looked towards the ocean, "It's just- something from the island."

Soot blinked and raised a brow, "Did Brock or Misty find out about the watch?"

Ash shook his head, "No."

Soot frowned, "Did you meet someone and then lose them?"

"No. And, if we did, you know I wouldn't have let us leave until we found them."

Soot chuckled and thought for a bit. She glanced over at Pidgeotto and her eyes widened, "Did, uh-" She looked back at Ash, "Am I expecting a little half brother or sister in near future?"

Pidgeotto overheard and blushed. Geodude looked over and raised a brow.

Ash raised a brow, "What? No. Why would think that?"

"No reason." Soot said; glancing to the side. She shook it off and raised a brow, "What it is then?"

Ash rubbed his temples, "I'm really not sure how to explain it. When we were in that minecart, I saw some … things destroy one of the robots."

Soot blinked, "What were they?"

"I have no idea." Ash responded with a frown, "They were too far away to really see. One of them flew around and cut the thing to ribbons while the other shot green lightning. And to make it weirder, they finished the robot off by shoving a metal tree into the its chest."

The Pokémon present all stared at him; wide eyed.

Soot blinked, "You sure you didn't get dehydrated on the island?"

Ash rolled his eyes and smirked, "Haha, very funny. No, we had water and found some berries." He flopped onto the chair, "I don't know what to think. I mean- I considered the hallucination thing, too, but- I can't find a reason."

Soot jumped down from her chair and nuzzled up to Ash, "Sounds like we all had it rough."

Ash frowned, "What happened to you guys?"

Soot shook her head, "Not all of us. Meowth, he-"

Ash sat up quickly, "What did he do to you?!" He demanded with a worried look.

Soot waved paw, "Nothing! He didn't do anything to me. We just talked."

Ash calmed down some but still frowned, "What, about?"

Soot frowned, "He told me about how-" She glanced to the side and noticed something. She turned her head and her eyes widened, "Squirtle stole a boat."

Ash raised a brow, "What? The Squirtle Squad didn't use a boat when-"

Soot pointed, "No! Right now! Look!"

Ash and the Pokémon looked at where she was pointing and grimaced. A grinning Squirtle, a cheering Clefairy and a screaming Pikachu were driving a giant speedboat.

"_Stop this thing, you psychopath!_" Pikachu shouted.

"_Don't worry!_" Squirtle called out, "_I've got it under control!_"

They hit something in the water, lost whatever control Squirtle thought they had, and slammed into a dock.

"_Again! Again!_" Clefairy cheered.

Ash stared in shock, "Oh, crag."

Brock and Misty ran up.

Misty looked at the trainer, "Ash, did you see that?!"

Brock looked at the wreck, "I hope whoever was driving that boat is okay."

Soot's eye twitched, "Oh, trust me, Squirtle will not be fine after I'm done."

Their friends stared at them in shock, "SQUIRTLE DID THAT?!"

"What the Yvel happened to my boat?!"

Everyone turned to see an old man on the dock; staring at the boat in shock.

Ash pinched the bridge of his nose, "Welp, there goes our vacation."

.

*Destroyed Dock

Ash, Brock, and Misty returned their Pokémon, except Soot of course. All of them frowned or pouted at their down time being ruined. Ash's response to this was, "Blame Squirtle." The group hurried over to the dock. The old man was currently standing over the trio of small Pokémon with his teeth clenched.

Squirtle was chuckling nervously and Pikachu was trembling.

Clefairy frowned, "_Did we do something wrong?_"

Ash walked over and glared, "What were you three thinking?!"

Pikachu waved his paws in front of him, "_Don't blame me or Clefairy for this!_" The mouse pointed at Squirtle, "_This guy told us he just wanted to turn on the radio and needed my electricity to do it! I didn't know he was gonna take it on a joyride!_"

Ash glared at Squirtle. The turtle flinched and rubbed the back of his head while laughing nervously again.

The old man looked at Ash surprise, "These are your Pokémon?"

Ash looked at him and frowned, "Yes and I'm sorry for the damage. It's my fault for not watching them better."

Squirtle frowned guilty. Pikachu glared at the turtle. Clefairy noticed Pikachu glaring and joined in.

The old man's frown softened, "Well, you can make it up by paying off the damage. Name's Moe, by the way."

"I'm Ash Ketchum." The boy responded, still frowning, "And, I'm sorry, but I don't have the money to pay for this. Maybe there's another way?"

Moe sighed, "Fine, then. You can pay off your debt by working at my restaurant."

Soot blinked, "Huh. That's actually pretty reasonable."

Moe stared at her. He looked at Ash, "Is that your Pokémon, too?"

Ash nodded, "Yeah. Her name is Soot."

Moe put a hand to his chin, "Ya think can it help draw in a crowd?"

Soot sweat dropped, "I can talk. For some reason, that draws attention." She shrugged, "And I might as well help. Squirtle is one of my teammates."

Misty walked up and raised a hand, "We can help too. I can wait tables."

Brock nodded, "And I can help with the cooking."

Ash smiled softly, "Thanks guys."

Moe smiled, "Sounds great! Follow me. My restaurant isn't far." He turned around and started walking.

Ash returned Squirtle and the group followed the old man.

.

*Moe's restaurant

The group had been working at 'Beach House Moe' for well over an hour and things were going … poorly. Ash, Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy stood out front; trying to bring in customers.

Soot noticed a couple walking over and approached them. She smiled, "Hello and welcome to Beach House Moe. Table for two?"

The male teen looked at her in awe, "Wow! It talks!" He looked at his girlfriend, "This place seems pretty interesting. Wanna eat here?"

The girl looked up at the restaurant and turned away in disgust, "Looks like a dive. Plus, the Pokémon's probably just some animatronic anyway."

Soot blinked, 'That's a new one.'

"Hey, that restaurant, over there, looks good." The couple walked past them.

Pikachu's ears drooped, "_Aw man._"

Soot watched as they left for the other place and noticed something. Her eyes widened, "You cannot be serious."

Ash overheard, followed her gaze, and sweat dropped, "Of course."

"Welcome to Brutella's Ocean Chateau." Jessie said as she gestured to the stairs next to her, "Come up to our terrace. Enjoy our seafood and sea-views." She looked over at Ash and stuck her tongue out.

Brock and Misty walked out.

"Is that Jessie?" Brock asked.

"What's she doing here?!" Misty followed with a glare.

"A top-quality restaurant attracts top quality people." Jessie called over to them.

James laughed from the terrace, "And a no-quality dive attracts the bottom feeders."

"Yeah, ya loosas!" Meowth said; next to James.

Misty glared, "We'll show them!"

Ash smirked, "And I know just the way." He pulled out his pokéballs and tossed them into the air, "Let's go!"

Ash's team appeared and looked up at him. The trainer smirked, "Alright guys! We've got some work to do!"

.

*Pikachu, Clefairy, and Squirtle

The trio was assigned to hand out flyers. Or, in Squirtle's case, forced.

Squirtle pouted, "_Why are we out here again?_"

Pikachu glared at the Water-type, "_Because a certain __someone__ crashed an old man's boat into the same old man's dock!_"

Squirtle flinched, "_Okay, fair point. But-_" he pointed to Clefairy, "_she, kind of, has this covered on her own._"

Pikachu looked over at the Fairy-type. The crowd of tourists were mostly around her.

Clefairy held up a flyer to a little girl and smiled, "_Hi there! Do you want a piece of paper?_"

The girl looked at her and squealed, "Daddy, look at this Pokémon! It's so cute!"

The girl's father chuckled, "Aw." He pulled out a camera, "Say cheese."

Clefairy smiled as the girl crouched down next to her. "_C_h_e_e_s_e_!_" the camera flashed.

Clefairy held out the flyer to the father, "_Here you go._"

"Huh?" The father said as he took the flyer, "Beach House Moe?" The man smiled and looked at his daughter, "Sweetie, how about we go here for lunch?"

"Okay!" The girl and her father left. The girl turned back and waved, "By pink Pokémon!"

Clefairy waved back, "_Bye little human!_" She looked to her side and held out another flyer to a woman, "_Hi, there! Do you want a piece of paper?_"

"_See?!_" Squirtle called out, "_She's drawing in the crowd just by being here and hardly knows what we're doing!_"

Pikachu glared at the turtle, "_It still doesn't change the fact that Ash asked us to help._"

Squirtle sighed, "_Fine._" He held out a flyer to a nearby tourist, "_Hey. You want this?_"

Pikachu nudged him, "_Show some enthusiasm._" Pikachu smiled brightly and held out a flyer, "Pika!"

"Aw, how sweet." The elderly woman took the flyer.

.

*Charmander, Brock, Moe, and Pidgeotto

Charmander and Pidgeotto were assigned to help Brock and Moe in the kitchen.

"Nice work, Charmander!" Brock said as the Fire-type shot Flamethrower into the flame broiler grill.

Charmander smiled through his attack.

Moe looked over to the side to see Pidgeotto manning the charcoal and doing a pretty good job of it.

The old man smiled, "This is great! I should have gotten Pokémon to work here years ago!"

.

*Misty, Bulbasaur, Krabby, and Butterfree

Bulbasaur, Butterfree, and Krabby were assigned to help wait tables with Misty. With a little help, Bulbasaur managed to weave his vines into a flatter version of the basket from Pokémon Land. Butterfree and Krabby carried drinks.

Misty placed a plate in front of a customer and smiled, "Here you are, sir." She looked back, "Over here, Butterfree."

The Butterfly Pokémon flew over; carrying a drink in his hands. Butterfree landed on the table and placed the drink in front of the man at the table.

"Wow!" The man proclaimed while petting Butterfree, "Thanks, little guy."

Butterfree fluttered happily, "Freeeeeee!"

"Bulba!"

A woman looked over to see a large green disk next to the table, with her order on top. She looked down to see a bulbasaur smiling up at her.

She smiled as she moved the food to the table. She reached down to pet the Grass/Poison-type, "Thank you, dear."

"Bulbasaur." The Seed Pokémon responded before walking away.

She looked around the table and frowned, "Oh, it forgot the-"

"Koh!"

She looked down again and saw a krabby holding her drink.

She blinked in surprise, "Huh, never mind."

.

*Soot and Ash

Soot was out front drawing in a crowd and entertaining the customers who were eating outside. Ash sat on the roof and pulled the strings. Literally.

The canine was currently break dancing while sign spinning. She was wearing Ash's jacket to cover up the opening on her back. Surprisingly, no one asked about the translucent strings coming from her.

She stopped in a handstand, held the sign in her hind paws, and smiled up at a woman and her seven-year-old daughter, "Welcome to Beach House Moe. An attendant will be with you shortly. In the meantime, please enjoy."

Soot backflipped repeatedly until she was directly in front of the restaurant, kicking the sign into the air on the first flip, and sprang high into the air. While in the air, she spun and shot a barrage of Shadow Balls around her. She formed another Shadow Ball in her mouth and detonated it with Fire Fang. The Shadow Ball exploded violently and started a chain reaction that caused all of the other Shadow Balls to go off.

The crowd gasped as Soot was engulfed in the smoke cause by her attacks. Soot emerged as she dropped out of the sky; limp and eyes closed. The crowd watched in horror as she plummeted.

Soot smirked and opened her eyes. She spun in the air and landed on the ground in a crouch. She stood back up as purple sparkles fell from the sky. She bowed with an arm out and caught the sign.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

The little girl watched; eyes filled with wonder, "Mom, did you see that?! It was amazing!"

The mother blinked in surprise, "It really was."

Soot stood back up and looked around, giving a small, sly smile, "Alright everyone, we have a special offer! Three free pictures with yours truly with the purchase of any entrée! Otherwise it's 400₽ per picture or two for 700! And don't worry about getting up! Just raise your hand and I'll come to you!"

Hands shot up immediately.

Soot glanced back at the roof and smirked.

Ash chuckled, "Clever girl." He moved his fingers.

Soot started walking towards one of the tables and crouched down to get in the frame and smiled.

The little girl eyes lit up and she looked up at her mother, "Can we please get a picture with the Pokémon, mom?!"

The mother smiled, "Of course, Dawn."

"Yay!" Dawn cheered as she raised a hand.

.

*Team Rocket

Jessie, James, and Meowth glared at Soot as she went around posing for pictures.

"Everyone's eating at the twerpateria." James said.

Jessie followed, "If all of the customers go to their place, instead of here, we won't make any more money."

Meowth grinned, "Dis calls for some old fashion sabotage-in."

Meowth started with the group handing out flyers. He propped up a large fan and blew the flyers off into the distance. Pikachu and Squirtle flinched and chased after the sheets. Clefairy was busy taking a picture with another tourist.

Meowth made his way to the rival restaurant and flinched. Soot was still out front, 'Might need to think this one over.'

He hurried back to Brutella's restaurant.

Jessie noticed, "You're done already?"

Meowth sighed, "Nuh uh. I got da ones handin' out flyas but da othas are inside and da mutt is still out front doin' dat puppet ting. If she sees me, I'm toast."

James frowned and put a hand to his chin, "Good point."

Jessie crossed her arms and groaned. A few seconds later, she perked up and smirked, "Then we'll just have to split up and attack all at once." She pointed at the others, "James, you stop the Phantom's brat. Meowth, you stop the twerpette." She pointed to herself, "I'll take care of the kitchen."

James flinched, "What?! How I'm supposed to stop her?!"

"Just think of something!" Jessie said as she and Meowth ran off.

James frowned as he looked at the canine. She was doing bunny ears to two kids while all three stuck their tongues out. The parents laughed as they took the picture.

James put a hand to his chin and started thinking. He remembered when Soot removed her arm back at A.J.'s and perked up. He looked around and saw a couple walk by.

James jumped out in front of them, "Hey! Wanna help me out with something? I'll give you 2000₽."

"Uuuuum." They became uneasy.

.

*Beach House Moe

Dawn and her mother, Johanna, waved to Soot as they left the restaurant.

"Bye Soot!" Dawn called out, "It was nice meeting you!"

Soot smiled and waved as they left, "Nice to meet you too!"

"Excuse me."

Soot turned to see a teenage couple. The boy was holding a camera.

"How much is it for a picture?" the boy asked.

Soot smiled, "One for 400, two for 700, and three for free with the purchase of an entrée."

The woman waved, "Oh, sorry, but we just ate." She held out four bills, "400, right?"

Soot nodded as she took the cash, "Yup." She pocketed the money and looked up at the pair, "So, did you want a certain pose or something special?"

The girl walked over and slung Soot's right arm around her, "This'll be fine."

Soot smiled, "Alright." She looked at the camera, "Say 'chee-"

*ziiip*

Soot frowned and her eyes widened. She looked at the girl to see her holding her detached right arm and staring at Soot; wide eyed.

Soot sweat dropped, "Um, I can expl-"

"AAAHHH!" the girl screamed as she tossed the limb behind her. It landed on a table; directly in front of a child. Things went to Yvel fast.

Soot stared in shock as the crowd ran off. She walked over to a table to pick up her leg. It was covered condiments.

Soot grimaced, "Ew."

Ash jumped down from the roof. He looked around and frowned, "Oh boy."

Soot sighed, "Could things get any-"

A series of crashes, followed by shouting, came from inside. Customers covered in food and soda poured out of the restaurant. Some grimaced when they saw Soot holding her own severed arm and picked up their pace.

Ash and Soot looked at each other before running inside. Misty, Bulbasaur, and Krabby were on the floor in a daze and Butterfree was flying around frantically with a banana peel on his face.

Ash blinked, "What hap-" *BOOM*

An explosion came from the kitchen. Moe, Brock, Charmander, and Pidgeotto trudged out of the kitchen; covered in scorch marks.

Moe looked at Soot and flinched, "What happened to your arm?!"

Pikachu, Squirtle, and Clefairy walked in through the entrance.

"_Hey, Ash, something went-_" Pikachu paused when he looked around, "_What happened here?_"

Ash groaned and sat down at a table, "Son of a glitch."

.

*one long clean up later

The group of humans and Pokémon sat at -or next to- the tables and sulked. Soot deactivated Marionetter and was still cleaning her leg. Someone cut off the water, so she resorted to licking it. She was starting to like it but refused to admit it.

Ash rubbed his temple, "How did this happen?"

Brock sighed, "I don't know. I've never had that happen at a stove before."

Charmander pouted, "_It's probably my fault._"

Soot frowned, "I don't think so, Charmander. Everyone had something, suddenly, go wrong in such a short amount of time. It can't be a coincidence."

"Right!" Misty declared, "There's no way those were all just accidents!"

"Well. Well."

Everyone turned to see Team Rocket and a short, red-haired woman(?) standing at the entrance.

Moe stood up in surprise, "Brutella!"

The hag looked around with a smirk, "Don't need a reservation ta get in here anymore. If things keep up like this, you might 'ave to go out of business, Moe."

Ash glared, "Why do you care?"

Brutella walked up, "I could care less if this dump goes under. But ya better figure out some way to pay me back the dough ya owe me. And fast!"

Moe glared, "You'll get your money!"

"Yeah? Well I want it tomorrow! And if ya don't, I'll just take that boat a yours instead!" Brutella said as she walked away.

Moe grimaced, "No, please! Take anything you want, but not that boat."

Brutella waved as she left, "See ya tomorrow!" She chuckled.

The tRio stuck tongues out and followed the woman.

Soot groaned, "Perfect." She said sarcastically.

Moe sulked, "The deadline's tomorrow and there's no way I can earn that money in time. I'll have to turn my boat over to Brutella."

Everyone frowned; feeling sorry for the man.

Moe continued, "I've dreamed about taking that boat on a cruise around the world for so long. See it all before it's too late."

Soot growled and slammed her still attached foreleg on the table, "We can't just let this happen!"

Ash nodded, "Right! There has to be something we can do to get the money!"

Misty clenched and raised a fist, "We'll work together to make it happen!"

Brock nodded too, "We'll find a way!"

Moe smiled sadly, "Thank you all. But how are we supposed to do it in only one day?"

"Mind if I make a suggestion?"

Everyone turned to see Professor Oak and Delia at the entrance.

Delia smiled, "Hi Ash. Hi Soot. Surprised to see us?"

Ash blinked, "Wha- Mom?!"

"Grandma?!" Soot followed; wide eyed.

"_Phone lady?_" Clefairy joined in.

Delia immediately ran over and scooped up the Fairy Pokémon, "Aw, look at you!" She hugged her tight, "You're just so cute!"

Clefairy smiled and hugged her back.

Ash chuckled and raised a brow, "What are you guys doing here?"

"I'll explain later." Oak responded as he held out a magazine, "Look at this. The annual Porta Vista Beach Beauty and Pokémon costume contest is today. The contest draws thousands of people each year and they could use a place to eat. You can advertise."

Soot's eyes lit up, "That's perfect! We'll get the money we need by the end of the day!"

Misty smiled, "And I can enter the beauty contest!"

Oak nodded, "You should … um-"

"Misty." The girl responded.

"Yes, Misty." The professor continued, "The Beauty and Costume contests have cash prizes."

Ash smiled and looked over at Pidgeotto, "You mind passing out flyers."

Pidgeotto nodded, "_On it!_"

Soot smiled, "Pidgeotto's in."

Moe stared in shock, "You'd really do all of this? Just for me?"

Ash smiled at the man, "It's the least we can do. We still owe you for what Squirtle did."

Squirtle's eye twitched, "_You're never gonna let me live that down, are you?_"

Pikachu grinned, "_Probably not._"

Moe smiled softly, "Thank you. Thank you all."

.

* Porta Vista Beach Beauty and Pokémon Costume Contest

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we're happy to announce that the Porta Vista Beach Beauty and Pokémon Costume Contest will soon begin!" Brock said from the loudspeaker, "There's a 100,000₽ prize for the winner of each category! It's not too late to sign up, so hurry and enter."

Moe, Professor Oak, Delia, Ash, and Soot sat at the stands; in that order. Pikachu was in Ash's lap and Clefairy was in Delia's.

Soot sweat dropped, "How did Brock get this job again?" She reattached her leg a while ago.

Ash chuckled, "No idea. But he sure seems to be enjoying it." He looked over to his mother, "So, what are you and the professor doing here?"

Delia smiled as she petted Clefairy, "Samuel and I are here with our tour group. The Pallet Town Volunteer Patrol."

Ash smiled, "That's nice to hear. I'm happy you guys showed up."

Oak looked over at Ash, "Your mother's been anxious to see the two of you. Especially after that scare with the St. Anne."

Soot blinked, "You heard about that?"

Delia pouted and crossed her arms, "Officer Jenny called me about the wreck and tried to make me think that the two of had passed away on the ship. The nerve of some people! I think I know my son and granddaughter well enough to know that some shipwreck isn't going to put them down."

Ash chuckled before his eyes widened, "Oh. If that's the case, then Brock and Misty might need to call their families."

"Welcome everybody!" Brock started again; reading from a script, "The Porta Vista Beach Beauty and Pokémon Costume Contest is about to begin! Now here's our first contestant!"

The curtains parted as Misty walked out wearing a red bikini and waved, 'This is completely embarrassing, but we need the money.'

The crowd cheered.

"This is Misty Waterflower!" Brock continued, "A lovely and talented Water-type specialist, who's sure making a big splash today!"

Soot flinched, "Oh Brock, why the puns?"

"Now let's take a look at the costume she and her Pokémon have created."

Starmie floated down from above, face-down, with a metal dome on their back. Squirtle stood on top of the dome wearing a helmet with an antenna.

"Well, this is a very imaginative costume! It's Starmie and Squirtle as extraterrestrials and a flying saucer!"

Squirtle shot a light Water Gun into the air. The water sprinkled down over Misty.

"Great job, Misty!" Brock said.

The crowd erupted in cheer again. A few whispers were drowned out. Mostly.

Ash frowned, "Geez."

Delia noticed, "Is everything alright, sweetie?"

Ash sighed, "More or less. Just know that I envy you guys right now. You can't here the audience whispering."

Clefairy blinked, "_What are they saying?_"

"Trust me Clefairy." Ash responded, "It's best you don't know."

Delia blushed.

Misty was shoved to the side as Jessie and James came onto the stage. Jessie was wearing a black bikini and James … ugh. Yeah, they cut this part out of the English dub for a reason.

"We'll be taking this win, twerpette!" Jessie said with a smirk.

Misty stood back up and glared, "James?! What are you doing?! You're a man!"

James smiled, "Perhaps. But my beauty doesn't exist in men." He then proceeded to-

Okay, not happening! We're cutting to Poison-types' costume like in the Dub! Just know that Misty deadpanned, the crowd cheered, Ash became even more uncomfortable, Delia covered Clefairy's eyes, and Soot almost threw up.

Brock shivered before looking at the sheet, "And next, we have two Pokémon calling themselves the Rocket Boosters; dressed as a Legendary Pokémon."

Soot groaned, "Here we go."

The curtain parted and Koffing floated out with a seaweed beard and a coiled up Ekans on his head.

"Uhh, this is a very interesting costume." Brock continued, "I believe it's supposed to be Omastar and the Pokémon are Ekans and Koffing."

Soot snickered, "Legendary my tail."

The pair floated out to the stage. They neared the end and immediately got kicked off it.

"Get lost!" Gary Oak stood on the stage with six girls behind him.

Ash blinked, "Gary?"

Pikachu hissed, "_Him again!_"

"_Wait! Gary?!_" Clefairy called out, "_That meanie who wrote on that sign and said Ash was a loser?!_"

Soot grumbled, "The one and the same."

"And now we a have a surprise guest appearance by Gary Oak!" Brock paused and read again, 'That guy Ash was talking about?' he shook it off and continued, "The up and coming Pokémon Trainer! Accompanied by a squad of his adoring and adorable fans!"

The professor chuckled nervously, "I may have forgotten to mention that Gary came along with us."

Ash shrugged, "It's fine. I just hope he doesn't make a scene."

"Ash, I know you're out there in the crowd somewhere!" Gary said through a microphone.

Ash sweat dropped, "Like that."

"But I didn't come here to make you jealous of me, Ashy-boy." Gary said in a mocking tone, "I came here so some of my beautiful fan members could make you jealous of me."

His fans started cheering, "Gary! Gary! He's our man! He'll trash Ash we know he can!"

Gary turned to his fans, "Thank you fans! Great cheer!" he looked back to the crowd, "I wrote that one myself Ashy!"

Soot's eye twitched, "Typical."

Pikachu was livid, "_What did they say?!_" He jumped forward but was caught by Ash, "_Let me at 'em!_"

"Calm down, buddy." Ash said as he restrained and petted the furious mouse.

Brock began again, "Not one, not two, but six beautiful girls all on stage at once! Choosing the most beautiful is gonna be tough! But a good kind of tough!"

Misty sighed from backstage, "Great, their goes any chance I have of winning."

Jessie and James watched from around a corner.

"This is bad." Jessie said with a glare, "The crowd is eating this up."

"I'm prettier than them!" James followed.

They were pulled back by Brutella.

Gary's 'performance'/taunt lasted another ten minutes. His fans were posing behind him.

"Come on Ashy-boy! Ya scared to come up a face me?!" Gary called out with a smirk.

Ash deadpanned, "Isn't there supposed to be a time limit to these things?"

Soot sighed, "Pretty sure it lasts as long as they want. At least until the crowd loses interest or starts booing."

Screams started filling up the beach, "Run!" "It's a gyarados!"

A mechanical Gyarados on treads ran around the beach. The crowd ran in terror.

Ash looked over and grimaced, "Crag! Its Team Rocket again!" He ran up to the stage.

Gary noticed Ash approaching and smirked, "So, finally come to face-"

Ash snatched the mic away, "Not the time, Gary." He held up the microphone, "Everyone listen! That's not a real Gyarados! It's just some people in a submarine trying to scare us off!"

Most of tourists stopped and looked back, "What?" "A fake?" "Huh?"

The grounded submarine shot a missile towards the stage.

Brock grimaced and took up the microphone, "Ash lookout! That looks like a heat seeking missile!"

Ash frowned, "Crag!"

Gary smirked, "Now what are ya gonna do Ashy? Freak out?"

Ash shoved the microphone into Gary's hands, "Something you'd never think to do."

Ash jumped down from the stage and ran. The missile followed him.

Gary stared; wide eyed, "What the?!"

Delia grimaced, "Ash! What are you doing?!"

Ash smirked and ran behind the stage. The missile exploded out of sight.

Delia dropped Clefairy in shock before she started running towards the stage, "ASH!" Professor Oak followed.

Pikachu and Clefairy were about to follow until Soot stopped them.

Pikachu looked at Soot in shock, "_What are you doing?! Ash could be-_"

Soot shook her head, "He's not. Dad's smarter than this. He ran back there to take out the missile and hide away to transform." She turned towards the sub, "In the meantime, we need to worry about them."

Pikachu and Clefairy looked at each other with worried expressions before nodding.

Clefairy looked at Soot, "_What do we do?_"

Soot smirked, "Follow my lead." She looked over to her friends and the professor's grandson, "Brock! Misty! Gary! Snap out of it and get over here!"

.

*Ash

"Ash!" Delia called out as she ran behind the stage with Oak. Ash was already messing with the watch about two feet away from the pair of craters left by the missile; one in the sand and one in the wall.

Ash looked over to them, "Oh, hey mom."

Delia's eye twitched, "Are you kidding me, Ash?! What was that?!"

Ash chuckled nervously, "Sorry mom. But I needed to hide." He held up the watch, "I got a new form recently that should help with this."

Oak blinked, "A new form?" He smiled brightly, "Like a new non-Pokémon?!"

Ash chuckled, "Sorry professor, but no. It was another unintentional scan." He twisted the dial again and found the silhouette, "Got it."

Ash smirked and raised an arm to hit it. He stopped and looked at his mother and the professor, "You might want to take a step back."

They pair did so, and Ash slammed down on the device; engulfing him in green light. Delia and Sam covered their eyes for a moment. They opened them to see a dragonite smiling at them; the watch's symbol on its chest.

The professor stared in shock, "A-ash?"

The dragon stuck his tongue out playfully. He spread his wings and took off; kicking up sand.

Delia watched as he flew over the stage and roared. She smiled softly, feeling a sense of pride in her son, "My boy."

.

*P.V.B.B. & P.C. Contest

Gary held out an arm, "Wartortle, Water Gun!"

Brock followed, "Geodude, Rock Throw!"

Misty joined in, "Staryu, Water Gun!"

Soot glared, "Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Clefairy, Disarming Voice!" She formed a Shadow Ball.

The six Pokémon fired at the sub. The attacks exploded on impact.

"Alright!" Gary cheered with a smirk. His smirked disappeared when the Gyarados appeared, unscathed.

Soot grimaced, "Crag! We didn't do anything!"

"Course ya didn't, mutt!" Meowth's voice sounded from the machine.

James's voice followed, "We made it stronger enough to withstand any of your attacks!"

"DRAAAAH!" A loud roar coming from the stage caught everyone's attention. They turned to see a dragonite, with a green symbol on its chest, glaring at the sub.

Brock flinched, "A dragonite?!"

Misty stared in awe, "Woah!"

Gary and most of the crowd were speechless. The crowd, also, started taking pictures.

Soot smirked and faced the sub, "Is it strong enough his withstand his attacks?"

The trio didn't respond. The sub fired three more missiles.

Ash smirked and lit his paws with Fire Punch. He flew higher; guiding the missiles towards him. He stopped in midair, dispelled Fire Punch, let the missiles fly past him, and shot them with Dragon Rage. They exploded violently high above the crowd.

Ash looked down at the sub with a smirk before diving at it.

Jessie grimaced from inside the sub, "Retreat!" The trio got to work pedaling away. Unfortunately for them, Ash was faster … and stronger.

Ash landed in front of them and held the sub in place as they tried to drive forward.

"Reverse!" James shouted.

Ash overheard, dug his claws into the machine, and held them in place. After a solid minute, one of the treads broke.

Ash looked into the sub through one of the eyes and grinned. The tRio flinched.

The dragon snickered, "_Time to end this._"

Delia and the professor looked around the corner right as Ash raised a paw into the air; his antennas and horn glowed blue. Winds started whipping around violently. Ash's Hurricane lifted the gyarados into the air. Jessie, James, and Meowth screamed from inside.

"James, do something!" Jessie cried out.

James panicked and fired their last missile. It spun around in the storm and hit them. The explosion set them free from the attack and on a collision course with Brutella's Ocean Chateau.

Brutella and the Rockets screamed as the restaurant blew up and they were sent flying into the distance.

Ash blinked, "_Huh. Did not expect that._"

"Wartortle, Ice Beam!"

Ash turned to see blue bolts flying towards him. He held out paw to the attack and ignited it with Fire Punch; negating the attack.

He turned to see Gary looking at him with a smirk.

Misty glared, "What are you doing?! They just helped us!"

Gary looked at her, "Are you insane?! That's a freaking dragonite!" he looked back at Ash, still smirking, "I am not passing this up!"

Professor Oak grimaced and ran over, "Gary wait! That's-"

"Drah!" Ash interrupted, catching the professor's attention.

Ash held out a paw and shook his head. He looked at Gary with a smirk as he raised a paw and did a 'come at me' taunt.

Soot smirked, "Stand back, guys. Dragonite wants to battle."

Everyone, except Gary and Ash, looked at her in surprise.

Gary smirked, "You're mine, Dragonite! Wartortle use Ice Beam again!"

Wartortle fired. Ash held his paws out in front of him as the attack hit. His paws were frozen solid.

"Gotcha!" Gary called out, "Now, Skull Bash!"

Wartortle charged forward. When he jumped, Ash ducked and uppercut the turtle in the chest with his frozen paw. The ice shattered on impact and Wartortle was flung into the air.

Gary grimaced, "What?!"

Ash flew over Wartortle and threw another makeshift Ice Punch at the turtle; sending him to the ground. Wartortle landed in the sand. After a few seconds, he stood back up; albeit shakily.

Gary frowned, "Wartortle, don't give up! We've almost got it!"

Soot snickered, "You sure about that Gare-bear?"

Gary glared at her, "I told you not to call me-"

*CRASH*

Gary jerked back around to see Wartortle unconscious and Ash standing next to him with spiral of water around his tail. Ash looked at Gary and stuck his tongue out before flying away towards the stage and on off into the distance. Or, at least, that's what it looked like.

Gary returned Wartortle and ran towards the stage, "You're not getting away that easily!"

Soot sighed, "And to think, he and dad used to be frie-" Her eyes widened, "DAD!" She followed the brown-haired boy.

Brock and Misty flinched before following her. Pikachu and Clefairy followed too.

Professor Oak sweat dropped, "I sure hope Ash knows what he's doing."

Gary ran around and found Delia sobbing while holding a 'nearly unconscious' Ash. The boy was covered in sand.

Gary glared, "Where did Dragonite-"

Soot ran over and headbutted him, "What is wrong with you?! Dad's hurt and you're still more worried about Dragonite?!"

She ran over and looked over him with a worried expression.

"Nice work, Grandma." Soot whispered, "Very believable."

Delia gave a quick thumbs up between sobs, "My baby!"

"ASH!" Brock and Misty ran over and crouched down.

"Ash, are you okay?!" Misty asked; worried.

Ash chuckled 'weakly', "I'm fine, guys. Just a little dirty." He glanced up at Delia, "Mom's just being a little dramatic."

Delia hugged him tighter and whispered, "Oh, so I can't have a little fun?"

Ash chuckled lightly as Pikachu and Clefairy ran over and hugged him.

.

**Time Skip**

Professor Oak's plan worked like a charm. The advertising brought in more than enough business for Moe to pay off Brutella. Starmie and Squirtle took first place in costume contest and group decided that Moe should take most of the prize money.

Ash, Brock, Misty, Delia, Professor Oak, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Soot stood at the dock to see Moe off. Gary was still looking for 'Dragonite.' Ash had his right arm in a sling while his mother and daughter refused to leave his sides. Pikachu and Clefairy were on Delia's shoulders.

Everyone waved as the old man sailed off.

"Good luck, Moe!" Ash called out.

"Goodbye!" Misty called too.

"Take care!" Brock followed.

"Don't get into any more trouble!" Soot finished.

Moe waved back, "Farewell everyone! Thank you for everything! Get well soon, Ash!"

Ash chuckled as the man disappeared into the distance.

Ash looked into the sky, "It's getting late." He looked at his friends, "We should probably find a Pokémon Center and rent a few rooms."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Delia exclaimed, "All of you are staying at the hotel with the Pallet Town Volunteer Patrol!"

The trainers and Pokémon looked at her in surprise.

"Wait, what?" Ash asked, "Mom, you rented rooms for us?"

Delia giggled, "Not exactly. Some of our group became a little too frightened after Team Rocket trashed the contest and went home. So, we have a few empty rooms up for grabs. I already checked with the hotel and: Ash, you can stay with me in my suite, Gary's staying with Sam in another, and Brock and Misty each get their own room."

Misty's eyes lit up, "Mrs. Ketchum, thank you so much!"

Brock smiled, "This is really kind of you."

Soot smiled brightly, "Grandma, you're the best!"

Ash smiled softly, "Thanks, mom."

Delia smiled and led everyone to the hotel.

.

*Ketchum family hotel suite

Ash, Delia, Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy made their way into the hotel room. Pikachu and Clefairy looked around the room in awe. The pair jumped down and started exploring the place.

Soot walked in and jumped on one of the two beds and laid down, "Gotta hand it to ya grandma, this is nice."

Delia smiled, "Oh, I'm so glad you like it."

Ash tore off the sling and slung his backpack onto a chair, "Thanks for doing this, mom. We really appreciate it." He moved over to the same bed as Soot and laid down next to her, "Should we go ahead and hit the hay?"

Delia walked over and sat on the other bed, "Well, there is one thing I wanted to do, first."

Ash looked over at her, curiously, "What is it?"

"It involves something you told me the last time you called." Delia smiled slyly as she looked over at Clefairy, "Involving a certain new feature from Power Integration."

Ash followed her gaze and sweat dropped. He sighed, "Right. Should have known this was coming."

Ash removed the pokéballs from his belt and placed them on the chair with his backpack. He pressed a button on the side of the watch and the center sprung up.

Pikachu heard and turned to look at Ash, "_What are you doing?_"

Soot smirked, "Remember what happened back home when grandma saw dad in pikachu form?"

Pikachu raised a brow before perking up, "_Ooooh._"

Clefairy looked back and forth at Pikachu and Soot, and blinked, "_Wait, what?_"

Ash found the silhouette and sighed, "Yup." He slammed down on the watch and sat of the bed in clefairy form.

Delia's eyes lit up as she scooped Ash into a hug, "Oh Ashy, look at you! You're so cute!" She started toying with his tail.

Ash's eye twitched as his mother cuddled him, "_It's only for fifteen minutes. It's only for fifteen minutes. It's only for fifteen minutes._"

Delia giggled, "Yes, 'clefairy clefairy fairy' to you too, sweetie."

Pikachu and Soot laughed. Clefairy smiled and ran over to Delia.

The female Fairy-type jumped up to the bed looked up at the woman, "_I wanna turn!_"

Delia squealed and scooped her up too, "Oh, two for the price of one! What more could a mother ask for?"

Soot looked at the pokéballs and grinned. She jumped down and made her way to them.

Ash noticed, "_Soot, what are you doing?_"

Soot grinned, "I just thought the others would like to see this."

Ash grimaced as Soot opened all of the pokéballs. Pidgeotto, Butterfree, Squirtle, Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Krabby emerged and started looking around the room.

Delia smiled, "Great idea, Soot." She held Ash and Clefairy tighter.

Squirtle looked at Ash and started cracking up, "_Pfft. Hahahaha!_"

Ash rolled his eyes, "_Yeah, yeah, laugh it up._" He smiled slyly, "_Just wait until it's your turn._"

Squirtle stopped laughing and flinched, "_Y-you're kidding, right?_"

"_Call it punishment for stealing Moe's boat and starting this whole thing._" Ash blinked and looked at Soot, "_Come to think, wasn't there something you were about to tell me before that? Something about Meowth._"

Soot blinked before frowning, "Oh, right."

Delia blinked, "What's going on?"

Soot chuckled, "You'll know in a bit." She jumped back up to the bed and sat down, "During the night we were on the island, Meowth woke me up and said he wanted to talk."

Delia blinked, "Meowth? You mean the one with those Team Rocket people?"

Ash nudged her arm, catching her attention, and nodded.

Bulbasaur blinked, "_When did this happen?_"

Soot chuckled, "Right, sorry. You guys were all asleep. Even Koffing and Ekans." She looked back at Ash, "I let it slip that I'm creative and Meowth was having trouble believing it."

"_He didn't seem that weird about it._" Squirtle commented.

Soot sighed, "Just- listen. He wasn't having trouble believing that I was creative, he was denying my reason. That I was raised by humans." She frowned, "He didn't believe me because-" She looked at Ash with a worried expression, "Dad, Team Rocket thinks you're the Phantom Pokémon."

Everyone gasped or stared at Soot; wide eyed.

"_What?!_" Ash shouted, "_Why would they think that?!_"

Soot continued, "Meowth said it was because of when we beat them at Melanie's place. He heard you talking in braviary form and recognized your voice. It's also the reason they had those grunts target you on the St. Anne."

Ash grimaced and held his head, "_Oh crag!_"

Delia frowned and hugged her son tighter, "I'm sure it'll be okay, Ash." She looked at Soot, "What else did he say?"

Soot smiled sadly, "That's actually the good news. He said that only him, Jessie, and James know about their theory. They decided to keep it a secret."

"_But, why?_" Pikachu asked, "_Don't get me wrong, I'm happy they are, but- What do they have to gain?_"

Soot frowned, "I don't know. He just said that they haven't told anyone."

Ash calmed down some but was still sulking.

Delia frowned and started petting her son's head, "Oh Ash."

The Pokémon all frowned at their distraught trainer and crowded around him and Delia. Clefairy jumped out of Delia's arms and joined them.

Ash looked up in surprise, "_Guys?_"

"_Whatever they're planning, we're not letting them get you, Ash._" Pikachu stated with a determined glared.

Clefairy nodded, "_Yeah! We're your friends!_"

Squirtle grinned, "_They'll regret ever meeting us if they try again._"

Charmander glared, "_I'm not letting them take away the only good trainer I've had!_"

Bulbasaur nodded with a smirk.

Pidgeotto smiled, "_We'll always be here for you Ash._"

Butterfree nodded, "_Yeah!_"

Krabby blinked, "_How do you keep changing like this?_"

Soot chuckled at the crab and smiled sadly at Ash, "You heard 'em, dad."

Ash started tearing up and wiped them away before smirking, "_Yeah! Who cares if those idiots know?! It's not gonna change the fact that we'll just beat 'em down every time!_"

The Pokémon all cheered.

Delia had no idea what all but one of them said but smiled softly at seeing her son cheering up. She hugged Ash tighter again. Ash smiled softly and hugged her arm.

.

.

**Omega: *sniffle***

**Seishin: HA! Omega's crying again!**

**Omega: Go to **** you ******* idiot!**

**…**

**Illavera: O-oh my- why does Brutella look like that?!**

**Nuevo: I think she's supposed to resemble an imp.**

**Pike: Would you believe me if I said she has an identical cousin?**

**Illavera: … uh sorry, but are you Pike or the one dating Gem?**

**Pike: … I can talk.**


	20. Omake and Minor delay alert

**Ohirume: Hey readers. Turns out writer's block is a real pain in the neck. I'm ****not**** canceling or anything of the sort, I'm just changing the update time from once every five days to every Sunday.**

**Omega: Unbelievable. You already did this on the June 4****th****chapter. What's next, once a month?!**

**Ohirume: Come on! That's not fair!**

**Seishin: Sorry, but I've gotta agree with the not-so-jolly green guy, Robby-boy. This is kind of messed up.**

**Ohirume: *groan* What do you expect me to do?! You guys aren't easy to imagine, y'know!**

**Omega: … You do realize what you just said, right?**

**Yugo: Guys, cut him some slack. He is doing this omake as an apology.**

**Ohirume: Thank you! As Yugo said: I'm posting this omake to apologize for the upcoming delay. Please enjoy.**

**Faux: Oh wait! This is-**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Pokémon Land Omake – Faux and Omega point of view**

***Warning: ****TONS**** of robotic violence ahead. But, they're robots, so hopefully that makes it better**

.

A zoroark laid against a large rock and tried to catch its breath. Unlike a normal zoroark, its leg structure resembled a Lucario's, it had hazel brown eyes, and its black fur was slightly darker than average. Their most notable feature was their black fox tail. Its shape and length resembled one from a Kanto ninetales.

"Thank Arceus *huff* I lost him." It said in a young male voice.

"You sure about that, Fox-thing?" said a deeper voice.

Zoroark flinched and turned around. He grimaced as he saw an Eighteen-year-old man with black hair and the same eyes as him.

He wore a metallic green, long-sleeve jacket with black lightning bolts stretching across the arms and abdomen, and a pair of eye symbols with yellow sclera and red pupils on the shoulders. He wore matching green jeans and black sneakers. He also had a raichu tail wrapped around his waist with the bolt acting as a buckle.

The teen glared and cracked his knuckles, "You're gonna pay for that, Ketchum."

Zoroark chuckled nervously, "C-come on, Omega. You wouldn't hurt yourself, would you?"

"Faux." Omega's glare deepened, "You do realize how I transform, right?"

"R-right. Well-" Faux glanced to the side and blinked in surprise. He looked at Omega, "Wait, do you know where we are?"

Omega continued glaring, "Trix's world, origin year 1998."

Faux shook his head, "No, this place specifically."

Omega rolled his eyes, "Faux, you freaking know I don't." He blinked, "Freak." He deadpanned, "Right, K and PG worlds."

Faux stood up, "Well then, you might like to know that this place is called Pokémon Land."

Omega pinched the bridge of his nose, "Of course it is. Do you seriously not think it's weird that most things in these worlds have the word 'Pokémon' in them?"

Faux glared, "I keep telling you, it's completely normal!" He stopped glaring, "And that's not what I meant. Pokémon Land is a tourist site filled with gigantic, robot Pokémon."

Omega gave an annoyed expression, "You're point?"

Faux smirked, "It's owned by Giovanni and turns up a lot of profit for Team Rocket."

Omega blinked in surprise and looked around, "So, we're on an island full of robotic Pokémon titans that funds an evil organization." His eyes narrowed, "Owned by a version of that monster." He looked back at Faux, "What's supposed to happen to this place?"

Faux smiled brightly, 'Yes!' "Ash and the others will accidentally destroy six of the robots in front of a crowd of tourists and I remember which ones. The destruction ruined the attraction and tore away a lot of funds from Team Rocket."

"So, as long as we don't target those six and mess with Trix's timeline, we'll have an island full of robots to hunt." Omega grinned maliciously, "And we'll even add on to this Giovanni's burden."

Faux nodded, "Exactly. The Pokémon are pikachu, charizard, kabutops-"

"Faux, you know I don't know what those are." Omega interrupted in an annoyed tone.

Faux frowned, "Right … Just, tell me when you notice one and I'll tell you if we can attack it."

Omega looked down to the forest and pointed, "What about that one?"

Faux followed his gaze and squinted, "It looks like a rhydon. That one isn't on the list."

Omega smirked, "Sounds good." His tail unwrapped from around his waist, "Omni, ODM."

"Understood, Satoshi." A high-pitched voice responded.

Omega's shoulders opened to reveal a pair of thin, but large, spools of metallic green cables with small grappling hooks. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of green sewing scissors. He flipped a switch and they grew to massive size. He pulled the blades apart; breaking the screw connecting them. The pieces of screw shattered into green threads and disappeared into Omega's fingertips.

He pointed a blade at the robo-rhydon; still smirking, "Alright, Faux. Let's hunt us a rhino." He frowned, "Poor choice of words." He jumped off the cliff.

Faux sighed in relief, "Thank Arceus." He jumped off the cliff too, "Aura Transmution! Ki!" He followed Omega from the air.

Omega fell towards the ground at an alarming rate; wind rushing past him. Once he was near the tree line, one of the grapplers aimed and fired into a tree. Reeling in fast, he skidded across the ground and jumped back into the air. He backflipped before firing into another tree. Steadying himself; he sailed through the forest at high speed. Grappling onto the trees with pinpoint accuracy.

"Flashy as ever, I see."

Omega glanced to the side to see Faux floating next to him at the same speed. The zoroark was on his back in a lounging position.

"Ki right off the bat?" Omega said with a smirk, "Are trying to ruin the fun?"

Faux chuckled and turned over in the air, "Nah. It's just the easiest way to get around." He put a paw to his chin, "I'm thinking Chi for this one. Make it ironic."

Omega rolled his eyes, "Faux, it's a robot. You may be able to Earthbend, but I know you haven't cracked Metal yet."

"No, it's because-" Faux sighed, "Forget it. We're almost there anyway."

The pair looked ahead. The fake rhydon was approaching fast.

Faux stopped in the air and fell to the ground. He clenched his claws into fists and put them together, "Aura Transmution! Chi!"

Faux skid to a halt in front of the rhydon. He stomped the ground, brought up his paws, and clapped them together.

Rhydon took another step right as the ground shot up and clamped on to its leg like a beartrap; severing the mechanical limb. The robot fumbled and was forced to take a knee on the stump.

Omega smirked, "Not bad." He shot a grappler at the robot's shoulder.

The man reeled himself towards the robot's left arm and held his blades at his sides. He reached the arm and spun like a saw blade. He rode along and around the arm; shredding it.

He moved to the head and dug the blades into the back of the neck and tore a large hunk of metal out of it.

Omega swung around and landed next to Faux.

The zoroark sweat dropped, "You know that isn't an actual titan, right?"

"Ya never know, Fox-thing." Omega responded with a shrug, "They might have a coincidental weak point."

Faux raised a brow, "Wouldn't that be a little too convenient?"

Omega looked at Faux with a deadpanned expression.

"Fair point." The talking fox responded. He looked back at the rhino, "So, do you wanna finish it off, or should I?"

Omega started stretching, "I'll do it. I could use a warmup, anyway."

He stopped stretching and brought his blades to his sides again; one in a reverse grip. He shot at the robot's still attached leg and pulled himself towards it.

Faux watched as Omega tore away at the robot. He shivered and put a claw to his throat, "Right in the esophagus."

Faux perked up and put a paw to his mouth, "Hey, be careful! The horn probably-" He was cut off by the sound of metal being torn apart. "Never mind!"

He flinched and ducked as a gigantic tooth flew over him.

Omega walked away from the pile of shredded robot, "Well, that was a good work out."

Faux chuckled, "So, how should we try to find the next-"

"AH!"

The duo turned to see Jessie and James running towards them; screaming at the top of their lungs. The humans ran past without noticing them.

Faux blinked, "What the? Team Rocket?"

Omega raised a brow, "Those idiots that chased you four around for over half a decade?"

A static filled caw rang out from where the pair came from. Faux and Omega turned towards the source and found a giant flamethrower approaching them.

Faux's eyes widened, "Uh-oh."

Omega rolled his eyes, "Oh, please." He held out his hands, "Omni, Cross Tail!"

The backs of his hands opened to reveal small spools filled with green thread. Metal claws appeared at his fingertips.

The spools spun and thread started spewing from Omega's fingertips. The threads started weaving into a large green dome around the pair. The flamethrower struck and engulfed them.

The flames subsided to reveal the dome unscathed. It burst back into thread and retracted back into Omega's fingertips.

Omega looked over his hands and smirked, 'Kiseijuu Life Fibers. By far, Omni's best idea.'

Faux looked towards the source of the flames and blinked in surprise, "Huh. They have a moltres too."

Omega looked at the fox with a raised brow, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I knew they had a zapdos. It's one of the six robots we can't go after." Faux put a claw to his chin, "I wonder if they have an articuno, too."

Omega deadpanned, "Articuno, zapdos, and moltres? They're names are seriously one, two, and three in Spanish?"

Faux raised a brow, "Spanish?"

"Another human language." Omega responded in an annoyed tone.

Faux eyes widened, "What?! But I thought it was just English, Japanese, and French! How many languages are there?!"

Omega sighed in annoyance, "Thousands."

He held out both hands and the spools in his hands started spinning again. The threads weaved into a pair of giant spears. He threw them through the moltres's head and 'heart.' The robot's eyes went dark and it plummeted to the ground.

Faux stared in shock, "I'm sorry, THOUSANDS?!" The robot crashed into the rhydon's remains and kicked up dust in all directions. Faux ignored that, "Wha- Why?! I mean, how could there be that many human languages?!"

"Mostly conflict, stubborn cultures, and/or a lack of communication." Omega said with a somber expression, "Not every world can be as peaceful and accepting as yours, Foxer."

Faux frowned and rubbed the back of his neck, "Right. Sorry." He looked at the destroyed moltres and smiled softly, "Nice shot."

Omega looked at the robot and smirked, "Thanks. Dissecting the first one told me a lot about these things." He looked back at Faux, "You wanna finish this one off? It's only fair."

Faux smirked, "With pleasure." He put his paws together with the middle claws pointing upwards and pressing against each other, "Aura Transmution! Chakra!"

Faux walked forward and went through a series of hand signs, "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!" He took in a deep breath and blew a massive stream of fire; engulfing the robots.

Faux stopped after about a minute and tried to catch his breath. He looked up and smirked when he saw the machines reduced to a pile of molten steel.

Omega smirked, "Nice." He looked around, "So, where too next?"

Faux was still panting, "Gimme *huff* a minute."

.

**Time Skip**

Persian brought out it's claws, pounced at Arcanine, and tore into dog's body. The dog retaliated by launching a massive flamethrower at the cat. Persian became engulfed by the attack. The flames stopped to reveal the persian covered in burns. It tried to take a step forward but fumbled. Arcanine capitalized and jumped onto the cat. It bit down on one of its legs and tore the limb from Persian's body. Arcanine continued tearing away at its opponent; throwing gears and wires everywhere.

"Gotta admit, your hacking abilities never cease to amaze." Faux said as he watched the carnage.

Omega shrugged, "Eh, I can't take all the credit. Not a lot of machines can stand up to an upgraded Alaya Vijnana."

The persian's head crashed down in front of them. One of the eyes were shattered.

Faux pouted, "Ah man."

Omega smirked, "Looks like I win."

The fox sighed, "Aura Transmution. Ki." Faux raised a paw and fired a blast of yellow energy at the Arcanine robot's head. The headless body fell to its side.

.

**Time Skip**

The pair was near the top of a tall tree. Omega weaved a pair of binoculars -Faux provided the lenses- and was doing recon. Faux was lying on a branch and eating from a basket of fruit.

Faux held a Sitrus berry up to Omega, "Want one?"

Omega looked at the fruit and raised a brow, "What's wrong with that pear?"

Faux blinked, "It's not a pear. It's a Sitrus berry."

Omega rolled his eyes, "Right." He held out a hand, "Fine, gimme the lemon."

"It's not a-" Faux sighed and put the berry in his hand, "Here."

Omega went back to looking through the binoculars and bit into the berry. He frowned, "Some citrus." He said sarcastically, "It's not even that sour."

Faux groaned and went back to eating.

After about a minute-

"Found one." Omega called out.

"Really?!" Faux asked in an excited tone, "What is it?!"

Omega refocused the binoculars, "It looks like an orange dragon with a flame at the end of its tail."

Faux groaned, 'Freaking Yvel.' "That's a charizard and one of the six. And, for the record, they aren't Dragon-types."

"Seriously?" Omega looked at the fox with a raised a brow, "That thing looks pretty dragonic."

Faux shrugged, "Well, they are from the Dragon egg group."

Omega deadpanned before he started looking again.

After another minute, he spoke up again, "Bingo."

Faux perked up, "What is it?"

"Sea serpent. Big, blue, and looks like it's perpetually shouting."

Faux's eyes lit up, "A gyarados?! Alright!"

Omega removed the binoculars in surprise, "Wait. Gyarados?" He groaned, "Son of a- Let me guess, there's a Gyara-uno and Gyara-tres too."

Faux stared at Omega in confusion, "What? No. Why would you think- what?"

Omega sighed, "Forget it."

He squeezed the binoculars, causing them to burst and the strings to retract into his fingers again. The lenses fell to the ground and shattered into purple sparks that faded out of existence.

Omega jumped down from the tree and started grappling towards the Water-type.

"Aura Transmution! Ki!" Faux followed from the air again.

.

*Robo-gyarados

Faux and Omega stood in front of the fake gyarados. It was currently trying to slither into a cliffside.

Omega sweat dropped, "This one's probably glitching. Tag teaming it might be unnecessary."

Faux reached into his mane and pulled out twenty playing cards, "We could play Raijinhai. Winner fights the robot."

"Sure." Omega reached into his pocket and pulled out a white cylinder with rounded ends and button on top, "But, let's go with the regular version."

Omega pressed the trigger and tossed it. A two-person table appeared in a cloud of smoke. On the table stood a decorated box with an inch-wide slit running through the middle of it and a pair of drawers on either side.

Faux shrugged and put the cards back into his mane. He snapped his claws and his eyes flashed purple. A pair of chairs with armrests appeared in a burst of red and black flames.

The pair sat down across from each other and opened the drawers on their side. Omega flipped a switch and a divider popped up in the center of the table to hide their opponent's side.

Omega took a small statue-like figure from his compartment and placed it on a red circle, "Ready."

"Hm." Faux selected and placed his piece, "Ready."

Omega flipped a switch and the divider folded back down. Omega's side had a man holding a Short sword without a guard and Faux's had a figure balancing on one leg; holding a red lightning bolt.

Omega looked at Faux with a deadpanned expression, "Really? Indra on your first move?"

Faux sweat dropped, "I thought you would use your King. Still, Raijin Indra defeats Shogun."

Omega rolled his eyes, "Doesn't mean you get to use it again." The pair removed their pieces from the board and placed them on the table.

They each selected their next piece and the divider moved again. Omega revealed a figure holding a gold scepter and Faux revealed his Shogun.

"King defeats Shogun." Omega said as he returned his King to the drawer. Faux sighed and placed his piece to the side.

Both sides revealed a figure resembling an elephant. "Elephants tie." Faux and Omega said before placing their pieces to the side.

Omega revealed his King again and Faux revealed a horse-riding figure, wielding a spear. "King defeats Cavalry." Omega said as he retrieved the King. Faux frowned and placed his Cavalry to the side.

Faux revealed a figure with a hand behind it's back and wielding a dagger, and Omega revealed a feminine figure holding a green cloth.

"Yes! Soldier defeats Queen!" Faux cheered as he returned the Soldier to the drawer.

Omega sighed and placed his Queen to the side.

Omega selected his piece. Faux thought for a bit and smirked before selecting one.

Omega's eyes narrowed as he put back his Raijin Indra, "I've changed my mind." He selected his King, "I'll pick this, instead."

Faux shrugged, "Alright. I'll keep."

The divider folded down: Faux's side had his Queen.

Omega blinked in surprise and groaned, "Crag."

Faux smirked and shot up a fist, "Alright! Queen defeats King! I win!" He stood back up and started walking towards the robot, "I'll make it fast." He stood next to the malfunctioning robot, did an eccentric pose, and took a deep, steady breath, "Aura Transmution! Hamon!"

Faux's arms lit up with electric-looking energy. He slammed a paw onto the robot's side. The 'electricity' ran all across the robot. The gyarados didn't seem to notice and continued slithering aimlessly.

Faux pulled back and made his way back over to Omega. Faux sat back down to look at the robot.

Omega raised a brow, "Hamon doesn't manipulate metal."

Faux smirked, "No. But it can control water."

Gyarados stopped trying to slither into the cliff and began fidgeting violently. Water rapidly sprayed out of the robot's eyes and mouth and began moving around the robot; encasing it in water. The water started compressing the body into a ball of twisted metal. The water stopped moving and splashed onto the ground. The twisted ball slammed into the ground in front of them.

"Geez." Omega grimaced, "That was … relatively graphic."

Faux looked at him with a smirk, "More graphic than the cat and dog fight?"

Omega chuckled, "Fair enough. They are just robots, anyway." Omega looked back at the fox, "How did you know there was that much water in that thing?"

Faux shrugged, "Gyarados are Water-types. After seeing the moltres and arcanine breath fire, it would make sense that the Water-type would be able to shoot water."

"Makes as much sense as anything else here." Omega looked back at the ball, "I'm guessing the other type is Dragon?"

"Nope. Flying."

Omega groaned, "These worlds need to get their facts straight."

.

**Time Skip**

"Nine wands!" Faux yelled out as his eyes flashed purple again. Eight tails -identical to his real one- appeared in a burst of flames behind him.

Omega looked over at the robotic ninetales from behind a tree, "This is where you got the idea for your stand-illusion-thing? I honestly thought Rob ripped off kyubi."

Faux glared at him, "Hey, I got this way before all that multiverse nonsense and ninetales has nothing to do with it! It's just a coincidence!"

Omega gave him a sly smirk, "You sure about that?"

Faux was about to argue but couldn't think of anything. He groaned, "Shut up."

Omega snickered, "Well, if you're going old school, I might as well too." He held a fist up to his face "Understand, Omni?"

An eye appeared on his fist and looked at him, "Loud and clear, Satoshi." The eye closed and faded.

Omega reconnected, shrank, and pocketed his scissors as his shoulders closed around the spools and his Teigu disappeared into his hands. He kicked off his shoes as his arms and legs started warping.

His left arm was now three long tentacles with curved blades at the end, his right arm had drastically increased in muscle mass and had short curving claws on his fingertips, and his legs had taken a shape that partially resembled a velociraptor's legs.

Faux stared at him, "Seriously. How does that not hurt?"

Omega rolled his eyes and looked around. He found an alakazam in the distance and picked up a rock the size of a baseball, "You take blond Kurama. I'll handle the two-spooned, Simpsons geezer."

Faux looked at the robotic Psi Pokémon, "That's an alakazam."

Omega snickered, "Yeah right. Let me guess, there's an abracadabra too."

Faux nodded, "Yeah. Abra evolves into kadabra and kadabra evolves into alakazam."

Omega laughed hysterically.

Faux stared at the man in confusion, "What are you laughing about?"

Omega's laughter died down, "Wait … you're serious?" He stared at the fox in shock, "Faux, I was joking."

Faux raised a brow, "Really? What was the joke?"

Omega blinked and deadpanned, "Just take down the vixen."

Omega pulled back his right arm and threw the rock towards the alakazam. The rock tore through the alakazam's head and flew out the other side. The robot's eyes darkened, and it stopped dead in its tracks. Omega ran off towards the frozen machine; kicking up a large cloud of dust.

Faux stared in confusion as the man disappeared, "Okay?"

Faux snapped and his fake tails stretched out towards the other fox. The tails punctured the robot's … everything and weaved throughout its body; piercing inward and out as if the machine was made of paper. After a minute, the tails spread out in random jerking motions. Torn metal and wires flew around in all directions and littered the ground.

Faux watched with a bored expression.

He looked over at the alakazam and saw Omega dig a blade into the robot's face, swing up to the head, and punch it clean off the robot's shoulders. Before the head got too far away, Omega ripped off a part of the moustache and shish kebabbed the torso with it.

Faux pouted as he looked at heap that was once his target, "Why didn't I think of that?!"

.

*Morning

Omega hung from a tree, upside down, by his tail, "Got anything?!"

This time, Faux was on recon. He looked through a telescope, "Not yet. Looks like there's a lot less- Strike that! Found one! It's a hitmonchan!"

Omega swung around to stand on the branch and smirked, "About time."

Faux snapped the telescope in half; it disappeared in a flash of purple sparks. The pair was about to move until they heard another static filled caw above them. They looked up to see a large blue bird.

"Huh." Omega said, "Found the articuno."

Faux looked at him with a raised brow, "I thought you didn't know Pokémon."

"I don't." Omega pulled a red device out of his pocket and held it up, "But I know how to look up a picture."

Faux blinked in surprise, "Wait, since when did you have a-" his eyes widened. The fox shoved a paw into his mane and started feeling around. He looked at Omega in shock, "You pickpocketed my Pokédex?!"

Omega rolled his eyes, "You know well enough that I'm giving it back."

Faux glared and snatched the device, "That doesn't change the fact that you don't steal a trainer's license!"

Omega sighed, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Are you gonna take down the bird, or what?"

Faux grumbled, "Fine." He put the Pokédex into his mane, felt around again, and pulled out a large book.

Faux held it in front of him, "Aura Transmution! Mana!" The book started glowing light blue and levitating in front of him. It opened and the pages started flipping on their own.

The fox smirked when the pages stopped. He held a paw up towards the fake Ice-type, "Frost Magic! Icicle Cascade!"

Four large spears of ice appeared around Faux and fired up towards the robot. This process repeated seven times.

Articuno crashed into the ground; filled with the icicles.

Faux snickered and closed the book, "Aura." The icicles shattered into nothing; leaving the robot full of holes.

"Hah!" Omega laughed before he turned around, "Come on, let's get the hitmon-whatever."

Faux raised a claw, "Hold on. One more thing."

The held a paw out in front of him, "Link Attack!" An Aura Sphere on a top of a charged Night Daze appeared in his paw, "Night Sphere!" He ran towards the drowned robot and held the attack at his side, "Impact!" He drove the combined attack into the machine.

The attack exploded and scattered parts of the machine everywhere. Faux walked back over calmly; paws behind his head, "Okay, now we can go."

Omega sighed, "And he called me flashy."

.

*Robot hitmonchan

"Aura Transmution! Ecto!" A pair of red rings appeared around Faux's waist. They split and traveled up and down the fox; changing his color scheme.

The rings faded. Faux's fur was now white like snow, his mane and claws were light blue, and his eye was red. His right leg arm was now missing from the knee down, his right eye was covered by an eyepatch, and his left arm was completely gone. He held a three clawed, skeletal forearm made of metal in his right claw.

Omega looked up at the hitmonchan robot, "So, this one is a ghost?"

"No." Faux responded; a slight echo in his voice, "But we haven't seen a Ghost-type since we got here, and I wanted to use this."

Faux lifted off the ground and shot towards the fake Fighting-type. Omega grappled onto the robot's waist and followed.

Omega swung around to face the robot. The hitmonchan threw a left hook towards Omega. The man responded by spinning along and across the arm. He shredded the limb with his scissors and jumped off the shoulder, right before it fell off.

Faux flew around the robot. He clutched his skeletal arm and it lit up with green electricity. He pointed it at the robot and fired. The robot twitched violently as the electricity coursed through it.

Omega grappled onto the back of the neck. He reconnected the scissors, sewing a new screw, and held them out of his side by one of the blades. The scissors shifted and folded together into a giant mechanical scythe. He reeled in towards the robot and swung the at the neck; decapitating the machine.

Faux smirked, "Aura Transmution! Haki!" The rings reappeared and reverted him to his natural color scheme. As he fell to the ground, his real eye started to glow purple. His right leg and eye reappeared in a burst of red and black flames; the latter covering the eyepatch. He held the metal arm near his left shoulder and a new arm appeared around the skeletal one; in the same fashion.

Faux landed on the ground in a crouch. He grabbed onto a tree with his left arm, tore it out of the ground, touched it with his right arm, and coated the tree in black metal-looking substance. He swung and threw the tree into the robot's chest; tearing a gaping hole into it.

The headless robot fell back and crashed into the ground.

Faux looked around for a bit and found a giant beedrill and sandslash in the distance. They were moving away from them.

When he landed next to him, Faux looked at Omega with a smirk, "Two more?"

Omega looked at the robots and shrugged, "Why not."

Faux smirked, reached into his mane, and pulled out a silver three-edged dagger, "Aura Transmution! Grace!"

Faux's pupils started to glow bright blue as he became enveloped in light. When the light faded, Faux wore a large brown trench coat and his face appeared to be frozen in a stoic expression.

Omega pinched the bridge of his nose, "Faux, for the last time; the overcoat has nothing to do Grace."

Faux groaned and rolled his eyes. He snapped his claws and the coat shattered in a flash of purple sparks.

Faux looked at Omega; annoyed, "You couldn't have just let me have a little fun?"

"Not if it means mocking an old friend." Omega reached back and pulled out a dagger identical to Faux's, "Look, how I make it up to you and let you borrow my-" Omega blinked in surprise as he heard flapping and looked over at where the fox used to be, "Faux?"

He looked over at the beedrill in time to see all but its head disintegrate. As the head fell to the ground, countless rocks shot up and tore into it.

Omega sweat dropped, "I guess I'll take the hedgehog." He put the blade away, grappled onto a tree, and swung towards his target.

.

**Time Skip**

"Well, that was fun." Faux said with a smirk.

The Illusion Fox Pokémon sat on a gigantic severed beedrill head with wires and jagged metal poking out everywhere. Technically, he was sitting on a floating rock above the robotic head.

Omega kicked a piece of sandslash spike and smirked, "Agreed."

He looked over at the pile of robotic sandslash. It sat in the ashes of what used to be the rest of the beedrill. All of the remaining metal was either cut, torn, melted, or just randomly bent.

Omega grinned, "This'll set that *word_too_horrible_to_'censor'_safely* back by decades."

Faux frowned, "Dude, you know there are some worlds were he's our dad, right?"

Omega looked up at the fox, "I know, but it doesn't change how I feel about that son of a glitch." 'Seriously?! Glitch?!' "Besides, who said I was talking about his mother?"

Faux grimaced, "Okay, ew." He jumped down from the rock, landed on the ground, and put his paws together, "Aura."

Faux jumped when the rock smashed into the ground behind him. His ears drooped, "I need to stop doing that." he looked at Omega, "Should we head back?"

Omega shrugged, "Might as well. You still need to fix my room."

Faux flinched, "What?!"

Omega glared, "Did honestly think I'd forgotten about that?" he reached around and grabbed Faux by the mane, "You're on cleaning duty."

Omega waved his other hand in front of them. A hole with a grid like pattern appeared. Omega walked through the portal as he dragged the zoroark.

The fox grumbled, "Lousy dimension walker."

The teen glared, "Ancestral inherent hairball."

Faux pouted as the hole closed.

.

.

**Faux: *smile* Good times.**

**Omega: *wicked smirk* Yeah. Wish I could have seen the look on Giovanni's face when he found out.**

**Faux: *chuckle* Yeah, especially the Persian.**

**Gem: *pouts* Why couldn't I join in? I know how to fight.**

**Omega: You couldn't have brought your mouse with you.**

**Gem: Understood.**

**Seishin: Alright, now for the comment respo-**

**Ohirume: I'm afraid not, Yukiro. We're saving that for Labor Day.**

**Yugo: Geez.**

**Ohirume: Sorry Yugo. I hope you all enjoyed the omake and the next chapter will be up on Sunday.**

**Yugo: See ya next time.**

**…**

**Ohirume: One more thing – disclaimers for everything Faux and Omega had or did.**

**I don't own Attack on Titan, Kill La Kill, Parasyte: The Maxim, Hunter X Hunter, Dragon Ball (Z/GT/Super), Avatar: The Last Airbender/The Legend of Korra, Akame Ga Kill, Naruto (Shippuden)/Boruto, Gundam (Iron Blooded Orphans), Yu-Gi-Oh! (Season 0/Toei Anime), Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Black Clover, Danny Phantom, RWBY, One Piece, or Supernatural.**

**Omega: I just- wow.**

**Faux: … I-I knew we had a lot, but this- This is just-**

**Ohirume: *sigh* Yeah, if either of you show up again, I'll need to go all the way back and copy most of this.**

**Omega: … Wait, what would you have to add if I used my puppets?**

**Ohirume: Castle, Bones, and Karakuri Circus.**

**Gem: *excited* What about me?!**

**Ohirume: Steven Universe.**

**Gem: … Is that it? I thought there would be more.**

**Ohirume: Nope. Just the one.**


	21. Ch 19: Tentacruel

**Seishin: Oooo. Back to the pilot. The point of this chapter and the name of a Family Guy episode.**

**Ohirume: I think the one-shot counted as more of an OVA than a pilot.**

**Omega: How can a fanfiction can have an 'Original Video Animation?'**

**Ohirume: No, I mean- This version is just extended and modified.**

**Omega: … Putting aside the fact that you think an AVO is a lesser prototype, it's still obvious that this needed the tune up.**

**Ohirume: Hey! It was my first time! I was an amateur.**

**Seishin: *chuckles* Rob, I think you meant to say, 'I am still an amateur.'**

**Ohirume: Ugh.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Attack on Porta Vista**

.

The group separated from Ash's mother and the rest of the Pallet Town natives and continued on their journey. They got tickets for a ship back to the mainland that was scheduled to show up in three hours.

The group was currently sitting at the dock looking out into the sea.

Clefairy smiled brightly as she took in the view, "_So pretty!_"

"So, we're just gonna wait here for three straight hours?" Soot asked in an annoyed tone.

"It's not that bad." Misty responded with a smile, "It's nice to sit down and take in the view every once in a while."

Ash nodded, "Besides, we don't have to stay here the whole time. We can find something to do in a bit."

Soot sighed and laid down, "Yeah, I guess."

Pikachu perked up when he noticed something, "_Huh? What's that?_"

Ash followed the mouse's gaze and squinted, "A horsea?"

Misty jerked, "What?!" She looked and found the Dragon Pokémon looking right at them. Her eyes lit up, "Wow! You're right!"

Brock looked too and frowned, "It looks like it's hurt."

Misty frowned, "And there isn't a Pokémon Center nearby." She pulled out a pokéball, "Maybe I should catch them."

Horsea looked off to the side and started spraying ink. The ink took shape in the water. Horsea started calling out something.

Soot blinked, "What the- Tentacool and Tentacruel?"

Ash looked at her, "Is that what they're saying?"

Soot shrugged, "He's too far away to hear. I'm just going off the drawings."

"It still doesn't change the fact that Horsea needs help." Misty pulled the ball back. She was about to throw it when an explosion rang throughout the area.

Everyone flinched and turned to see a large boat expelling smoke.

Soot grimaced, "What the Yvel?!"

Three sailors jumped overboard, into the water.

Ash's eyes narrowed, "Those people need help!"

Misty nodded and tossed out three pokéballs, "Staryu, Starmie, Goldeen, help them!"

The Water-types emerged and shot out towards the seamen.

Brock smiled, "Nice idea, Misty!"

Misty's Pokémon made it back to the dock shortly with the three men in tow. The group hoisted them up onto the dock.

"It's terrible! Terrible!" One of the men called out as all three laid on the ground.

Ash frowned, "They seem paralyzed."

Soot sniffed them and sighed in relief, "Yeah, but its only due to shock. I'm not picking up any kind of poison."

Brock crouched down next to one of the men, "Hey, are you guys okay? What happened out there?"

"The boss." The man muttered; not hearing Brock, "I've got to tell the boss what happened."

Misty frowned, "Boss?"

"We'll worry about that later." Ash slung two of the men over his shoulders, "These guys still need help. We can figure out the 'boss' thing at a hospital."

"_Wait! Please!_"

Soot turned to see Horsea, "Huh?"

"_You can't leave yet!_" Horsea cried out, "_The tentacool are plotting something!_"

Ash looked at the canine, "Soot, is everything alright?"

Soot frowned, "I'm not sure yet. Go ahead and take them to a hospital. I'll stay here with Horsea."

Pikachu and Clefairy jumped down. "_We'll stay behind too._" Pikachu said. Clefairy nodded.

Ash nodded back, "Alright." He put the men down, brought out his pool and expanded it. He pulled out and tossed a Pokéball, "Come on out, Squirtle."

Squirtle emerged and looked over at Ash, "_What's up?_"

Soot gestured to the pool, "Mind filling this up?"

Squirtle sweat dropped, "_Do I have to?_"

Soot glared, "Moe's boat."

Squirtle frowned and filled up the pool with Water Gun. Horsea was moved into it and the humans left shortly after. Squirtle, Pikachu, Clefairy, Horsea, and Soot remained. Ash left a Super Potion for Horsea and Soot in charge, as usual.

With some, forced, help from Squirtle, Soot finished applying the potion, "There. Feel better?"

Horsea nodded, "_Yeah. Thanks._"

Squirtle groaned, "_Finally._" He jumped into the pool.

Soot rolled her eyes at the turtle and smiled at Horsea, "Good to hear." She sat down, "So, what about the tentacool?"

"_They're plotting something!_" Horsea cried out, "_I don't know what exactly, but it's bad! A lot of humans could be in danger!_"

Clefairy frowned, "_What do you mean?_"

"_The tentacool are mad about some humans trying to destroy their home. They want revenge, but against all humans; not just the ones responsible._"

Soot's eyes widened, "Wait! Are they the ones who sank that boat?!"

Horsea nodded, "_Those humans came from that._" Horsea looked over towards a large half-built structure in the distance, "_That's what the tentacool are mad about._"

Soot frowned before looking in the direction Ash and the others went, "On the upside, dad and the others are probably with that person right now. Maybe they can talk some sense into them."

.

*Ash, Brock, and Misty

The group was having no such luck.

Nastina -Brutella's apparent cousin- had just gone through a two-minute rant about the hotel she was trying to build on a coral reef and her complaints about the tentacool that were stopping her. Her complaints involved them being disgusting, despicable, and non-edible.

Nastina grinned, "Now, what do you say? Help me exterminate those pests and you'll be rewarded handsomely." She put a finger over her mouth, "Of course, we'll have to keep quiet about all this. Pokémon protection laws and all that garbage."

Ash's eye twitched, "Brock, Misty, cover your eyes." The two friends smiled wickedly and complied.

Nastina blinked in surprise, "What are you do-" she shut up and started shivering as Ash intimidated the room.

.

*Five minutes and one "ban for life" later

The group made their way back towards the Pokémon. None of them were happy.

Misty clenched her fist, "I can't believe that glitch! Trying to exterminate an entire species of Water-types for some shabby hotel?! How messed up can you get?!"

"At least now we have an idea about what Horsea was trying to warn us about." Brock followed, "The tentacool are probably trying to protect their home, no matter the method."

Ash looked ahead as his Pokémon appeared in the distance, "We'll know for sure in a bit."

The group walked towards the pool. Soot was laying by the side, Horsea, Squirtle, and Clefairy were having a splash fight, and Pikachu was trying to relax while floating on his back. The mouse wasn't having much luck.

Misty smiled and ran ahead, "Horsea!"

The Pokémon all looked over at the approaching humans.

Horsea cried out happily as Misty approached, "_You're back!_"

Brock smiled, "Looks like the Super Potion worked."

Misty picked up and hugged the small Water-type, "Thanks goodness."

Ash smiled softly at the scene. He frowned and looked at Soot, "We found out what happened to the boat."

Soot frowned, "Us too. The tentacool attacked it out of revenge. They're plotting something bigger, but we don't have the details."

Brock frowned, "Aside from the bigger plot, that's about what we learned."

Misty glared, "That Nastina woman can't get away with this!"

Soot raised a brow, "Nastina?"

Ash sighed, "Yeah. Apparently, Brutella has an identical cousin."

Pikachu, Soot, Squirtle, and Clefairy's eyes widened, "_S_E_RIO_U_SLY_?_!_"

Horsea blinked and looked at Soot, "_They can understand you?_"

Pikachu shrugged, "_Sort of. Soot speaks human. Ash can understand me and Clefairy, though._"

Ash nodded, "Yup."

A loudspeaker started sounding around the city, Citizens of Porta Vista, listen up!

Soot stared at the speaker in shock, "Dear Arceus. They have the same voice."

I'm happy to announce that my- I mean, _our_ troubles are over! Some fine trainers and their talking Pokémon have agreed to exter- um, _relocate_ the tentacool and save our fair town.

Misty's eyes narrowed, "Is she serious?! Why on earth would she think we would help after-" She paused and blinked, "Wait, how does she know about Soot?"

Ash pointed out towards the sea, "I don't think she does."

Everyone turned to see Team Rocket on speed boat and heading towards the resort.

Misty's eye twitched, "Freaking Arceus!"

.

*Team Rocket

Meowth laughed, "Dis'll be cake! That hundred million'll be ours in no time!"

Jessie smiled, "And all we have to do is get rid of some tentacool for that Brutella look-a-like."

James followed, "And it will be easy with the help of our-"

"Super-secret stun sauce!" They called out in unison.

The tRio laughed wickedly. That died when the boat stopped without warning.

"What?" Jessie said in confusion.

They started moving in reverse.

"Why are we goin' back?!" Meowth cried out in alarm.

James looked over the side and flinched, "Uh, guys."

Jessie and Meowth followed his gaze and grimaced, "Ah!"

Team Rocket's boat was surrounded by tentacool.

.

*Ash, Soot, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, Clefairy, Squirtle, Horsea

"Woah!" Brock shouted out in alarm.

Misty's eyes widened, "There must be thousands!"

One of the tentacool fired a beam-like attack at the boat and blew it up. A barrel flew from the smoke and broke open on one of the tentacool. Said tentacool stared glowing.

The group stared in shock as the Water/Poison-type started growing to an impossible size.

Ash took a step back, "What the Yvel?!"

The glow faded as the tentacruel emerged. Their height rivaled some of the buildings in the city.

Misty stared in shock, "It's huge!"

Brock gulped, "Just like Dragonite."

Soot grimaced, "T-that shouldn't be possible. How could it-" She paused when she noticed a strange scent. Her eyes widened, "Dad, you smell that, right?"

Ash looked at her in confusion before sniffing. He grimaced, "Stun sauce."

Misty stared at him in shock, "WHAT?!"

"Wait, what?" Brock asked in confusion, "What's stun sauce?"

Misty grimaced, "It's a horrible chemical that was made before Pokémon protection laws came into effect. It's designed to destroy a Water-type's nervous system."

Soot nodded, "Yeah, until it expires." Her eyes narrowed, "How on earth could they have gotten their hands on that gunk?"

Tentacruel stared in shock as they examined their new form and height. Their eyes narrowed as they turned towards the surrounding tentacool and started calling out something.

Ash grew concerned "Soot, what are they saying?"

"Hold on, they're pretty far away." She responded before closing her eyes, trying to focus. "It's still faint. Coral reef … destroyed homes … atta-" Soot gasped.

"Soot?" Ash asked worried.

"Dad, we need to evacuate, now!" Soot cried out, "They're going to attack Porta Vista out of revenge! We need to get everyone out of here!"

Horsea's eyes widened, "_Oh no!_"

"Crag!" Ash returned Squirtle, "Come on!" He ran off towards Nastina's place.

Brock, Misty, and Soot followed.

Misty looked back, "Be careful, Horsea!"

Horsea gave a sad expression as they left, "_Good luck._"

.

*Nastina's place

"You have to let us in!" Misty shouted, "The tentacool are going to destroy the city. We need to warn everyone!"

"Forget it kid." The guard responded with a raised hand, "We have explicit orders from Nastina to not let any of you back in."

"But this is an emergency!" Brock shouted.

"An emergency you say?" The guard stepped aside to reveal Nastina wearing a spa mask. Needless to say, it made them all cringe, "What exactly is so important to you felt the need to interrupt my spa session?" She gave Ash a warry look.

Soot was the first to recover from the shock and responded, "There's a giant tentacruel planning to attack the city! We need to evacuate, and your speaker system is the only way to get the message out fast enough!"

Nastina looked at her in surprise before grinning, "Oh my, aren't you an interesting little thing." She responded greedily before looking at Ash, "You there, Trainer, how much for the talking … whatever-this-is?"

Ash snapped out of it and glared, "Okay. First, Soot isn't for sale. Second, she's a mightyena, never call her 'whatever-this-is' again. And third, did you not hear anything she just said? There's an army of tentacool coming to destroy the city!"

Nastina glared, "First it's a giant tentacruel and now it's an army of tentacool. Sounds like someone can't get there lies straight."

"It's both!" Soot and Ash shouted in unison.

Ash followed, "And it's not a lie, they're on their way here and we need to warn-" The ground started shaking.

Everyone turned to see Tentacruel and their army approaching the city at an alarming rate.

"Crag! They're closing in!" Ash called out, "Now do you see?! We need to warn the warn everyone and evacuate!"

The hag laughed, "All I see is a bunch of pests and one big sale." She grinned wickedly, "Can you imagine how much someone would pay to have a Poison-type like that?"

"WHAT?!" Everyone, even Nastina's guard, cried out.

"M-miss Nastina, are you sure about this?" The guard responded worriedly, "That Pokémon is the size of a wailord, I don't think-"

Nastina glared at him and shouted, "I don't pay you to think! I pay you to follow orders! Now follow your orders and get rid of these brats while you still have a job!" She walked back inside before he could respond.

"Y-yes ma'am!" The guard respond nervously. He whispered, "Sorry kids." He closed the door and locked it.

Misty banged on the door and shouted, "YOU CAN'T DO THIS! INNOCENT PEOPLE AND POKÉMON AND GOING TO BE HURT! WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING!"

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Ash, "Forget it Misty, she's not gonna help. All she cares about is money and I don't think anything's gonna change that."

"So, what?! We just let this happen?!" Misty responded.

Ash's eyes narrowed, "Not a chance. It just means, we need to take a different approach." He looked towards the approaching army and squinted. "At the rate they're moving, they'll be here in here in under 10 minutes." He turned back to his friends, "If the three of us split up, we'll be able warn more people and hopefully spread the word."

Brock grimaced, "Wait, 10 minutes?! Ash, that's nowhere near enough time to evacuate!"

"I know it isn't, but we don't have a lot of options." He glanced down at his watch and scowled before looking back at his friends, "Odds are that some people have already noticed the army and are leaving as we speak. All I'm saying is we try to help as many people as we can. Because right now, that's all we can do."

Brock and Misty looked at each other nervously before nodding. "Alright."

"Good." Ash looked around before pointing at a large, faraway building on a cliff, "There. That building is far enough from the shoreline, that it may not be attacked, and its height should help if any of them have an attack that can flood the city. If traffic gets bad enough or the roads are damaged, we start moving everyone there until we find a way to stop the tentacool."

They nodded again, clear on the plan.

Ash nodded with them, "Alright, let's move!"

Everyone ran in different directions; the objective clear in their minds.

Ash stopped in an alleyway and pulled out his Pokéballs, "Everyone, come on out!"

His team materialized in front of him. Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy joined them.

Soot spoke first, "I'm guessing there's a little more to your plan than what you told the others?"

Ash nodded, "Not that much, but yeah."

Charmander raised a paw, "_Uh, what plan?_"

"_The plan that stops that."_ Pikachu responded pointing to the tentacool army.

Everyone looked. Their eyes widened upon seeing the tentacool, "_Oh_."

"_Uh, right._" Bulbasaur said before looking back at Ash, "_So, what do we do?_"

Ash frowned, not understanding him, "Uh, Soot?"

"I'll take it from here, dad." Soot responded as she walked forwards. She turned to face to her teammates, "All Right, listen up! Tentacruel and his army are on their way here to destroy the city. Right now, our priority is evacu- to get everyone out of the city, and to safety. If the tentacool get too close, we might need to fight, so be ready. If this plan's anything like the other one, we'll need to split up to cover more ground." She turned to look at Ash, "And dad, I'm guessing you'll be joining in?"

Ash smirked, "Right, I've already got a form in mind." He off his belt and handed in to Soot, "Hold on to this for me. Just in case anyone gets hurt."

Soot put her head through the loop and nodded, "Okay. Just promise you'll come back for it."

Ash smiled softly, "I promise." He looked towards his Pokémon, "Alright, is everyone clear?" Clefairy, Charmander, and Krabby responded with confused stares and started checking themselves; trying to see if they were clear.

Ash sweat dropped, "Does everyone understand the plan?" This time, they responded with a round of nods.

"Good," Ash brought up his watch and pressed the green button on the side; causing the middle to spring up. He twisted the center until it revealed a silhouette of a large bird. Ash slammed down the center and became engulfed in a green light. When the light faded, Ash appeared in braviary form.

"_I'll see if I can slow down Tentacruel, or at least reason with him._" Ash lifted off the ground, "_Alright everyone. Let's save the day!_" He flew off towards Tentacruel.

"_I'll never get used to that._" Krabby said as their trainer flew off into the distance.

.

*Giant Tentacruel

Ash flew as fast as could towards the oncoming threat; hoping what he was to do wouldn't get him killed. He slowed down and stirred up a Tailwind, trying to get the giant's attention. Unfortunately, it worked.

"_You're rather far away from your home region, aren't you._" the Tentacruel stated; glaring at Ash.

Ash shouted, "_Tentacruel, I know your mad about your home being destroyed, but destroying the city isn't going to fix anything!_"

Tentacruel's eyes narrowed, "_Why would you defend the humans? They are greedy weaklings who only care for themselves._"

"_That's not true! Yes, there are some bad people, but doesn't mean you should take it out on the entire species!_"

"_We deserved justice for what has happened!_" Cried out one the Tentacool below.

Ash grimaced, "_This isn't justice, its senseless revenge! All this is going to do is ruin more lives and hurt innocent humans and Pokémon alike!_"

The Tentacruel's expression didn't change, "_If that is truly how you feel, then you are our enemy as well._"

Tentacruel swung at Ash faster than he could react and sent him towards a building. Before hitting the structure, Ash manage to hit the symbol on his chest with one of his wings; engulfing him in green light again. The sheer force of the impact caused the entire building to shake and most of the windows to shatter. Ash was knocked out cold.

.

**Time Skip**

Ash woke up slowly and found himself buried under a pile of large rocks. He started to panic before noticing his hands.

'_Oh, thank Arceus, I managed to switch in time!_' Thought the Banette as he sighed in relief.

He went intangible and started floating in the direction that felt most like up. Luckily, he was right. But what he found instantly made him regret leaving the rubble.

He has surrounded by a wasteland of destroyed buildings and torn up roads. The Tentacool army was firing attacks around in the distance.

Ash grimaced, '_What the Yvel?! How long was I out for?!_' he thought; mind in a frenzy.

He heard a cry in the distance, "HELP! SOMEONE, PLEASE HELP!"

Not needing to think twice, Ash started flying straight for the source of the screams. To his relief, Misty was already there, trying to help a mother get her daughter out from under an unstable pile of rubble.

Acting fast, he slipped by, phased through the pile, turned the girl intangible, and pulled her out. The girl immediately ran to her mother and hugged her; not questioning how she got out. The mother didn't seem to question it either and hugged her back; happy that she was safe.

Misty stared in shock, 'What the?! How did she-' She shook it off and pointed to the building on the cliff, "Head straight to that building. My friend is already there. He'll keep you safe."

The mother nodded vigorously, "Thank you!" She ran straight to the building with her daughter in her arms.

Misty smiled at seeing them run off to safety. She frowned and looked back at the pile of rubble the girl was trapped under. Looking around it, she still couldn't find any kind of opening big enough for the girl to squeeze through.

She reached out a hand, 'It's almost like she just walked through it.'

Misty laid a hand on the side of the pile and it collapsed immediately. She jerked and took a step back in shock, 'I barely even touched it! If it was this unstable, then there's no way she should have been able to-'

Still trying to comprehend the girl's escape, Misty failed to notice a crumbling building to her right.

Ash was heading off to find someone else in need of help, when he heard crumbling from where Misty was. Turning around, he saw the building already starting to fall.

"_NO!_" he started flying straight towards Misty but, '_I'm not fast enough!_' He glanced at the symbol on his stomach and grimaced, '_But I know who is._' He hit it as hard as he could and became engulfed in green light.

.

*Misty

Misty heard a rock hit the ground near her. She turned and looked up in horror as an entire building was falling; aiming straight for her. Frozen in fear, Misty started tearing up, closed her eyes, and crouched down to brace herself. When she heard the crash, she … felt fine?

Misty opened her eyes in shock and saw the fallen building laying right in front of her. She heard someone trying to catch their breath and turned to see a …

Misty stared in shock, 'What the, actual, Yvel?!'

It was some kind of blue and black lizard, with green pupil-less eyes, a long, stripped tail, pointed head and … spheres on its feet? If that wasn't weird enough, it started talking.

"Are you *huff* alright?" It asked in a scratchy voice.

"Y-yeah." Misty said in shock, "Were you the one who saved me?"

The creature caught its breath and smiled at her, "Yeah, glad to see you're not hurt."

"Right." She looked up and down at it, "Um, what are you?"

The creature sweat dropped, 'Yeah, good question.' "Uh, just call me Quick Attack."

Misty raised a brow, "Quick Attack? Like the move?"

Quick Attack smiled, "Bingo." Quick Attack looked around at the surrounding wasteland and frowned. He got up and walked over to Misty, "Come on, we need to get you to-" he was cut off when the once green symbol on his chest started beeping and flashing red.

Misty grew concerned, "What is that?! What's happening?!"

Quick Attack's mind started racing, 'No! Not now! Not in front of Misty!' He looked towards the rampaging army, 'They're not letting up at all. If I'm stuck as me for too long, dozens could be-' he grimaced, 'I-I don't have a choice!'

Quick Attack immediately started messing with the symbol on his chest. He went through a series of clicks and twists while the symbol was still beeping.

Finally, after hitting the now rotated symbol, it turned blue and an electronic voice sounded, Lockdown Mode Engaged, Approximate time until release: 60 hours.

Silence overtook as Quick Attack glared at the symbol angrily. He calmed down and turned around to see Misty staring at him; seeming even more confused.

She stared, wide eyed, "What just-"

"Come on, I still need to get you to safety." He interrupted before reached out a claw to help her up.

"Um, sure." She grabbed the claw pulled herself up.

Quick Attack picked her up without warning.

Misty glared, "Wha- Hey! I can walk on my own!" she demanded.

"Calm down." Quick Attack said, "I'll get us there faster. Just hang on."

Misty raised a brow, "What do you mean hang OOOON?"

Misty had to close her eyes to keep the wind out. When the wind stopped, not even a minute later, Misty opened her eyes to a large group of people staring at them. Seeing Brock, she realized that they were at the top of the building on the cliff.

Misty's eyes widened slightly, "Woah."

Soot ran over, "Misty, you're okay! And-" Soot's eyes widened as she noticed Quick Attack.

"Soot, this is Quick Attack." Misty told her; trying to calm her down, "He saved me earlier."

Soot was still staring at him, "Uh huh. D- uh Quick Attack, can I talk to you for a bit?" She gestured to the side, "Over there."

Quick Attack grew nervous, "Well- I mean- I should probably check to make sure everyone's-"

Soot glared, "Now!"

Quick Attack put his claws up in defense, "Alright, alright."

Misty watched as they walked away, "Uh, right. I'll just go help Brock then?"

She didn't receive an answer.

.

*Soot and Quick Attack

Quick Attack spoke first, "So, uh, Soot, what did want to-"

"Lockdown mode?! Really, dad?!" Soot said in a harsh whisper, "You know well enough how long that can last. And I thought we agreed that if you did use it, it wouldn't be for one of these things."

Ash waved his claws defensively, "Alright, I'm sorry! I know it was dumb but hear me out."

Soot raised a brow.

Ash sighed and continued, "Look. Misty was in trouble, I was about to time out, and I seriously doubt all this is going to blow over anytime soon. I couldn't afford to be me for that long."

Soot deadpanned, "That's your reason? Dad, you could have just run behind a building to change back. And five minutes is not that long."

Ash sweat dropped, "Oh, right."

Soot sighed and shook her head, "It had to be Quick Attack, didn't it?" She looked at him with an annoyed expression, "How long this time?"

"60 hours." Ash replied somberly.

Soot groaned, "Of course."

Pikachu bound over, "_Soot, we just got back. We managed to-_" He noticed Ash and jumped, "_WOAH! Wha-what is that?!_"

Ash chuckled nervously, "Hey buddy."

Pikachu did a double take and noticed the symbol on his chest, "_ASH?! What the- What kind of Pokémon is that?!_"

Soot sighed, "It's not. Honestly, we don't know what this is. That's not important right now. What were you saying?"

Pikachu composed himself, "_Right. We did what you said and managed to save a bunch of people. We were heading back when Pidgeotto noticed something._"

Soot grew concerned and looked over at the bird, "Pidgeotto?"

"_It's that Nastina woman._" Pidgeotto responded, "_I spotted her heading towards Tentacruel with a- well, I don't what it's called. It was like a big metal box on wheels, with, I think, a cannon poking out near the-_"

"SHE HAS A TANK!?" Soot cried out in alarm.

"WHAT!?" Ash shouted in response, "IS SHE INSANE!?"

All the screaming caught Brock and Misty's attention and the pair ran over.

Brock spoke first, "Soot, what's-" he noticed Ash, "What is-"

"Not important!" Soot interrupted, "Right now, we need to stop Nastina! That idiot is going at the behemoth with a freaking TANK!"

"WHAT?!" They shouted.

Misty stared in shock, "How could she do something like that? Tentacruel will be-" She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

"Actually, I don't think he will." Ash stated, "Don't forget, Tentacruel's the size of an over-inflated blimp. I don't any kind of firearm is even going scratch him. Even a tank."

Misty sighed in relief.

"However," Ash continued, "the attempt'll probably just make him angrier and we can't let things escalate."

Misty put a hand to her chin, "Maybe we can reason with him."

"I already tried." Ash responded with a frown, "Big lug launched me into a building." He raised a claw, "Don't ask."

"Well let me try, then!" Misty argued, "I'm training to become a Water Pokémon Master, so I might stand a better chance!"

Ash took a breath before responding, "Alright. I'll get you in close enough to talk to him. But I'm getting you out of there at the first sign of danger."

Misty nodded with a determined glare, "Okay."

Brock put a hand on her shoulder and whispered, "Misty, wait. Are you sure you can trust him?"

Misty looked at him, "Quick Attack saved me earlier. He can't be that bad."

Brock still looked uneasy.

Soot noticed, "I'll vouch for him, Brock. He won't let anything happen to Misty."

Brock sighed, "Fine, but I'm coming too."

"Hold it." Misty argued, "Brock, everyone here is scared. They need someone to look up to and keep them safe. And I can't think of anyone better for the job."

Brock glanced around the room. Children crying, families huddled together, and Pokémon surrounding their trainers; all trembling.

He turned back and nodded, "Alright, just hurry back."

Before they could leave, Brock grabbed Ash's arm and pulled him around, so they faced each other, "If anything happens to her, it's on you. Got it?!"

Ash frowned and nodded, "Got it." He crouched down to let Misty climb on his back and sped off towards Tentacruel.

.

**Time skip**

Misty's plan … actually worked. She managed to get up to Tentacruel's level and -with some help from Horsea- convinced him to stop his attack. Tentacruel called off his army but warned that they would not stop if their home is ever threatened again.

And then, Nastina started shooting him, "I'LL BLOW YOU TO KINGDOM COME YOU OVERGROWN WATERBAG!"

Tentacruel just stood there, deadpanned, as the bullets bounced off him. He held Meowth towards the trio and said, "Any objection in me throwing her?"

"No_n_e." Ash, Misty, and Horsea responded with deadpanned expressions.

Tentacruel promptly picked up Nastina and threw her out of sight. He then threw Meowth into the distance and disappeared into the sea.

Misty put a hand over her eyes as Nastina disappeared, "Do you think she'll be okay?"

Ash shrugged, "Team Rocket always is. Somehow."

"Yeah." Misty responded before jumping in surprise, "Wait, how do you know about that?!"

"Uhhhhhh, hey look! It's your friend!" He called out, pointing at an approaching Brock.

"Misty! You're okay!" Brock called out as he approached her.

"Of course, did ever doubt me?" Misty replied smugly as she held Horsea.

Brock chuckled nervously before noticing something, "Hey, where did that other guy go?"

Misty looked confused, "Quick Attack? He's right-" Misty paused as she gestured to the empty space next to her, "Where did he go?"

"Wherever he is, I'm pretty sure I owe him an apology." Brock responded guiltily, "Come on, Officer Jenny showed up and is escorting everyone to the nearest Pokémon center. Odds are, Ash is already there."

"Right." Misty nodded.

The two friends made their way out of the destroyed city. As they left, they failed to notice Ash looking at them from the other side of a half-broken wall.

The reptile grimaced, 'How am I supposed to get out of this mess?!'

.

*Pokémon center

Brock and Misty made it to the madhouse the Pokémon Center had become. Doctors were running around tending to the injured, and Nurse Joy and her assistants were tending to the Pokémon.

Nurse Joy noticed them and walked over. Brock Instantly noticed.

"Nurse Joy!" Brock cried out, with hearts in his eyes.

Misty responded by pulling on his ear, "Really not the time Brock. We came to find Ash, remember?"

Brock rubbed the back of his head, "Right, sorry Misty."

Nurse Joy blinked in surprise, "Wait. Brock and Misty?" She smiled brightly, "You two are the heroes that everyone's been talking about!"

"I wouldn't really say heroes." Brock replied, feeling a little embarrassed.

Nurse shook her head, still smiling, "Don't be ridiculous! You two took charge during the attack and helped so many people. Everyone here owes their lives to the two of you."

Misty frowned, "What do you mean the two of us? Our friend, Ash, came up with the plan to save everyone. He found out how long it would be until the tentacool reached the city and where it would be safe to lead everyone."

Nurse Joy's eyes widened, "What?! I-I haven't heard of anyone by that name!"

Brock got worried, "Maybe you've seen him, then? He's around ten years old with black hair and brown eyes. He might've had a pikachu, mightyena, or clefairy with him."

Nurse Joy thought hard before responding, "There have been a lot of people coming in; a few of them kind of match that description." She perked up and looked at them, "But, a hand full of Pokémon, including those three, did show up earlier. They're in the back right now; room A-15."

The pair nodded, "Thank you." They hurried to the back.

When they arrived, they were immediately noticed, "Pikachu-Pi! Pika-Chu!" Pikachu bound over and jumped into Misty's arms.

The pair looked around and found the rest of Ash's Pokémon. They were relieved to see that all of them were okay. That relief shifted to worry when they saw Ash's belt slung onto a chair.

"Where's Ash?" Misty asked with a frown.

The Pokémons' eyes all widened. They started looking at each other, unsure of what to say.

Soot spoke up, "You guys haven't … seen him?" Her voice was a little higher than normal. She shot a nervous glance at the door.

Brock noticed and moved the door. He immediately came face-to-face with a familiar blue and black lizard.

"Heyyyyy." Ash nervously responded; his hiding spot ruined.

"Quick Attack?" Misty asked in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

Ash chuckled nervously, "Oh, well, uh. I thought I should make sure that everyone got to the Pokémon Center safely and-"

Misty interrupted, "No. Here. In this room." She gestured to the Pokémon in the room, "With our friend's Pokémon."

Ash grimaced, "O-oh, I, uh, y'know- Us Pokémon have to stick together, right? I came to make sure they weren't hurt and, uh-"

Soot sighed loudly, catching everyone's attention, "Just stop, dad."

Brock and Misty stared at her in shock, 'DAD?!'

Quick Attack flinched, "D-dad?! I-I think your mistaken miss, I'm-"

Soot cut him off, "Give it a rest. No matter what you say, you're still stuck like that for the next two days. It's not like we have a lot of options. Besides, you were planning to tell them eventually, right?"

Silence overtook the room. Nobody knew how to respond to what the canine just said.

Brock stared at the lizard with a shocked expression, "A-Ash?"

He flinched again and chuckled nervously, "Hey guys."

.

*One long story later

Brock and Misty were sitting down in some nearby chairs with Ash and Soot sitting across from them. The two of them were trying to wrap their heads around everything they just heard.

Brock started, "So, all of that Phantom Child stuff was just a cover story for Soot's strange powers."

Ash and Soot nodded.

Misty followed, "And that watch you're always wearing is what let you transform into all of those Pokémon that helped us and … this." Misty gestured to Ash's form.

More nods.

Misty continued, "And Soot calling you 'dad' all the time. She's actually your-"

"Yup." Soot jumped in, "Completely biological. At least, when he's in mightyena or banette form."

More silence.

Brock realized something, "Wait! Does anyone else know about this?!"

Ash responded, "Just my mom and Professor Oak." He blinked upon remembering, "Oh right, and Melanie found out by accident." He grew concerned, "So, what now?"

Misty blinked in confusion, "Huh?"

Ash frowned, "I mean, I lied to you guys for months; even after I promised no more secrets. If you think we should go our separate ways from here on, I'd understand." Ash responded somberly.

He expected them to be furious. He expected them to shout, call him a freak, and leave stomping. What he didn't expect, was for Misty to start laughing like he just slipped on banana peel.

Misty smirked and raised a brow, "Really? After everything we've been through; you think you can get rid of us that easily, Ketchum?"

Ash stared at her in shock.

Brock followed, "Ash, we stuck with you after a sinking ship and an island of giant robot Pokémon. And that was less than a week ago."

Brock and Misty pulled their chairs around to sit next to Ash and slung their arms across his back.

Brock smiled, "It's like I said before: we're your friends and nothing's going to change that."

Misty nodded, "Besides, you're still you on the inside, right?"

Ash started to tear up at their words, "You guys…" He pulled them into a group hug and chuckled lightly, "What did I do to deserve you two?" He smiled sadly, "No more secrets. I mean it this time."

The surrounding Pokémon couldn't help but smile at the display. They didn't want to say something and ruin the moment. Well … most of them.

"_WOO-HOO! THE GANG'S STICKIN' TOGETHER!_" Squirtle shouted as loud as he could. His shouts of joy interrupted by Soot's foreleg flying across the room and punching him in the face.

"YOU RUINED MOMENT, YOU IDIOT!" Soot shouted as she walked over to retrieve her leg and reattach it.

The three friends chuckled at the Pokémons' antics.

Brock stopped when he remembered something from earlier, "Wait. What did Soot mean, when she said you were stuck like that for two days?"

Ash laughed nervously again, "Oh, right. It's a function called lockdown mode." He turned to face his Pokémon, "It's the reason the symbol on my chest looks different." He spoke to the room as a whole from here on, "It locks me into whatever form I'm in for a certain amount of time. The worst part is that I can't pick the time limit. The shortest it's ever been was 24 hours and the longest has been 84. It always seems to pick the time limit in 12-hour intervals."

"Ohhhh, that's what that was earlier." Misty said before frowning, "Geez." She considered something, "Is there a way to find out how much time is left?"

"Yup, this." Ash responded before hitting the symbol on his chest.

It responded, Lockdown Mode in-effect. Approximate time until release: Fifty-eight hours and nineteen minutes.

Ash glared at the symbol in annoyance, "What!? Come on! I could have sworn it'd been longer than that!"

The room couldn't help but laugh at his misfortune.

"It's not funny." Ash crossed his arms and pouted. Or, tried to. Quick Attack was a bit limited in terms of facial expressions.

.

.

**Omega: So, the only real changes were adding a beginning and the Fairy to the chapter…**

**Ohirume: You mean, Clefairy. Also, there was Krabby, Horsea (not sure how I forgot that at first), and a few other things to touch up. But yeah, that's about it.**

**Seishin: And it's still as cringey as the original. Oh rob, I'm so proud!**

**Ohirume: *sigh***

**…**

**Illavera: Son of a *****, you were serious.**

**Pike: Told ya.**

**Nuevo: I still say she looks like an Imp.**


	22. Ch 20: Maiden's Peak 1

**Seishin: If there's something strange in your neighborhood**

**Who you gonna call?-**

**Ohirume: YUKIRO!**

**Seishin: What? No. Ghostbusters.**

**Ohirume: You know that isn't what I meant!**

**Seishin: *pouts* Fine. Danny Phantom, then!**

**Faux: On it! Aura Transmution! Ecto!**

**Ohirume: Guys, no!**

**Seishin: Well, what do expect me to do?! Supernatural's opening doesn't have a song!**

**Faux: Aura Transmution! Grace!**

**Ohirume: Stop it! We already did the song thing!**

**Omega: In Yukiro's defense, that was way back in chapter 3 and he didn't even finish.**

**Ohirume: *eye roll* Whatever. I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

**Seishin: Or Karakuri Circus**

**Ohirume: Wait, what?**

.

.

**Summer's End Festival (part 1): Maiden's Peak Merriment**

.

The group of Brock, Misty, Ash, and Soot walked through the city; en route to the, somehow, undamaged pier. The main differences were Pikachu standing on Brock's shoulder, Misty holding Clefairy, Soot wearing Ash's belt loosely around her neck, and Ash wearing a massive cloak to cover his non-human, non-Pokémon form as he skated alongside the others. No one else was around, so he kept the hood down. For now.

Brock and Misty kept asking Ash stuff about the watch; not that the trainer minded. He was happy to finally get everything off his chest.

The current conversation was mostly about Power Integration.

"So," Brock continued, "your gloves don't actually do anything?"

"Well, for the most part." Ash responded with a raise claw, "My claws and the electric stuff comes directly from Power Integration, but I wasn't lying about my red gloves. They really do draw out and ignite my blood."

Misty raised a brow, "Then, why do you have all the extras?"

Ash shrugged, "They make it easier to explain everything. More or less."

Misty chuckled before asking, "What about the thing where you can understand Pokémon?"

Soot looked up at them, "Also, Integration. When he's human, his translation is limited to Pokémon from the same species or evolutionary trees as what's in the watch."

Brock looked at Ash with a raised brow, "Just when you're human?"

Ash sighed, "Yeah. When I'm one these things," He said as he raised a hand, "I lose my ability to understand Pokémon. From any species."

Clefairy looked at him and frowned, "_So you really can't understand us anymore?_"

Ash looked at her with a frown, "Sorry, Clefairy."

Pikachu spoke up, "_But it'll come back when this wears off, right?_"

Soot smiled sadly and nodded, "Yeah. Don't worry."

Brock spoke up again, "What about your Intimidate thing? Does it actually come from Marionetter?"

Ash shook his head, "Nope. Although Soot was serious about where the aspects come from. Scared feeling from Mightyena, eyes from Banette, and no clue on the hair thing. Marionetter doesn't affect the user at all."

Soot chuckled nervously, "Yeah, sorry about that."

Misty thought for a moment before looking at Ash, "So, what all can you turn into?"

Ash smiled, "I have 12 forms, but only 7 of them are Pokémon. There's mightyena, banette, braviary, vaporeon, pika-"

"I knew it!" Misty shouted as she pointed at him, "That vaporeon that I fished out of the river! That was you!"

Ash flinched before chuckling nervously, "Oh, right. Sorry about the Water Gun to the face."

Misty sighed, "I guess I can't blame you too much. I'm sorry for trying to catch you."

Soot blinked, "Wait, what?"

Misty sweat dropped, "I may have tried to catch Ash before the two us met."

Ash scratched the side of his head, "In her defense, I was in vaporeon form. Not a lot of trainers would pass up a chance like that."

Brock chuckled before realizing, "Wait, you were that braviary too?"

Ash nodded, "Yup."

Misty pinched the bridge of her nose, "And I yelled at you for 'sleeping through the attack.'" She frowned and looked upwards, "Geez. Now I really feel like a jerk."

Ash frowned, moved over, and put a hand on Misty's shoulder, "Hey, come on, Misty. Don't beat yourself up over that." He smiled sadly, "I wasn't mad before and I'm not mad now."

Misty smiled sadly, "Thanks. Still, I'm sorry."

Ash gave a soft smile in response, "Misty, you don't have anything to apologize for."

Misty rolled her eyes and smirked, "Fine. Then I'm sorry for interrupting."

Ash chuckled, "Fair enough. The last three are pikachu, clefairy, and dragonite."

Brock looked at Ash in surprise and pointed at him, "You were the dragonite that saved the beauty contest and beat Gary."

Ash snickered, "Yeah, that was fun." He rubbed the back of head, "Also, sorry for making you guys worry after the whole missile thing."

"Oh please, Ash." Misty responded with a mocking glare, "If you're not gonna let me apologize for falsely accusing you, then you, sure as Yvel, don't get to apologize for that."

Ash chuckled.

Brock smiled before asking, "So, aside from Quick Attack, what are the other forms that aren't Pokémon?"

Ash was about to responded when Soot jumped in, "Sorry, but I think we're gonna have wait for that answer." She looked ahead.

The other's followed her gaze and saw their ship coming up in the distance; an attendant stood at the bottom of the stairs leading to it. Ash grimaced and quickly pulled his hood up over his head and his sleeves down over his claws.

Misty sweat dropped, "Is that really necessary?"

Ash nodded, "Trust me. Something like this tends to freak people out. Just be happy I'm not Stone Edge right now."

Brock raised a brow, "Stone Edge?"

Soot looked up at him, "Another of the weirdos. He's a lot bigger."

Misty looked at Ash with a deadpanned expression, "Do you name all of them after attacks?"

Ash chuckled, "Well, moves, technically. But, to be fair, I was five when I started naming them. I just decided to continue the theme."

The group made their way to the ship and handed their tickets to the attendant.

The man raised a brow when he looked at Ash.

"What're you lookin' at?!" Ash responded harshly in a slightly deeper voice.

The attendant flinched, "Nothing! Sorry sir!" He stepped aside to let the group up the stairs.

Brock looked over at Ash, "What was that about?"

"Sorry." Ash responded, "The angry tone just works with the scratchy voice."

Misty blinked, "Now that you mention it, you did, kind of, sound like an old man when you said that."

.

**Time Skip**

The group rented a room for their trip to Maiden's peak. They all sat around the room, ordered room service, and continued their conversation.

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy were currently laughing hysterically. Ash and Soot sat across from them; sans cloak.

Ash groaned, "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up."

Misty held back her laughter enough to say, "Sorry. It's just- Your mom actually uses this lockdown thing like that?"

Soot snickered, "Yeah. It's her most severe form of punishment. And I use the term 'severe' lightly, since her second worst is no dessert. She has him lockdown into something cute and parades him around on shopping trips and anything public."

Ash rubbed his temples, "Please don't remind me."

Soot pouted, "Aw, but how could I forget that time Overheat burned down grandma's garden?" She smirked, "Remember? She had you lock into eevee and dressed you in a-"

"SOOT!" Ash shouted as he blushed heavily, "Please! Stop!"

Soot deadpanned, "Oh, please. It's not like anyone knew it was you."

The reptile put his claws on the canine's shoulders, "Sweetie, I am begging you."

Soot rolled her eyes and grumbled, "Fine."

Ash let go and sighed in relief, "Thank you."

Soot smiled slyly, "Baby onesie."

"You- Grah!" Ash held his head in anguish, "Seriously! Why?!"

Soot's eyes narrowed, "Hey, just be happy I talked grandma out of the diaper."

Ash looked at her; wide eyed, "THE WHAT?!"

Soot blinked in surprise, "Oh. You didn't know about that." She chuckled nervously, "Well, you're welcome, then."

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy laughed harder.

"HEY! KEEP IT DOWN IN THERE!" The group heard along with banging from the walls.

"Sorry, ma'am!" Soot shouted back.

Brock looked over at Ash, "So, um, Overheat. Is that another of the … creatures? Also, do you have a better term for them?" He asked; trying change the subject for Ash's sake.

Ash sighed, "First, thank you. Second, yes, Overheat is another of the non-Pokémon. His contribution to Power Integration is the reason for all of the weird temperature stuff. And third, 'fraid not. The easiest thing we came up with is 'non-Pokémon'."

Misty blinked, "Oh, yeah." She raised a brow, "You said there were five, right?"

Ash smiled, "Right. You know Quick Attack and we've already mentioned Stone Edge and Overheat. I call the last two Frenzy Plant and Calm Mind."

"What do they look like?" Brock asked.

"It's kind of tough to explain." Soot responded with an unsure expression, "It'd be easier to wait until Lockdown Mode wears off. Just know, for now, that they're all humanoid in stature."

Ash perked up, "Speaking of wearing off." He hit the symbol on his chest again.

Lockdown Mode in-effect. Approximate time until release: Fifty-five hours and twenty-two minutes.

Ash sighed, "At least its progress." He looked out the window at the orange sky.

Misty frowned, "I'm sorry about this."

Ash looked at her and smiled sadly, "Misty, you don't have anything to-"

"Ash, stop." Misty said with an annoyed look, "Can you, honestly, tell me that you wouldn't have done this to yourself if I wasn't standing there, next to you?"

Ash frowned and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Look, I'm grateful that you don't blame me for this," Misty moved over and put a hand on his shoulder, "but I know this is my fault." She gave a soft smile, "So, stop being stubborn and just accept the apology, ya freaky heliolisk."

Ash laughed before smiling back, "Apology accepted. And, just so you know, it wasn't just because you were there. It was partially because of the tentacool army."

Soot grumbled, 'And completely because Quick Attack moves too fast to think of more than one plan.'

Brock frowned, "It must have been tough out there. It's still hard to believe that all of that happened."

Misty smiled sadly, "Well, it wasn't all bad. Everyone made it to safety and now the tentacool can live in peace." Her smile brightened as she pulled out a pokéball, "And-" She tossed the ball into the air. Horsea appeared and landed in Misty's arms.

Misty smiled brightly as she held the Water-type, "I got a new Pokémon!"

Brock smiled, "Congratulations, Misty."

Ash nodded, "You definitely earned it."

Horsea looked over at the source of the unfamiliar voice and flinched. He stared at Ash; wide eyed, "_Wh-what is that?!_"

Clefairy giggled, "_It's Ash, our trainer. He has this watch-thingy that turns him into Pokémon._"

"And, before you ask," Soot followed as she gestured to Ash, "this blue thing isn't a Pokémon and your guess is as good as ours."

Horsea blinked in surprise before tilting his head, "_Huh._"

Ash's eyes narrowed as he put a claw to his chin, "Horsea … Why does it feel like I'm forgetting something?" After a second, his eyes widened, "Oh crag! I left my pool in the city!" He ran out the door with a blue streak tailing him.

Brock stared at the open door in shock, "Wait, is he going run all the way back to Porta Vista? We left port hours ago."

Soot walked over to the door, closed it, and said, "Don't worry. Quick Attack's 'jogging speed' clocks in at over 100 miles an hour."

"_W_o_a_h_._" The group of humans and Pokémon exclaimed as their eyes widened.

"I know, right?" Soot responded with a grin. She jumped back onto the bed and looked up with a thoughtful expression, "Given the speed required to run along the surface of water without kicking up too dangerous of a wake … as Quick Attack; he'll be back in, say … 5 minutes." She shrugged, "Give or take."

Misty glanced over at the closed door, "So-" She looked back at Soot with a smirk, "What else can you tell us about the eevee thing?"

Soot smirked slyly, "Grandma knows that she has to keep the watch a secret, so she didn't hold back on the embarrassment. Bottles, strollers, baby talk, the whole nine yards." She snickered, "Some people even thought I was his big sister." She stopped and grimaced, "All expect for one guy who thought I was his mother, for some reason." She shivered in disgust.

The group laughed again.

Soot rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah, I know. Grandma had the same reaction. Anyway," Soot said, trying to get back on track, "after that, dad decided to evolve Eevee into Vaporeon to ruin any chance of that happening again."

Brock looked at her in surprise, "Wait, Ash has evolved before?"

Soot smirked, "I mean, dad's vaporeon form had to come from somewhere. So, far it's only been Eevee. But he did keep the Thunder stone from Vermillion to evolve Pikachu."

Misty raised a brow, "I thought Pikachu didn't want to evolve."

Soot tilted her head, "Huh?"

Pikachu looked up at Misty and sweat dropped, "_I don't think she meant me._"

Soot perked up and shook her head, "Oh. No, I meant dad's pikachu form. He just hasn't decided whether evolve now or go to Alola for the Psychic-typing."

"O_h_." The group responded.

Clefairy tilted, "_What else happened to Ashvee?_"

Soot laughed, "Sorry, I've just, never heard that one before."

Pikachu laughed too. The humans looked at the Pokémon in confusion.

Soot noticed and said, "Clefairy nicknamed dad's eevee form as 'Ashvee'."

Brock and Misty joined in the laughter.

They stopped when the wall started banging again, "SERIOUSLY! SHUT UP!"

Soot rolled her eyes before quietly saying, "Anyway, dad got off easy with a thirty-six-hour time limit." She smirked again, "But, 'baby eevee' was at every party that weekend."

.

*Off the Coast of Maiden's Peak

Lockdown Mode in-effect. Approximate time until release: Forty-two hours and one minute.

Misty sweat dropped, "Well, it's better than last night."

Ash chuckled from under his cloak.

The group stood along the boats railing and looked out towards the sea. Their destination started to appear in the distance.

"Hey, look!" Misty pointed with a smile.

Soot smiled, "Maiden's Peak! We made it!"

Ash nodded, "We should be landing soon."

"_Alright!_" Pikachu and Clefairy cheered.

Brock sulked, "It wouldn't matter to me if I never saw land again. I just wasted another summer."

Ash looked at him in confusion, "What do you mean? These last few months have been full of action."

Brock turned away, "For kids, summer means playing on the beach, splashing around and having fun. But for me-" He straightened up suddenly and shouted; startling the others, "Summer means bathing suits and girls to wear them!" He fell to his knees I sorrow, "And now bikini season's over. I'll have to wait another year to meet a girl."

Soot sweat dropped, 'Really, Brock?'

The ship docked a few minutes later.

Maiden's Peak welcomes the passengers arriving from Porta Vista! Said a man's voice through a loudspeaker, We invite you all to attend our annual summer's end festival! Now in progress!

Ash smiled brightly; hidden by the cloak, "A festival!"

Misty smiled, "It looks like fun. Let's check it out."

Brock was still sulking, "I'll ride the Ferris Wheel all alone." Something caught his attention; making him look over at a dock, "Huh? Who's that?"

Soot and Pikachu overheard and followed his gaze. They found a violet-haired woman in a white dress standing near the end of the boat dock.

Hearts filled Brock's eyes, "Whoa! What a knockout!"

Soot looked at the woman and frowned, 'Why am I getting this weird feeling?' She snapped out of it when she heard what sounded like a stampede.

Soot turned to see a large group of passengers exiting the ship and heading straight for Brock. She grimaced and tackled the Gym Leader out of the way as the crowd passed by. She sweat dropped, "Sorry, Brock."

Brock quickly recovered and looked back at where the woman was. She was no longer standing there, and Pikachu stared at the dock; frozen.

Brock frowned, "Where did she go?"

Ash put a claw a Brock's shoulder, "Come on Brock. This is a festival. There'll be tons of opportunities to mingle."

Misty nodded, "Yeah. Let's have some fun." She and Ash grabbed Brock by the arms and led him into the festival.

Soot and Clefairy were about to follow until they looked at Pikachu. The mouse was still staring blankly at the dock. The pair shared a look and moved over to him.

Clefairy tapped Pikachu's shoulder. He jumped and blinked rapidly.

Clefairy blinked in surprise, "_Are you okay?_"

Pikachu looked back at her with a confused look, "_What do you mean?_"

Soot raised a brow, "You were, kind of, staring at the dock that girl was on."

Pikachu tilted his head, "_Really?_" He looked back at the dock and blinked in surprise, "_Huh? Where did she go?_" He shrugged, "_Eh, whatever._" He ran after their trainer and motioned them to follow, "_Come on. Let's hurry._"

Clefairy smiled brightly and chased after him, "_Coming!_"

Soot frowned and glanced back at the dock before following.

.

*Maiden's Peak Festival

The group walked through the festival and took in the sights. There were dancers, rides, games, and people in various, strange costumes; some of which didn't resemble Pokémon. That last part was the main reason for this:

Misty looked around in awe, "Wow! Look at this place! So, what should we-" She looked over at Ash and flinched when she saw him without his cloak. She got in his face and whispered harshly, "Ash! What are you doing?! You said this would freak people out!"

Ash was about to respond until a child ran up to him. The boy looked up at him in awe, "Woah!" He looked over at Misty while pointing at Ash, "Hey lady, what kind of Pokémon is this?"

Misty grimaced and started stuttering, "W-well-."

"Actually," Ash interrupted as he crouched down, "I'm a person. This is a costume I made."

The boy's eyes lit up, "Wow, really?! Could you make one for-"

"There you are!" The boy's father ran over, "What have I told you about running off?!"

The boy pouted and pointed at Ash, "But dad, look at his costume!"

The man glared, "It isn't polite to point at people." He looked at Ash and lowered his head, "I'm so sorry, sir. My son has a bad habit of getting into trouble."

The boy pouted, "Hey!"

Ash smiled, stood back up, and waved a claw, "It's okay. I know how children can be. My little girl can be a handful too, sometimes."

Soot overheard and glared at Ash.

The man sighed in relief, "Thank you for understanding." He grabbed his son's arm, "Come on. You had your mother and I worried sick." He walked away; pulling the boy alongside him. The kid pouted as he was forced to follow.

Ash chuckled as they left and looked over at Misty, "That's why. A lot of people here are wearing costumes; some of which look homemade. If anything, losing the cloak helps me fit in."

Misty blinked in surprise before looking around to see what he meant, "Huh. Good point."

Soot walked up between them, "See? He's fine." She smiled brightly, "Now, how about some games?"

Misty smiled and nodded, "Sounds like fun."

Ash frowned, "Not a good idea. Quick Attack gives me an unfair advantage in most games."

Soot pouted, "Aw, come on, dad. Just a few."

Ash sighed, "Fine. But I'm just going to stand by and watch." He smirked, "That is, until we find a rigged one."

"Sweet!" Soot cheered, "Let's go!"

Ash looked back, "Come on, Brock."

He stared in confusion when he saw the Rock-type trainer a few feet away; on his back. A short, old woman with was staring him down with a magnifying glass.

Ash blinked, "What the?"

Misty and the others heard him and followed his gaze.

.

*Brock; a few minutes earlier

Brock followed Ash and Misty at a distance. He was still sulking. But, this time, it was more about the girl he saw earlier.

"She was the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." He mumbled.

"Hey, you there!" Came a scratchy, feminine voice from behind him.

Brock quickly looked back and smiled, "Are you the-" He flinched and fell back upon seeing a short, old woman with white hair, "Ah! You're not that beautiful-"

The woman glared, "Who's not beautiful?!" She suddenly pulled out a magnifying glass and got in Brock's face; freaking him out, "Beware! Not of an old beauty like me, but of a beautiful young woman! Or you'll meet a cruel fate!"

Brock perked up and got on his knees, "That girl on the dock! You know her?! I have to meet her!"

Ash, Misty, and Soot ran over to him. Pikachu and Clefairy stood on Ash's shoulders. The mouse and fairy were still trying to adjust to the different shape and had to hold onto his head. The lack of ears and hair didn't help.

"Brock, what's going on?" Misty asked; a little worried.

Soot frowned and her eyes narrowed, 'That feeling again.'

The woman looked over at Soot, blinked, and held up her magnifying glass again as she got in Soot's face, "Hm. Interesting." She, then, set her sights on Ash and did the same, "Very interesting."

Ash and Soot shared a confused look.

Ash sweat dropped, "Um, thank you, ma'am. It took a lot of work to get the costume the way I wanted."

The old lady put away the magnifying glass, "I was referring to your relationship with this odd young phantom."

Everyone's eyes widened at that. Brock seemed to have snapped out of it.

"Wh-what do you mean by that?" Soot asked.

The woman looked at Soot with a raised brow, "And even more surprises." She left without another word.

The group all looked at each other in confusion.

.

*Maiden's Peak Shrine

The old woman walked into shrine's entrance and closed the door behind her.

She snickered, "Looks like I have two playthings this year." She shifted to sly, fanged grin, "And a very unique pair."

**Seishin: EVERYBODY DO THE- *sci-fi portal sound***

"FLOP!"

The old woman blinked in surprise, "What the-"

*SLAM*

She flinched as a boy with white hair fell from the ceiling and landed flat on the ground; face-down. She stared in shock and looked up to see a grid-patterned portal collapse in on itself.

Yukiro moved to sit down and smiled at the woman, "Oh, hey Gastly."

The disguised Ghost-type jumped as his disguise shattered, "What?! H-how did you know what I was?!"

Yukiro smiled innocently, "Oh, Rob just watched the original episode."

Gastly blinked in confusion, "Huh?"

The white-haired boy tilted his head, "What? I thought you were a fourth wall breaker, too. Because, y'know, mongoose."

Gastly continued to stare in confusion, "Wha-" He shook it off and glared, "Whatever, what do you want with me?!"

Yukiro waved his hands, "Whoa, calm down, spooks. I ain't a ghost buster or a Winchester." He suddenly pointed to the side and glared, "Go to The Empty, Chuck! You should have stayed in Nevada with Amara!" He blinked before saying, "Oh, sorry guys. Spoiler Alert." He chuckled nervously.

Gastly stopped glaring and followed Yukiro's gaze to see nothing but the shrine wall. He looked back at Yukiro, "What was that?"

Yukiro looked back and smiled happily, "Oh, nothing. Anyway, I'm here to make things interesting."

Gastly raised a brow, "What do you mean, 'interesting?'"

Yukiro shrugged, "Well, I know you're not here to hurt anyone. You just want to keep the rumor alive and have some fun. Right?"

Gastly blinked in surprise, "Um, yes, that's right."

"Good." Yukiro reached into a small box on his belt and pulled out two thin pieces of cardboard, "Now, I won't regret giving you these for the battle next chapter." He looked to the side again and frowned, "Yeah, sorry about that, readers. Blame, Rob."

**Ohirume: HEY! The combined chapter would have been over eleven-thousand words! Splitting it up made sense!**

Yukiro looked at the ceiling and glared, "That's just an excuse to increase the chapter count!"

Gastly blinked in surprise at the sudden shouting.

**Ohirume: No, it's- I mean- The longest chapter so far is number 10 with 8k words. And 6k is around the average for this story.**

Yukiro's glare deepened and he pointed up, "That's your excuse?! Yeah right, Rob! You're just being lazy!" He put a hand to his chin and smirked, "Maybe N-san's hate review was right about this story being terrible."

**Ohirume: For the last time, it's not a hate comment! They were giving constructive criticism about Soot and voicing their opinion about the storyline! Plus, they never said the word 'terrible.'**

Yukiro rolled his eyes, "As if, they needed to!" He blinked in surprise, "Wait, isn't this chapter before the next comment response?"

**Ohirume: … Oh, right.**

Yukiro sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Great. Now this conversation will barely make any sense."

**Omega: I didn't make any sense to begin with.**

Gastly stared, slack jawed, as Yukiro yelled at the ceiling, 'What the actual Yvel.'

Yukiro read the previous line and looked over at Gastly, "Oh, right." He held the cards up high, "Double Ability Activate!"

A bright light filled the room; making Gastly shy away. When the light faded, Gastly's eyes widened when he looked at Yukiro, "Wh-what are those?"

Yukiro smirked as he held his crossed arms out in front of him, "Some powerful weapons from the circus." He looked to the side yet again, "And most of the inspiration for Soot's Marionetter."

.

**Time Skip**

"Welcome." Said an old man standing in front of a large shrine. He stood next to a covered picture and spoke to the large crowd before him.

"To celebrate the summer's end festival, we will now display the shrine of the Maiden's greatest treasure. For two-thousand years, this painting has hung within the shrine of the Maiden. Once each year, it is removed from the shrine and displayed to the public during this festival."

Soot blinked, "We, literally, could not have shown up on a better day." The others stood next to her.

The priest reached for a cloth covering the painting, "As I unveil the painting, please gaze with reverence!" He yanked the cloth off the painting.

Ash, Misty, and Clefairy stared at the picture in awe, "Wo_w_."

Pikachu and Soot's eyes widened "_T_h_a_t_'_s _t_h_e_-"

Brock stared at in shock, "It can't be."

The near colorless picture depicted the same woman from the dock with a sad look on her face.

Brock started walking towards the painting; slumped forward, "She's so incredibly beautiful."

Ash was about to stop him when he heard another, unfortunately familiar, voice.

"She's the girl of my dreams. Don't wake me up." James said as walked out the crowd; slumped over as well.

Misty and Soot glared and were about to stop him when Ash stopped them, "Wait."

Soot looked up at him in confusion, "But, dad-"

"I know." Ash interrupted, "Let's just see how this plays out."

Misty looked at Ash with a raised brow.

Brock and James kept walking towards the painting; seemingly in a trance.

The priest got in their way and started pushing them back, "Stay back! The woman in this painting perished over two-thousand years ago! She was in love with a brave and handsome young man, but he left her and sailed away to fight in a war. She vowed to herself to wait for him to return." The priest frowned slightly, "But her true love never returned. The maiden refused to leave that spot on the cliff and, eventually, her body turned to stone. To this day, she waits for her love to return."

Brock stepped forward, "Please tell me. Where's this rock?"

The priest blinked in surprise, "Maiden's rock is not far from this shrine." He pointed in another direction, "It's just that way."

Brock looked at where he pointed and hurried that way, "Thank you!"

His friends followed soon after. Team Rocket, led by James, followed.

.

*Maiden's Rock

Brock stared at the human shaped stone in awe, "So, that's Maiden Rock. It's the most beautiful rock I've ever seen."

Soot raised a brow, "I mean, I guess she's pretty" 'and deceased.'

"If she were my girlfriend," Brock declared, "I'd make sure she was never out of my sight."

Ash and Misty looked at each other in concern.

Ash walked up and put a hand on Brock's shoulder, "Hey Brock, how about we go find some games." He smirked, "You can see how fast Quick Attack can throw a fastball."

Misty smiled and nodded, "Yeah. Let's go back to the festival and have some fun."

Brock kept looking at the statue, "Why don't you guys go back? I want to stay a bit longer."

Soot frowned, "Are you sure?"

Brock nodded; still looking ahead, "Very."

"You remember where we agreed to stay tonight, right?" Ash asked.

"The Pokémon Center near the port." Brock responded, "I'll make it back by curfew."

The rest of the group shared a concerned look.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be okay." Brock reassured.

Ash frowned but still nodded, "Alright. We'll see you later."

Everyone, except, Brock, started making their way back towards the festival.

They stopped and flinched when they heard shouting followed by a splash. The jerked back around and found Brock still sitting there. They all shared a look and shrugged before walking back to the festival.

.

*Festival; evening

After a bit of searching, and a few overheard complaints, Ash and the others managed to find a ball-throwing game where the owner put glue on eight separate stacks of bottles. The jerk had the price to play set at 2000₽ and his only prize was an assortment of over twenty evolutionary items. A sign above them said that they went to anyone who could knock down all the stacks with one ball, each.

The attendant did have a crowd surrounding his stand, but not in the way he had hoped. The crowd was loaded with previous players. They all watched in anticipation as Ash destroyed the guy.

The blue lizard smirked as he lazily tossed the ball up and down in his claw. The game only had four stacks remaining. The cracked and broken bottles from the other stacks littered the floor of the stand. The attendant was sweating like a snover in a sauna.

Misty chuckled, "This really doesn't seem fair."

"Oh, it's not." Soot responded with a smirk, "But, it's his own fault. Dad hates cheaters."

Ash reeled back and threw the ball. It flew towards the stack like a cannonball and stuck. The glue didn't stand a chance as the ball tore through the bottles and sent them to the ground. One of the bottles shattered when it hit the ground.

The attendant gulped, "N-nice shot." He looked over at Ash and forced a smile, "But, surely, you must be getting tired by now."

Ash thought for a bit and shrugged, "Naw. Though, this is getting kind of boring."

The attendant smiled brightly, "Oh, well we wouldn't want you to become bored now. Would we?" He walked forward and reached for the remaining balls, "I'll just take these back and-"

Ash put a claw over the rest of his ammo, "Not what I meant. This is just too easy."

The man gulped again, "W-well, I'm sure there are some more challenging games that you could try, instead. Why don't you forget this rickety old thing and go find one? I'll even give you a refund."

Ash chuckled, leaned in closer, and whispered, "And let the cheater win?" The owner grimaced. Ash continued with a smirk, "Why would I do that when I could just humiliate you in front of everyone you scammed?"

Ash stood up straight again and spoke loud enough for everyone to here, "How about this? If I can take out all three stacks-" He picked up a ball and held it up, "with only this ball, you have to give a refund to everyone who played this rigged game."

The crowd gasped at the challenge.

"Yeah!" Soot shouted, "Get 'em, dad!"

"Pi Pikapi!"

"Cle fair y! Cle fair y!"

The owner looked over at the Pokémon in surprise, 'Dad?' He smirked, 'Gotcha!' "Deal!" He shouted, "But if you can't," He pointed over at Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy, "then I get those Pokémon!"

Misty sweat dropped, "Uh-"

Soot's ears drooped, "Oh, he should not have said that."

The man smirked and shrugged, "But if you give up now, we can just forget about the whole-" He glanced over at Ash and flinched when he saw the lizard glaring at him.

Ash sighed and walked away from the stand; still holding the ball. The audience frowned.

The attendant didn't seem to notice the ball and sighed in relief, 'Oh, thank Arceus!' He smiled and spoke to the crowd, "Alright everyone, nothing to see here. Please go back to whatever you were-"

***BOOM* *CRASH***

The attendant jerked around to find the remains of the stacks littering the ground. The bottles were destroyed along with the man's hope … and any chance of repairs. Some of the bottle fragments were even lodged in the wooden support beams. The ball was still spinning as it dug into the back wall.

Everyone in the crowd, except Soot, stared at the scene; slack jawed.

After three more seconds, the ball skid to a halt and fell to the ground. The ball popped like a balloon right as Ash slammed a fist onto the table.

The attendant jerked around again to see Ash smiling at him wickedly, "Pay up."

.

*Pokémon Center

"Ash, how did you do that?!" Misty said with an excited smile, "Was it like a sonic boom, or some kind of air manipulation, or uh-"

"Misty," Ash chuckled, "it's a little simpler than that. I just threw the ball and the middle one and let the fragments destroy the other bottles."

Misty's eyes widened, "That's simple to you?!"

Ash shrugged, "I told you; Quick Attack gives me an unfair advantage."

Misty smiled again, "Still, that was awesome!" She started laughing, "I don't think I'll ever forget the look on that guy's face."

Soot snickered, "Same." She looked over at the box of prizes and frowned, "Too bad about this stuff, though."

Ash frowned and picked up the only real items among them; a Dusk Stone, a Dragon Scale, and a Metal Coat. The rest of the items were either painted rocks or surprisingly well-made cut-outs.

Ash sighed, "It could be worse. They all could have been fake." He smiled slyly, "But it did give us a reason to notify Officer Jenny."

The group laughed.

A clock started ringing as a cuckoo pidgey popped out of it, "11 o'clock. Curfew time. Curfew time. Curfew time."

Misty blinked in surprise, "Didn't Brock say he'd be back by now?"

Ash frowned, "Maybe we should check on-"

He was cut off as the Pokémon Center's gate started sliding down over the doors and locked into place.

Ash deadpanned, "Never mind."

Soot sighed, "Crag."

.

.

**Ohirume: *growls* I swear! I If Yukiro messes everything up, he is dead!**

**Omega: Can't you just write him out of there if it annoys you that much?**

**Ohirume: That's too much Deus Ex Machina even for my taste.**

**Omega: This coming from the nutjob who made Faux and I.**

**Faux: Nine Wands!**

**…**

**Faux: *pouting* I wish my big reveal could have gone as well as Trix's.**

**Ohirume: Yeah, sorry about that.**

**Laura: What do you mean?**

**Faux: *sigh* Misty was furious, Brock barely said a word to me the whole way home, and my team wouldn't stop giving me disappointed or warry looks. I still don't know what mom told them, but it helped.**

**Pike: Sorry we were so tough on you.**

**Faux: It's okay, bro. That's in the past.**

**Pike: Thanks.**

**…**

**I already have the aliens listed somewhere else. But you guys are free to guess who's who.**


	23. Ch 21: Maiden's Peak 2

**Ohirume: Well, moment of truth time.**

**Omega: *nods* Now we'll find out what Yukiro gave Gastly.**

**Faux: Hm. I'm gonna bet it's the pumpkin head with the flying broom/scythe and the one with the Frightfur/FNAF teddy bears under her skirt.**

**Mizuro: You mean Jack-O'-Lantern and Diamantina. I mean, they fit a Halloween theme, but I don't think so.**

**Gem: Oh! I know! 3XK and Ghost Killer!**

**Omega: Those are ****my**** puppets, Gem. And I already checked, Yukiro didn't steal them.**

**Mizuro: Plus, they aren't from Karakuri Circus.**

**Gem: *pouts* Oh, right. Well, what do you think, Omega?**

**Omega: Hm. It's likely to be Olympia and/or one of the Ar-**

**Ohirume: *Random sputtering***

**RATSATSAA JA RIPIDABI DILLA**

**BERITSTAN DILLAN DELLAN DOO!**

**A BARIBBATTAA BARIBBARIIBA**

**Omega: Why are you shouting the Levan Polka?**

**Ohirume: I don't own Pokémon, Ben 10, or Karakuri Circus!**

.

**Summer's End Festival (part 2): Maiden's Peak Mayhem**

.

.

The group got an early start the next day and set out to find Brock. Soot, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy were looking around the shrine where they left him. Lockdown mode hadn't worn off yet, so Ash was searching the rest of the town and most of the surrounding forest.

"Brock!" Soot called out.

"Brock, where are you?!" Misty followed.

"_Brock, come on!_" Pikachu shouted.

"_We're getting worried!_" Clefairy yelled with a frown.

"James? James?!"

Everyone looked towards the shrine in surprise.

Soot groaned, "Every time."

They started walking towards the entrance at the same time Meowth and Jessie did.

Jessie didn't notice yet, "If you're not here, at least come out and tell us!"

"Dat's right!" Meowth shouted.

"You too, huh?" Soot said with a bored expression.

Jessie and Meowth flinched and looked over at the group.

Jessie glared, "I finally found you!" She stopped and grumbled, "Oh, wait a minute, you're not the one I was looking for."

Misty rolled her eyes, "You can't find the blue-haired guy, can you?"

Jessie smirked, "Prepare for trouble! And make it double!" She deadpanned, "Doing this myself is a real drag."

"To protect the world from devastation! To unite all peoples within our nation! To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

Soot's eye twitched. She was about to interrupt when a voice awkwardly called out, "To extend our reach to the stars above."

Jessie blinked in surprise, "Jessie?"

"Jaaames."

Everyone started looking around for the source.

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!" Jessie called out.

"Surrender now, or prepare to fiiiiiiight." The doors to the shrine burst open and James fell to the ground in a daze.

Jessie looked down at him in surprise, "He looks awful."

"Worse dan usual." Meowth followed.

Brock fell out of the shrine shortly after.

Soot moved to him and crouched down, "Brock, what happened?"

Brock and James just laughed strangely.

Soot's eyes widened when she felt something familiar.

"So, everything turned out just as I predicted."

Everyone turned to see the old woman from before.

Soot looked at her warily, "What are you doing here?"

The woman looked at them with a smirk, "Obviously, these two have both seen the Ghost of the Maiden."

Jessie, Clefairy, Meowth, and Misty flinched, "G_h_ost_?_!"

"O_f_ t_h_e _m_a_i_d_e_n_?_" Soot and Pikachu followed with raised brows.

Brock and James started laughing like idiots and hugged with goofy smiles on their faces.

Soot stared; wide eyed, "Okay, this is too weird." She looked over at the mouse, "Pikachu-"

"_Way ahead of you._" Pikachu said as his cheeks started sparking. He shocked the two of them mercilessly.

The laughing nutjobs fell to the ground in a daze.

Brock sat back up, "Uh, who am I? I am Brock."

Misty sweat dropped, "Well, it's better than before."

James recovered shortly after, "I'm James, from Team Rocket." The jumped back to his feet and started prancing around.

Jessie facepalmed, "He's back to normal."

Meowth crossed his arms, "Yeah, and dat's da problem."

"Come with me." The old woman said as she walked into the shrine. Most of the other's followed.

Meowth looked around, "Hey, where's da twoip?"

Soot deadpanned, "Away at the moment. He should be back later tonight."

She heard some familiar whooshing and glanced over to see Ash peeking out from around a tree. He held a large piece of cardboard with '16:13' carved into it.

Soot grumbled, "Much later."

Meowth blinked and followed her gaze. He saw a few kicked up leaves fall to the ground, "Uh."

"Come on." Soot said as she followed the others into the shrine.

Meowth glanced back at the tree in confusion before following.

.

*Inside

Soot, Brock, Misty, Pikachu, Clefairy, Jessie, James, and Meowth sat down as the old woman spoke.

"All men who pass this way fall under her spell. It's always the same story, over and over. We find them here acting like zombies with the life sucked out of them, babbling like idiots. It's the work of that Maiden's ghost, still waiting for her young soldier to return. It's just as I warned them."

Soot raised a brow, 'What? How could they be babbling at all if their life force was absorbed?'

"So what?" Brock said monotonously, "Who cares as long as I can be with her?"

Soot looked at him with a deadpanned expression, "Seriously?"

James, on the other hand, was freaking the Yvel out, "I'm scared! You've got to do something!"

"There is only one thing we can do." The old woman announced.

Everyone looked at her in surprise, "What?"

She held up a stack of paper, "We have these."

Soot raised a brow, "And those are?"

The woman quickly attached one of the stickers to Brock and James's foreheads. Brock didn't seem to notice. "These are anti-ghost seals." The woman continued, "However…"

Soot groaned, "How much?"

.

*Outside the shrine

"Why did they have to be so expensive?" Misty complained as she walked outside with a handful of them; Soot by her side. She was about to stick one to the building when Soot nudged her.

"Hold on, Misty." Soot said.

Misty looked at her, "What is it?"

"I wanna test something." Soot looked at seals, "Try sticking one to me."

Misty raised a brow, "Okay?" She took one of the seals and placed it on Soot's forehead.

Soot looked at the seal and frowned, "Hm." She shifted her eyes to their inherent state. Almost immediately, the seal fell through her and landed on the ground.

Soot grumbled, "I knew it. They're fake."

Misty's eyes widened, "What?!"

Soot glared at the shrine, "She gave us fake seals. If they were real, I wouldn't be able to remove them. And especially not by phasing through them."

Misty clenched her teeth and glared at the building, "The nerve of that old hag! She's not getting away with scamming us!"

"I don't think that's their goal."

Misty jerked around and saw Quick Attack leaning up against the shrine.

Misty blinked in surprise, "Ash? How long have you been here?"

Ash chuckled, "The whole time, actually."

Soot looked at Misty with a raised brow, "He's been here since we found Brock. I mean, it was kinda hard to miss."

Misty sweat dropped, "Uh-"

Soot laughed, "Sorry, sorry, I'm kidding. I saw dad behind a tree before I walked in."

Misty deadpanned, "Very funny." She looked back at Ash, "What do you mean? Isn't she just some scammer?"

Ash rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, yes. But not in the way you think." He raised a claw, "Mainly because he's a gastly."

Misty and Soot's eyes widened in shock, "What?!"

Ash nodded, "When I was looking for Brock earlier, I found a gastly heading towards this area and followed them. Imagine my surprise when I saw them turn into the old woman from yesterday and approach you guys."

Soot's eyes widened in realization, "That's what these weird feelings have been! I was sensing a Ghost-type!"

Misty looked at Soot in surprise, "You can do that?"

Soot nodded, "Part of the inheritance." She sighed, "I was starting to think I'd gone nuts." She glared at the shrine, "That gas ball is NOT getting away with this!" She turned around and started walking towards the shrine.

Ash put a claw on her shoulder, "Hold on, Soot. I don't think Gastly is out to hurt anyone."

Misty blinked in surprise, "But, what about Brock? She said 'the maiden' was absorbing his life, or something."

Ash looked at her, "That's just it. He didn't seem drained at all; just dazed. And even if that is their goal, Brock's been here for over eight hours. Not even a hatchling litwick would need that much time to drain an adult human. Much less Brock."

Soot thought of a bit, "Good point." She looked back at Ash, "So, what are you suggesting?"

"Play along for now." Ash responded, "Given what I've seen so far, we'll need Marionetter to even stand a chance."

Misty blinked, "Wait, what?"

Ash looked over at her, "A gastly that can set up illusions this realistically is a Yvel of a lot more powerful than anything we seen before. Even if they aren't out to hurt us, it's better to be safe than sorry. Besides-"

He hit the symbol on his chest, Lockdown Mode in-effect. Approximate time until release: fifteen hours and fourteen minutes.

"I'll be able to help once that's over with." Ash finished.

Misty sighed, "Okay, fine. But, what about our money?"

"Gimme a minute." Ash said before he zipped away in a blur; heading away from the shrine.

Misty looked at Soot and raised a brow, "If Ash can move as fast as you said, then why doesn't he just get us out of here?"

Soot sighed, "It's because of Quick Attack. That reptile is so impatient that he leaps onto the first decent idea he has and is impossible to argue with. The form even amplifies dad's stubbornness."

Misty put a hand to her chin, "Now that you mention it, Ash has been making some weird decisions lately." She looked at Soot again, "Does every form do something like this?"

Soot shook her head, "No. Just the freaks."

After a few minutes, Ash zipped back past them as he entered the shrine. They only knew this because of the giant gust of wind.

Ash appeared in front of them again; holding a large stack of cash, "Is this right?"

Misty stared in shock, "Wha- Ash, what did you do?!"

Soot nudged her again, "Calm down. It's the money we spent on the seals." She looked at Ash with a raised brow, "Right?"

Ash rolled his eyes; thought the lack of pupils meant he just moved his head slightly, "Soot, what do you take me for?" He handed the cash over to Misty, "Here."

"Thanks." Misty said before she raised a brow, "But, won't they notice it's gone?"

"I took a precaution and bought some play money from a Pokémart in Saffron." Ash responded, "Hopefully they won't notice."

.

*That night

Everyone in the shrine waited in anticipation for the 'maiden' to arrive. Brock and James sat in front of the 'old woman.' Misty, Soot, Jessie, Meowth, Pikachu, and Clefairy waited off to the side. Soot had already filled in Pikachu and Clefairy about the situation. Ash waited outside.

"Will she come?" Jessie asked.

"Oh, she'll come." Meowth responded.

The rest of the group watched the 'old woman' warily.

Soot looked out the window and saw the moon in the horizon, 'Just a few minutes left.'

The winded started picking up outside and tore off all of the seals attached to the shrine.

The old woman looked back in shock, "She's here!"

The doors burst open to reveal the phantasmal maiden. Another gust of wind blew through the building; ripping the seals off Brock and extinguishing the fire in the pit.

"It's you." Brock announced as he stared at the maiden in awe.

"I've been waiting for you." The 'maiden' responded.

Brock stood back up, "Yes, and I've been waiting too."

"Guys! Do something!" James cried out; trembling.

The maiden smiled lightly, "I wanted to meet y-AH!" She was interrupted by a Shadow Ball striking her in chest and throwing her out of the building.

"Bullseye!" Soot cheered.

Brock glared at the canine, "What are you doing?!"

Soot's eye twitched, "Pikachu."

The mouse's cheeks started sparking, "_Yup._" He shocked Brock again; forcing him onto his back.

Brock came to a second later, "Ow. My head." He looked over at the maiden and smiled brightly, "Whoa! What a knockout!"

Soot ran up next to him and shouted, "Brock! Snap out of it! That's not a woman! It's a gastly!"

Team Rocket looked at her; wide eyed, "What?!"

The maiden smiled slyly, "So, you figured it out. Very well, then." She disappeared in a puff of smoke and Gastly emerged.

Brock flinched, "What?! Y-you mean-"

Misty looked at him with a smirk, "You've been fawning over a ball of poison gas for the last two days."

Brock stared at her in shock, "You knew?!"

Soot snickered before looking over at Gastly, "So, what now, gasser?! Are you gonna leave peacefully?!"

Gastly smiled at them, "Now, where's the fun in that?"

The humans all looked at him in shock, "It can talk?!"

Soot blinked, "Huh. Neat."

"Aw, come on!" Meowth shouted.

Gastly smirked, 'I always love that part.' "Now then, who's first? Come on now, don't be shy."

Soot crouched down next to Pikachu and whispered, "Dad still needs time. Stall him."

Pikachu nodded, "_Got it._" He jumped forward and glared, "_You're goin' down, Gastly!_"

Gastly grinned, "My hypnotic powers can work on other Pokémon too; including little rodents."

Pikachu raised a brow, "_And that means what, exactly?_"

"Stop a rodent-" Gastly disappeared in a cloud of smoke and a giant mouse trap appeared, "With a mousetrap!"

Pikachu grimaced and ran as the trap followed him, "_I hate this plan!_"

Clefairy waved frantically, "_Pikachu, tag me in!_"

Pikachu ran straight over to her and smacked her paw.

Clefairy jumped forward and stared down Gastly.

Gastly's expression didn't change, "So, the fairy has decided to join in? Well then, a butterfly net should do the trick."

Gastly disappeared in cloud of smoke again. A net suddenly appeared around the Fairy-type.

Clefairy blinked and looked around in confusion, "_Huh? What's this?_"

Soot shouted, "Clefairy, Disarming Voice!"

Clefairy's eyes narrowed as she shouted. But nothing happened.

Clefairy grimaced, "_What?! What's happening?!_"

Gastly laughed, "It seems someone hasn't been doing their homework."

Team Rocket blinked in surprise. James quickly pulled put a notepad and wrote frantically.

Soot growled and charged the net, "Sucker Punch!"

She struck the net, and subsequently Clefairy. The trap burst into nothing.

Clefairy fell to the ground and rubbed her cheek, "_Ow._"

Soot frowned, "Sorry about that."

Clefairy stood back up, "_It's okay. Thanks for using a Dark move, though._" She looked back Gastly, "_What happened? It was like my powers were all gone._"

Soot glared at Gastly, "Honestly, I think it was just hypnotism. But, locking a Pokémon's abilities is a crazy advanced technique. Not sure why he used a net, though." She glanced back at the Fairy-type, "Get back to the others. I'll handle things."

Clefairy nodded, "_Okay. Be careful._" She ran back to the group.

Soot faced Gastly and crouched down into a fighting stance.

Gastly continued grinning, "Now the young half-ghost wants a turn. Come at me however you want but watch out for the ground."

Soot's glare deepened, 'Traps, huh?' She grinned, "Fine! I just won't touch the ground!"

Soot pounced forward and formed a pair of Shadow Balls on her hind paws. She detonated them without firing and propelled herself toward Gastly.

Gastly's smile widened as Soot approached, "Very clever. Unfortunately, I didn't mean traps."

Soot's eyes widened as a massive black and white suitcase burst out of the ground, hit her square in the chest, and shot her into the air. Soot was launched over the shrine.

Brock grimaced, "Oh no!"

Soot soared through the air, past the cliff, and plummeted towards the water.

"Soot!" Misty shouted as the canine disappeared.

Gastly frowned, "Honestly, I expected more." He looked over at the suitcase, "And, I didn't even get to use these." He shook it off and grinned again, "Ah well. Who's next?"

Misty glared at Gastly and pulled out a pokéball, "Brock, are you with me?"

Brock nodded, "Yeah. He's not getting away with this."

Jessie, James, and Meowth were still in the shrine; peaking from around a wall, "Good luck!"

Misty glared at them, "Cowards!"

The duo faced Gastly and prepared to release their Pokémon when-

"Soot! Marionetter!"

Everyone's jerked around to see Ash and Soot standing on top of the shrine. The pair had sly smirks on their faces.

Misty smiled brightly, "Ash! You're back!"

The pair jumped down from the shrine. Pikachu and Clefairy immediately jumped into Ash's arms.

"_You're you again!_" Clefairy cried happily.

Pikachu looked up at him hopefully, "_Does that mean?_"

Ash smiled softly and pet them, "Yeah. It's good to hear you guys again."

Gastly stared at the scene in shock, 'Those strings! That form!' He smiled brightly, 'This! This is what he meant!'

Gastly laughed heartily; catching everyone's attention, "So, it seems a new player has joined the game." He smiled slyly, "Well then, it seems that I will get a chance to use them!"

He disappeared in a puff of smoke and emerged in his Maiden disguise; this time in color. She smiled wickedly and pulled the silver suitcase forward to lay in front of them.

Ash glared, "What is that?"

"My new player." The maiden said.

She opened the suitcase, thrust her right hand into the top half, and pulled. Ten silver band rings now dressed her fingers; two per finger. Each ring had three long, silver wires attached and extending into the case.

The maiden held her arm across her body and shouted, "Arlequin Yin!"

Seishin: Pronounced Are-Le-Khan

Team Rocket blinked and started looking around the shrine.

Everyone else stared in shock as a large figure jumped out of the suitcase. It had the silver wires protruding from its … everything.

The figure resembled a jester dressed all in black. Their face was a white mask locked in a stoic expression with a red right eye and a cracked hole where the left eye would be. They had metal feet that were pointed upward at the tip and a silver headband with one small horn and long white feathers drooping down from it. They had a white glove on their right hand and shredded fabric jutting from their left shoulder; in place of an arm. They held a wooden left arm with pointed, metal fingers; splintered at the stub.

Arlequin landed on the ground in crouched. It stood back up and bowed; its weapon arm pointing downward.

Soot stared in shock, "Wh-what the Yvel?"

Ash grimaced, "What is that?!"

Misty stared, wide eyed, 'Its arm.' She glanced over at zipper on Soot's right foreleg.

The disguised Gastly smiled, "This is Arlequin Yin. A strange young man was kind enough to give it to me." She smiled wickedly, "And now I know why!"

She shoved her hand forward and Arlequin shot towards Soot; the left arm pointing right at her. Ash and Soot grimaced before Soot ducked under the attack. The clawed hand barely missed Soot but cut a few strands of fur from her face.

Ash and Soot's eyes widened, 'It's real?!'

Soot glared and crouched down to sweep the puppet's legs. Arlequin jumped high into the air to dodge and landed in front of the maiden.

Gastly smirked, "Not bad."

Soot stood back up and glared at the jester apprehensively, "Dad, tell me you have a plan!"

Ash started sweating, "I-it's just like any other battle, sweetie." He called out his friends without looking back, "Guys, stay in the shrine where it's safe. We can handle this."

"Be careful!" Brock cried out.

Him, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy ran back into the shrine.

The maiden smirked, "Try this on for size!" She moved her hand again.

Arlequin's ran at Soot again. Ash reacted fast and Soot shot forward too.

Arlequin thrust the bladed arm forward again. Soot ducked under the attack and slid between the puppet's legs. Soot quickly got into a handstand and threw a kick at Arlequin from behind.

The maiden moved their hand and Arlequin reached around without looking to catch Soot's leg with its held arm.

Ash's eyes narrowed and he moved his hands again. Soot's caught leg twisted and bent unnaturally, as she spun and aimed another kick at Arlequin's head.

Gastly grimaced and moved their hand again. Arlequin let go of the held arm to grab Soot's other leg. But immediately after it let go, Soot's twisted leg quickly righted itself and smacked Arlequin's hand away with its own weapon arm. The maiden grimaced again and made Arlequin lean forward to dodge the kick, instead.

Soot smirked and denotated a Shadow Ball in her outstretched paw; right in the back of the puppet's head. Arlequin and Soot were thrown in opposite directions. Ash and Gastly moved again. Soot and Arlequin flipped in the air and landed with a skid. The maiden twitched her ring finger and Arlequin's arm let go of Soot and flew back towards the puppet. Arlequin caught it without looking.

Soot and Ash's eyes narrowed, 'They can control the arm, too.'

Ash quickly brought up Soot's arms and she opened fire with a barrage of Shadow Balls. Gastly turned Arlequin around to face the attack. Arlequin brought up its bladed arm and attacked the spheres; rapidly slicing through them as they approached. The spheres faded into nothing after being sliced.

Soot's eyes narrowed, 'Of course he knows how to that.'

Soot ran around the puppet and continued firing. Arlequin followed; trying to keep Soot in its line of sight. She stopped in between Ash and the puppet; cutting off most of Gastly's view of her.

Ash and Soot smirked. Ash slightly repositioned Soot's paws and she fired a handful of Shadow Balls at the ground in front of herself; kicking up a cloud of dust.

Gastly eyed the cloud warily, 'What is this?'

The maiden's eyes widened when Soot's right foreleg shot towards Arlequin from the cloud. They moved quickly and had Arlequin bat away the leg.

"Gotcha." Soot smirked as she appeared in front of the puppet.

The maiden grimaced, "What?!"

Soot grabbed her detached limb out of the air and used it to jab Arlequin in the face. The puppet was hurled backwards and crashed onto the ground. Soot reattached her arm and ran forward to stand over the marionette. She formed a Shadow Ball, twice the normal size, in her paw and aimed it at the downed puppet.

Soot smirked wickedly, "Sorry, Arley. But it's been fun." She prepared to fire when-

"Arlequin Jin!"

Soot's smirk disappeared and her eyes widened. Ash had her jumped back to avoid a punch from the new opponent. Soot dispelled the first Shadow Ball detonated two more in her hind paws to propel herself backwards. She landed in front of Ash in a crouch and looked up.

A second Arlequin stood next to the original. This one was dressed all in white and had long black feathers attached to a two horned, golden headband. Unlike the first, this one had both of its arms, its face was intact, and it wielded nothing. The wires stretched from the puppet to a new set of rings on Gastly's left hand.

Arlequin Yin quickly jumped back to its feet and stood next to its inverted counterpart.

Soot grimaced, "There's two of them?!"

Ash's eyes narrowed, "Crag."

The disguised Gastly smirked, "I thought I should up the ante. Now, let's see what these brothers can do!"

The maiden shot their hands forward, making Yin and Jin charge Soot. Soot stood her ground and Ash watched the puppets warily. Yin swung at Soot with its bladed arm. Soot ducked under the attack only for Jin to crouch down and attempt to sweep her legs from the left. Ash had Soot bring her legs up to avoid the attack and positioned her right foreleg to the left and left hindleg to the right. Soot quickly formed and detonated a pair of Shadow Balls in the outstretched paws and spun in midair between the puppets.

This next part happened in the span of a second. During the spin, Soot's tail wrapped around Arlequin Yin's weapon arm, yanked it out of the puppet's hand, and tossed it away. Ash, then, shot Soot's left foreleg and right hindleg to simultaneously uppercut Yin and kick Jin in the face.

Yin flew away from Soot and off to the side; in a direction opposite to its arm. Jin was forced back and landed on the ground; its face shattered from the blow. Soot landed with a skid, held her paws towards Jin and fired a massive Shadow Ball. The resulting explosion kicked up a giant cloud of dust; engulfing Soot and Jin. Soot jumped out of the cloud and landed in front of Ash again.

The maiden's eyes widened as the dust settled. Arlequin Jin laid on the ground in a heap of splintered wood. Its arms were torn from what was left of the main body, and the torso was nothing but nothing but splinters, shredded fabric, and broken wooden gears; separating its upper and lower halves.

Soot blinked, "Woah. That was fast."

Ash sighed in relief, "One down. One to go." He moved his hands and put Soot into a fighting stance.

Gastly smirked and moved their left hand, "You just keep surprising me." Every piece of Jin larger than a baseball became airborne and fell back into the suitcase. The rings on their left flew off their hand and back into the case.

The maiden moved their right hand and Arlequin Yin jumped over to land in front of them; its bladed hand was nowhere to be seen. Gastly clasped their hands together and pulled them apart again. The ten rings for Yin now dressed all of their fingers.

"Time for the finisher!" Gastly brought their hands above their head and crossed them, "Les Arts Martiaux!" The remaining Arlequin's upper half sprang up slightly to reveal an assortment of wooden gears and mechanisms in the puppet's waist. They started revving and Arlequin's upper body started to spin rapidly, "Swirling Tiger!"

The maiden moved her hands again and Arlequin ran towards Soot; still spinning.

Soot glared and expected to dodge. But Gastly had other plans.

"Let go of me!" Ash shouted.

Soot managed to glance back, and her eyes widened. Arlequin's arm was holding Ash's hands together. The trainer struggled to break free or move his fingers but ultimately failed.

The trainer looked back up at Soot and grimaced, "Soot, look out!"

Soot looked back to find Arlequin directly in front of her. The puppet struck and pummeled Soot with a barrage of spinning punches.

"AHHH!" Soot shouted as she flew back and crashed into the ground.

Ash's eyes widened, "SOOT!" He jumped when he felt Arlequin's wooden arm let go and fly back towards the puppet.

Ash glared and moved his hands again.

He froze when he saw that the strings had vanished, 'What?!'

Soot laid on the ground; unable to move, 'What's going on? Why isn't dad doing anything?' She looked up and mimicked Ash's expression when she didn't see her strings, 'Y-you can't be serious.'

Ash and Soot grimaced, 'They did that much damage?!'

"Blade of Saint George!"

A long, inward-curved, serrated blade sprang outward from Arlequin's attached arm. Ash and Soot's eyes widened at the sight of it. Arlequin walked towards Soot with the extended blade and arm in hand.

Soot grimaced as it approached and struggled to try and move, 'Come on! Something!' She stopped when felt something prop her up and an arm wrap around her from behind. She looked over to see Ash glaring at Gastly and Arlequin Yin with intimidate as he held her. He had his claws out on his right hand; pointing at Arlequin.

Gastly stopped the puppet and raised a brow, "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like?!" Ash responded harshly.

The maiden frowned, "Come, now. This is rather unsportsmanlike."

Ash's glare deepened, "Unsportsmanlike?! You're coming at my hatchling with a giant knife and calling me out for protecting her?!"

Gastly blinked in surprise, 'Hatchling?' They looked closer and noticed something missing from Ash's fingers. The maiden raised a brow again, "What happened to the strings."

Soot glared, "You just beat the Yvel out of me! What did you expect?!"

Gastly stared in shock, "What?! I thought you couldn't be hurt!"

Soot continued glaring, "I just don't feel pain! I still take damage, you psycho!"

Ash's eyes returned to normal and he blinked in surprise, "How did you know-"

He was interrupted by a loud bell ringing throughout the area. The maiden grimaced and started shivering. She quickly moved her hands and Arlequin jumped back, folded itself, and landed in the suitcase before it closed. The case shot into the air and the maiden shattered to reveal Gastly; trembling with his eyes closed.

Soot's eye twitched, "Seriously?! All of that and sound is your weakness?!"

"It's not the sound!" Gastly argued, "I just hate the sunlight! It's time for me to go until the next festival." He opened an eye and gave a small smirk, "Don't forget the Ghost of the Maiden. She and the old lady will return next year toooooo." He faded out of sight as the sun rose in the distance.

Soot looked towards them rising sun and deadpanned, "We were up all night, weren't we?"

Ash groaned, "Yup." He smiled sadly and pulled Soot's limp form into a hug, "I'm just happy you're safe."

Soot chuckled softly, "You're such a dad." She heard snoring and blinked, "Dad?"

Soot looked over to see Ash still holding her as he slept, "Dad. Dad, come on, we can sleep at the Pokémon Center." She groaned and looked back, "Brock, Misty, could one of you-" She found them, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Team Rocket asleep in the shrine.

Soot sighed, "Fine." She closed her eyes and tried to go to sleep as well. She grimaced when the sun shone in one of her eyes, "Crag."

.

*Mid-day; shrine

Soot eventually resorted to shouting and woke up Pikachu. He then woke up Clefairy, who, drowsily, Wake-Up Slapped everyone else. Everyone left for the Pokémon Center where they would pass out on whatever bed, or couch, they found first.

"AH!" Yukiro shouted as he fell from the rafters and landed on his back. He sat up and held his head, "Thank my brothers that no one thinks to look up."

"There you are!" Gastly shouted as he glared at the boy, "You told me that mightyena was immune to damage! I could have seriously hurt her!"

"No, you wouldn't." Yukiro responded with a raised finger, "You could have dismembered her or give her some new scars, but it wouldn't have hurt."

Gastly stared at Yukiro with an incredulous look, "How is that supposed to make it better?!"

Seishin shrugged, "It works for Buggy the Star Clown."

Gastly blinked, "Who?"

Yukiro sighed, "No one."

Gastly rolled his eyes, "Whatever." The puppets' suitcase rolled out from the other side of the stairs and moved between Gastly and Yukiro, "Just take them back, already." Gastly frowned slightly, "However, I do feel the need to apologize about the white one. I didn't intend for it to be destroyed."

Yukiro snickered, "Ah, don't worry. Jin was just a cheap rip-off anyway. I mean, he only appeared in the-" He stopped and flinched, "Actually, I should say. Spoilers." He held out a pair of cards, "Return." The suitcase disappeared and a pair of beams shot into the cards. Yukiro shoved the cards back into the box on his belt and turned to walk away, "See ya."

"One more thing," Gastly said with a raised brow, "what was the point of the butterfly net? It only made suppressing that clefairy's abilities more difficult."

Yukiro jerked around; eyes wide, "Seriously?! Have you never heard of the Fairly Odd Parents?!"

Gastly sweat dropped, "What do moderately strange meemas have to do with this?"

Yukiro's eye twitched before he glared at the ceiling, "Come ON, Rob! You couldn't have let this version of Gastly be just a little fourth-wall-breaky?!"

Yukiro waited for a second and blinked in surprise, "Rob? Rob, you there? I know you are; you're the one typing all of this."

Gastly's eyes narrowed, "Who the Yvel do you keep talking to?! It's been freaking me out!"

Yukiro pointed at Gastly dramatically, "Omae wa shindeiru!"

Gastly blinked in surprise, "What?"

Yukiro sighed, "Exactly." He pulled another card from the box and held it towards the ceiling, "Gate Card Open!" The grid patterned portal appeared again. Yukiro looked at Gastly and saluted, "Sayonara, Smokey!" Without moving any part of his body, Yukiro sprang into the portal and disappeared. The hole closed soon after.

Gastly looked up at the ceiling and sighed in relief, 'Thank Arceus, that's over.'

The portal reappeared directly in front of Gastly, and Yukiro poked his head through, "PostScript: Trix switched all the money you scammed out them with play money." The portal disappeared again.

"Huh?" Gastly responded; wide eyed. A cash register appeared in a cloud of smoke in front of him. It opened and Gastly grimaced upon seeing the fake bills, "That brat!"

Gastly heard the portal open behind him followed by, "P.p.s."

Gastly grumbled and turned around. Before he could say anything, Yukiro shoved a massive lollipop into his mouth. Gastly stared at the boy in shock.

Yukiro stared back as he slowly moved back through the portal and quietly said, "wryyyyyyyyy." The portal closed yet again.

Gastly started looking around the empty space warily; expecting part of it to open again. It never did.

.

*Maidens' Peak Festival Closing Ceremony

Ash and his friends eventually woke up enough to take part in the closing ceremony. Tourists gathered around a large temple-like structure. Team rocket was banging drums on top of it and doing a decent job. The tRio seemed to be legitimately enjoying themselves, so Ash and the others let them be. Though they still shot Team Rocket a wary glance every so often.

Ash and his Pokémon were thinking back to the battle with Gastly. Pikachu and Clefairy stood on the railing and Soot laid on the ground with a somber expression. Ash wore a light blue kimono with a blue sash as he leaned against the railing.

Ash pinched the bridge of his nose, "I can't believe I let things go that far. I could've just gotten all of us out of here as Quick Attack."

Soot chuckled, "Misty actually said the same thing." She shifted to a sad smile, "Don't beat yourself up over it. Quick Attack's just a doofus."

Ash chuckled.

Soot sighed, "Still, Arlequin wiped the floor with me out there. And with one move, no less." She laid down and put her forepaws on her head, "It was so embarrassing."

"Don't blame yourself, Soot." Ash crouched down and put a hand on her head, "I was the one in control and we only lost because Gastly stopped me from doing anything. If I had been more careful-"

"Dad," Soot said with a sad smile, "he only got us because of some cheap trick." She stood up and pushed her head into his chest, "I'm not mad. I'm just a little upset about losing."

Ash smiled and hugged her, "Thanks, sweetie."

Soot pulled back and pouted, "Don't call me sweetie."

Ash, Pikachu, and Clefairy chuckled. Soot joined in after a minute.

Ash stopped and frowned, "Something's still bugging me, though."

Soot nodded, "I know what you mean. The Arlequin were insane. I've never even heard of something like them."

Pikachu looked over, "_Not to mention, Gastly said that someone gave them to him. Who the Yvel could have made something that complex?_"

Ash shook his head, "No, I mean- yeah those puppets were crazy, but there's something else."

The Pokémon all looked at him with a raised brow.

Ash raised finger, "Think about it. During the battle, Gastly just went for scare and trap tactics until you jumped in, Soot. He was completely okay with hitting you but became uncomfortable after we you told him what happened to your strings."

Soot blinked in surprise and lowered her head slightly, "That's right. It's like he thought I was invulnerable or something." Her eyes narrowed, "But, why would he think that? It's like he only half-knew how Marionetter worked."

Clefairy looked over at Soot, "_Maybe he heard about it from whoever gave him the wooden guys?_"

Soot frowned, "If that's so, then why did he know so little about it? And who could have told him?"

Misty walked over wearing a pink kimono with bubbles and goldeen silhouettes and a red sash. She was carrying a folded black kimono with red zorua silhouettes all over.

Misty sighed, "Hey, Soot. This is the closest I could find to a-" She stopped upon seeing their expressions, "Is everything alright?"

Ash smiled sadly, "Yeah. It's just- Gastly."

Misty smiled sadly, "At least no one got hurt. Right?"

Soot grumbled, "Just my pride."

Misty smiled and gave thumbs up, "See? All good." She held out the kimono to Soot and sweat dropped, "Sorry, but they didn't have a mightyena or banette themed ones in your size."

Soot smiled, "It's okay. I like it." She changed her eyes and looked over at Ash, "Ready, dad?"

Ash smiled, grabbed the zipper on her back, and pulled. The strings shot out and latched on to him, "Soot. Marionetter."

This festival would be known as the only one to have a bipedal, banette-eyed mightyena in zorua kimono joining in the closing ceremony's dance. That is, if anyone kept records like that. Ash just wished he had brought a camera.

.

.

**Omega: Ah. It was Arlequin. Both of them.**

**Nuevo: *raises brow* I thought that was the naked albino clown with the lightning horns.**

**Omega: No, that's Harlequin.**

**Nuevo: The fire shooting, medieval minstrel with two pupils in the same eye?**

**Mizuro: Arlecchino. (Are-Leh-Keen-Oh)**

**Nuevo: The noodle armed ventriloquist dummy whose user has a sword under his head?**

**Omega: Anselmus.**

**Nuevo: The green geezer who shoots air bullets out of the holes in his palms.**

**Mizuro: Wha- Paul, that's Pantalone! How did you even guess that?! Their names aren't even similar!**


	24. heat haze days special - not chapter

**Yugo: Hey readers! It's comment response time!**

**Ohirume: We said before that the next one would be on Labor Day, but there are a lot more comments than last time. So, we're doing around half now.**

**Seishin: And we decided today, because-**

**August 15****th****, 12:30 noon**

**I don't see a cloud above**

**The sun is shining down**

**What a pretty day**

**Ohirume: So sick of this summer heat**

**I can't beat away the haze**

**The rays are giving way**

**And spending all my time having conversation sitting next to you**

**Seishin: 'Hey, but I- don't really like the summertime'**

**And as you petted that cat**

**You said such a daring thing**

**Right from under your breath**

**Ohirume: Ah- and as the cat had ran away**

**You tried to chase it in the end**

**Jumping right out in front of-**

**Ohirume and Seishin: a traffic light that poured a shade of red bright red**

**Gem: *whispering to Omega* what are they doing?**

**Omega: *whispering to Gem* Heat Haze Days. It's a song with a theme similar to 'Groundhog Day.'**

**Gem: But, why is there so much mention of blood?**

**Seishin: It's not a happy song.**

**Gem: Oh. One more thing, what's a groundhog?**

**Omega: *annoyed sigh***

.

From CorruptHero (chapter 16):

This chapter was weird but enjoyable

**Seishin: *chuckle* Yeah. I have a tendency to confuse and befuddle.**

**Omega: His middle name is 'headache.'**

**Seishin: Technically, it's pronounced 'hade-ah-kay.'**

**Gem: Is it really? **

**Seishin: *shrug* I dunno. Maybe.**

**…**

**Ohirume: Sounds about right. Yukiro is essentially a nonsense outlet. If it's crazy, stupid, an overdone reference, a fourth wall break, or just doesn't make sense, he's already done it.**

**Seishin: *chuckle* Yeah. I'm essentially a poorly written, cringey Deadpool/Freak-a-zoid rip-off … at least, after Rob stole me. Oh! Tell them what we're planning to make me do in the league!**

**Ohirume: I can't spoil that!**

**Seishin: Come on, just one thing. *nudge* You know you want to.**

**Ohirume: *groan* Fine. In one of his battles, not against Ash, he'll sweep the opponent using a hitmonchan named Egy-Grusht (Hungarian for one and Albanian for punch). During the battle, instead of calling out orders, he'll be doing the Macarena to a loop of the on-vocal version of AI Bomb while wearing an inside out sombrero, a camouflage taekwondo gi, and crocs.**

**Seishin: *psychotic laughing* SEE?! Who else could come up with this nonsense?!**

**Omega: *groan* Son of a *****, that just gave me a headache.**

**Seishin: Again, I tend to have that effect on people. Or in this case, other figments of my own author's imagination. Oh, wait! I just thought of something!**

**Omega: How?**

**Seishin: iNSaNiTY. Now listen! How about for my entrance, I crash land on my side of the field in a hatchback, escape by kicking the trunk door off its hinges and into the distance, ding, and pop out with the line: *heavy breathing* Everyone! *huff* Word to the wise! *huff* Hatchbacks and trebuchets! *huff followed by smirk* Go very well together!**

**Omega: *eye twitch* If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find a freezer and stick my head in it.**

**Seishin: Works every time.**

.

From buterflypuss (chapter 17):

good chap

**Ohirume: Thank you.**

**Omega: It's 'chapter' not 'chap.'**

**Seishin: No one likes a grammar nut, meggy.**

.

From KingBE123 (chapter 16):

good chapter, love the starbomb reference with lamborguinepig XD

**Seishin: YES! And just wait until you see the Poké/Fakemon I'll use in the league!**

**Ohirume: This one I'm okay with spoiling … somewhat. A good portion of Yukiro's league team will consist of New Pokérap 'Pokémon'. We just haven't completely decided which ones, yet. And, yes, he will be using Fiddlyfaddlybiddlybaddlydiddlydoodlyhiddlyhoodly. I refuse to pass up a chance like that.**

**Seishin: *trembling* SO EXCITED!**

.

From buterflypuss (chapter 18):

good chap

**Ohirume: Thank you.**

**Omega: It's 'chapter' not 'chap.'**

**Seishin: No one likes a grammar nut, greenie.**

.

From Nigga-san (chapter 1):

It would've been better if you had Ash get the watch during the start of his Journey. Also the OC has much to be desired.

**Seishin: Oooo! Our first hate comment! How should we respond?**

**Ohirume: Yukiro, I don't think it's-**

**Omega: Complain about the username?**

**Seishin: No way! That's a line we don't cross!**

**Ohirume: Guys, they're not-**

**Faux: Correct their punctuation?**

**Seishin: That'd be pretty hypocritical. Especially with how little there is wrong with their review.**

**Gem: Oh, I know-**

**Ohirume: GUYS! STOP! IT'S NOT A HATE COMMENT!**

**Seishin: Rob, they insulted Soot and are complaining about the storyline.**

**Ohirume: NO! THEY! AREN'T! They are ****giving constructive criticism**** about a character and ****voicing their opinion**** about the storyline.**

**N-san, you are completely right. Soot is rather cliché and has much to be desired.**

**As for Ash's Omnitrix: getting it day 1 would mean that an Ash Ketchum with a canon personality would have the world's most advanced piece of tech. The whole concept of 'getting it as a child and maturing with it' is just- Something I wanted to try.**

**Thank you for the constructive criticism.**

.

From buterflypuss (chapter 19):

good chap

**Ohirume: Thank you.**

**Omega: It's 'chapter' not 'chap.'**

**Seishin: No one likes a … grammar nut … Omega. Woah, déjà vu.**

.

.

**Ohirume: Are these lies?**

**The heat is mocking me**

**'****What you see is exactly what you're gonna get'**

**And with the blue sky**

**I hear a singing cricket's cry**

**And fall right back**

**Into another dark sleep**

**Seishin: Sitting up in my bed**

**I could hear ticking clocks**

**The shock will mock my ever-ringing head**

**I look to see the time**

**Ohirume: August 14****th**** 12:something noon**

**I don't see a cloud above**

**The sun is shining down**

**And yet, I hear a cry of a cricket singing loudly in my head**

**Seishin: 'Hey but I- I really have to wonder why**

**'****Cause, in the dream had last night**

**We sat in the same old park**

**We are sitting in now'**

**Ohirume: 'Hey- I think the two of us should leave'**

**But stepping slightly off the path**

**Their heads turned towards the sky**

**And were-**

**Ohirume and Seishin: Gaping, pointing, struggling to keep away a scream**

**Gem: Hey, I just realized something. How were Rob and Yukiro responding to the comments while they were singing?**

**Omega: *sigh* Gem, it's because … Actually, you have a point.**

**Yugo: Well, Ohirume did write the responses before coming up with this idea. Up next, scrapped scenes … but there's only one and it's- Meh.**

.

.

St. Anne – excuse to stay:

Why: too unbelievable / Soot could have phased the person out

Where: After everyone else evacuates the ship

.

Ash smiled and ran over to Soot, "Nice work, you two." He closed the zipper on Soot's back, "Let's get out of-"

"HELP!"

Ash stopped and turned to see someone trapped in one of the chandeliers. It was trapping them like a cage.

Ash grimaced, "Crag!" he ran over to them and crouched down to face them, "Don't worry, I'll get you out!"

They were trembling.

Ash looked back, "Guys, help me with this!"

Brock, Misty, and Soot ran over.

.

.

**Ohirume: Endlessly, I see that overheated haze**

**And again, the laughing will repeat all through the days**

**Seishin: You've been dying for the past ten years**

**We are trapped in cycles and the end is never clear**

**Ohirume: But a story is a story all the same**

**And today like any has an ending so to say**

**Ohirume and Seishin: Far away**

**And out beyond that scorching summer day**

**Yugo: And this is my queue to cut in since we removed this part twice already.**

**…**

**Seishin: August 14****th**** sitting alone**

**On a bed a girl awakes**

**Repeating just the same**

**Muttering again**

**Ohirume: 'Guess I failed again'**

**As she all alone and held a cat**

**Still cradled in her arms**

**Yugo: And yet I hear the cry of a cricket singing loudly in my head**

**Seishin: *wide smile* Nice, Yugo. Finishing it Jubyphonic piano outtake style.**

**Yugo: It just seemed right.**

**Ohirume: Well I hope you guys enjoyed … reading a song. *sigh* I didn't think this through.**

**Seishin: On the upside, now more people will know about the song. ****To recap: Heat Haze Days (Jubyphonic English lyrics). And the same lyrics are used by Zoozbuh and philsterman10. All on YouTube.**

**Ohirume: Also, ****SirHamnet did an English version of "Kagerou Ib;" a Heat Haze Days parody.**

**Omega: *Eye rolls* Yeah, if people actually bother to read this 'chapter' this far in. Or at all.**

**Ohirume: They could just skip to the end and the underlined portions would catch their attention.**

**Omega: True. And that's much more believable.**

**Yugo: See ya guys on Labor Day. The real chapter will be up on the 18****th****.**


	25. Ch 22: Butterfree Migration

**Pike: *sniffle* Butterfree…**

**Faux: *sad smile* I'm sure he's fine. Wherever he is.**

**Gem: I still miss him.**

**Omega: I don't get it.**

**…**

**Omega: … You ran out of ideas and let Yukiro write the title, didn't you?**

**Ohirume: *sigh* yep.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Aporia Crataegi No Longer Standing Upon Your Right-Most Clavicle (Omega: Seriously?! Seishin: MAH HAH!)**

.

After leaving Maiden's Peak, Ash and his friends continued on their way to Saffron City for Ash's next gym badge. They broke for lunch and Ash was training with his team again. Though, there was one significant difference.

Brock, Misty, and the rest of Ash's Pokémon watched with interest as Ash helped Charmander perfect Dragon Rage.

"Huh," Brock said as he looked over from his cooking station, "That's why kept his methods a secret."

Clefairy stood in front of the dragonite and charmander and spread her arms out wide, "_Ready!_"

Ash took a knee and looked at Charmander, "_Alright buddy, just like we practiced._"

Charmander nodded with a determined smile, "_Okay!_"

Charmander closed his eyes and focused as the energy built up. His tail flame grew larger and his eyes shot open.

He puffed up his chest and fired, "_Dragon Rage!_"

The ball of orange flames fired towards Clefairy. Everyone smiled brightly as the Dragon-type attack shot towards the Fairy-type. That faded when the attack did; barely half an inch from Clefairy.

Clefairy blinked in surprise, "_What happened?_"

Charmander sat down and pouted, "_I failed again._"

"_No, you didn't._"

Charmander looked over to see Ash looking back with a soft smile.

"_Charmander, you formed, aimed, and fired the attack amazingly. All that's left to work on is range and that just takes stamina training._" Ash put a paw on his head and pet him softly, "_You've made so much progress in such a short amount of time. I'm proud of you._"

Charmander started to tear up at the words. He wiped them away and jumped into Ash's arms, "_Thank you, Mast- I mean, thank you, Ash._"

Ash smiled softly and hugged him back, "_Anytime._"

"_AW_W_W_." Everyone said as they watched.

Ash chuckled and put Charmander back down, "_We can pick up again later. For now, go relax with the others._" He pointed at the Fire-type and scowled in a way that looked more like a weird pout, "_That's an order._" He, then, emphasized his point by sticking his tongue out.

Charmander laughed and saluted, "_Yes sir!_"

He ran over to the group with a smile on his face. Clefairy joined soon after.

Ash hit the symbol on his chest and landed on the ground in banette form. He looked over at the group and called out, "_Pidgeotto, Butterfree, you're next! We're gonna get you started on Ominous Wind!_"

The Flying-types flew over to him immediately. Ash started rambling on about the mechanics of the move.

Misty blinked and looked at Soot, "What's going on?"

Soot laughed for a bit before responding, "Sorry. It's just- rare that I have to translate what dad's saying. He's getting them started on Ominous Wind."

Brock put a hand to his chin, "That's a tricky move to learn for a lot of Pokémon. It's become near impossible ever since move tutors discontinued teaching-" He was cut off by Ash firing a cyclone of purple wind at Pidgeotto.

The bird stood there, unfazed, and nodded. She turned to face a tree and flapped forcefully. A small puff of the same wind appeared and disappeared within the same second. Ash cheered and looked over at Butterfree.

The butterfly nodded with a determined glare and mimicked Pidgeotto's actions. Butterfree's puff of wind was a little larger and held out long enough nudge a leaf. Ash jumped for joy and congratulated the Bug-type.

Pidgeotto glared and started practicing the attack on her tree. Butterfree noticed and followed soon after. Ash watched closely and gave them pointers every now and then.

Brock stared at the scene in shock.

Soot snickered, "I think we're good. Human level intelligence paired with the ability to demonstrate the move goes a long way."

Misty thought for a bit and looked at the larger of Ash's Water-types, "Hey Squirtle, Ash taught you how to use Ice Beam, right?"

The turtle gave a wide grin, "_Heck yeah! It was awesome! And he's even teaching me Aqua Tail! I can already cover half my tail in water and-_" He paused when he noticed Misty's confused look and sweat dropped, "_and you can't understand me._"

Squirtle sighed, "_Right._" He nodded.

"Cool." Misty responded, "So, do you think he could help my team learn it, too?"

Soot looked over at her, "You're free to ask dad when training's over."

Brock looked over, "When is that, by the way?"

"Usually when he times out." Soot said, "After fifteen minutes, the watch forces him back into human form and he has to wait five minutes for it to recharge."

Ash nodded with a smirk, "_Nice work, Pidgeotto. Now, try repositioning your wings-_" He was cut off when he heard beeping. He looked down to the see the symbol on his stomach flashing red.

Misty's eyes widened, "Uh oh."

Soot raised a brow, "What is it?"

"That's the same thing that happened before Ash was locked into Quick Attack!" Misty responded in a worried tone, "There's a way to stop it, right?!"

"Oh, right. Dad said he was timing out back then." Soot said before looking over at Misty, "The red beeping actually means he's about to change back. Lockdown mode is activated though some complex motions similar to a locker combination."

A red light overtook Ash and faded to reveal his human self.

Misty blinked, "Oh."

.

*Lunch

The group sat around the collapsible table and ate. They brought out all of their Pokémon earlier and Ash got the pool for the Water-types.

Misty smiled brightly at Ash, "You mean it?!"

Ash smiled back, "Of course. They can join in the next training session." He raised a finger, "And since I'll be using Vaporeon, I can help Goldeen with Aqua Ring."

Misty's eyes widened, "You know Aqua Ring?!"

Brock leaned in closer, "Do you have a form that knows Iron Tail?"

"For Onix, I assume?" Ash asked.

Brock nodded. Onix looked over at the mention of his name.

"Well, you're in luck." Ash responded while pointing at Pikachu, "I actually taught Pikachu how to use Iron Tail for my gym battle against you. Also, Vaporeon again."

Pikachu looked over and gave a thumbs up, "Pika!"

Brock smiled brightly, "Ash, thank you so much!"

Goldeen overheard and blinked in surprise, "_Vaporeon?_" She looked at Squirtle, "_What is your trainer talking about?_"

Soot looked over at them in surprise before realizing, "Oh, right."

Ash looked at her, "What is it, Soot?"

Soot chuckled, "Something we probably should have done earlier. We haven't told the rest of Brock and Misty's Pokémon about the watch yet."

Geodude raised a brow, "_Watch?_"

Ash blinked in surprise, "Oh, yeah."

He brought up his wrist and pressed down on the button. The center sprang up.

Brock looked at him in surprise, "You're doing that now?"

Ash shrugged, "Might as well get it over with." He found the silhouette he had in mind and smiled.

Pikachu grinned wickedly and snickered, "_I wonder who the fainter will be this time._"

Ash slammed down on the device. The green light overtook him and faded to reveal Ash in mightyena form.

Brock and Misty's Pokémon stared at him in shock. Or, in Staryu and Starmie's cases, faced him, motionless. Everyone jumped when they heard and felt a massive tremor shake the area.

Turns out the fainter was Zubat … and Onix. The unconscious rock snake laid in the splintered remains on the tree he annihilated.

Ash's ears drooped and eyes widened, "_Woah._"

Pikachu started laughing like a maniac, "_O-oh, dear Arceus!_" He fell back and stared rolling.

Goldeen stared at Ash and gaped like a … well, duh, "_What in the- How did you-_"

Horsea's eyes lit up, "_Wow! You can turn into that, too?!_"

Goldeen snapped out of it and looked at Horsea, "_You knew about this?!_"

Horsea nodded, "_Yeah. Clefairy told me on a boat._"

Squirtle grinned, "_It's awesome, right?!_"

Geodude looked back and forth between Soot and Ash. He turned to face Soot, "_That thing you said at the beach._" He pointed back at Ash; still looking at Soot, "_You mean … your __trainer__ is your meema?_"

Soot chuckled, walked over to Ash, and nudged up against him, "Yup. To everyone still conscious, allow to me introduce Ashton Satoshi Ketchum. My trainer and biological meema."

Ash chuckled nervously, "_Aw, come on, Soot._"

The Pokémon continued staring.

Staryu hopped out of the pool and stood in front of Ash, "_What were you and our trainer talking about earlier? That stuff about Ice Beam and Aqua Ring._"

Geodude hopped over, "_And Iron Tail._"

Ash responded by hitting the symbol on his chest. The Pokémon had to turn away due to the light. They looked again and flinched as they saw a vaporeon in Ash's place.

Misty pouted and mumbled, "Lucky."

Ash's ear twitched. He frowned slightly and glanced over at his backpack.

He shook it off and smiled at the Pokémon, "_This is what we meant. My move set in this form is Ice Beam, Aqua Ring, Water Gun, and Iron Tail. Misty and Brock asked if I could teach most of you how to use some of those moves._"

Starmie jumped onto the rim of the pool to face him, "_Are you serious?!_"

Pikachu looked over and nodded, "_Yup, he taught me Iron Tail._"

Squirtle grinned and gave a V-sign, "_Taught me Ice Beam! Learnin' Aqua Tail from Dragonite!_"

Charmander raised a paw and cheered, "_Dragon Rage!_"

Butterfree fluttered happily, "_He's teaching me Ominous Wind as a banette!_"

Pidgeotto nodded, "_Same. Plus, he taught me Steel Wing as, uh,_" She blushed and cleared her throat, "_Braviary._"

Clefairy blinked and scratched the side of her head, "_Huh. Ash actually hasn't taught me anything._"

Krabby sighed, "_Me neither._"

Bulbasaur shrugged, "_Eh._"

Geodude looked around in shock. He back at Ash, "_Do you know anything I can learn?_"

Ash blinked and thought for a moment, "_Hm._" He perked up, "_Oh! My mightyena form knows Hidden Power._"

Geodude blinked in surprise, "_Alright, then._"

Brock and Misty shared a confused look.

Brock looked at the Dark-type, "Um, Soot?"

Soot looked at him and sweat dropped upon seeing his and Misty's expressions, "Right." She sighed before starting, "So, Goldeen said-"

.

**Time Skip**

Everyone continued towards Saffron. Ash mostly remained silent along the way. They came up to a large cliff overlooking some rough waters.

Clefairy looked over the edge and gulped, "_Wow. Those are some big rocks._"

Soot put a paw in front of her, "Yeah, maybe don't stand so close."

Misty sweat dropped, "Fall from here and ball game's over."

Ash didn't comment.

Brock pulled out his map and looked to the side, "The map says that this ridge should lead straight to Saffron City."

Soot looked over and sighed in relief, "Yeah and it actually looks stable. I'd almost forgotten what that looks like."

Misty looked over and noticed something, "Huh? Are those butterfree?"

Ash took a deep breath; catching everyone's attention, "Yeah, it's mating season. They're here for the migration."

Soot's eyes widened, "You mean-"

Ash pulled out a pokéball and smiled sadly, "Yeah. It's time for Butterfree to find a mate." He put the pokéball away and started walking, "Come on. We don't want to be late."

Everyone else followed.

.

**Time Skip**

"I'm surprised there's a place to rent hot air balloons all the way out here." Misty stated as she looked up at the large selection of balloons.

"It's, actually, pretty normal for aerial migrations." Ash responded monotonously, "Odds are we'll see a lot more trainers."

Brock looked over, "Is everything okay, Ash? You seem kind of down."

Ash blinked and smiled sadly, "It's nothing. I'm fine." He pulled out a pokéball again and perked up, "Do you guys mind getting the balloon without me? There's something I want to do before we go."

"Um, sure Ash." Misty said; a little confused.

Ash smiled sadly, "Thanks." He looked at the Pokémon on his shoulders, "Do you guys mind staying here with Brock, Misty, and Soot?"

Soot blinked in surprise, "Huh?"

Pikachu and Clefairy blinked in surprise.

"_Okay, I guess._" Pikachu said as he jumped down.

Clefairy jumped down too and look up at her trainer, "_You'll be back soon, right?_"

Ash nodded, "Yeah. It'll just be a minute." He walked off towards the forest and disappeared into the tree line.

Misty frowned and looked down at Soot, "Is Ash okay?"

Soot's ears drooped, "More or less. I think dad's upset that Butterfree might be leaving."

Everyone's eyes widened in realization.

"That's right." Brock said as he put a hand to his chin, "The migration goes across the sea."

Pikachu and Clefairy looked at where Ash went. They felt sorry for their trainer.

Soot took a deep breath, "I'll get the balloon." She walked over to the stand. Pikachu and Clefairy perked up and followed her.

Misty frowned, "Poor Ash."

Brock frowned too, "Having to release a Pokémon you've formed a bond with, it must feel terrible. I couldn't even imagine having to let one of my Pokémon go."

Misty nodded, "I know what you mean. I wish we could help him."

Soot walked back over, "Got it."

"Thanks, Soo-" Misty stopped and her eyes widened when she saw Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy.

Put simply, tons of multicolored bows. Pikachu had two unevenly tied to each of his ears and around five all over his tail. Clefairy, weirdly enough, only had one red one at the center of the curl on her head. Soot had them … everywhere. Just, everywhere.

The stand's attendant stood next to them carrying a red, blue, and green hot air balloon at the end of a line. I kid you not, that was actually the design in the anime.

Brock stared in confusion, "What happened to you three?"

Soot's eye twitched, "Bring your kid to work day. In this case, three daughters. Ages 4, 6, and 7." She sighed and gestured to the attendant, "On the bright side, he let us rent the balloon for free."

The attendant rubbed the back of his head, "I am sorry about that. My girls just love Pokémon."

Soot shrugged, "Eh. Small price to pay for free rental."

The attendant chuckled before tying the balloon down and walking away. He waved back, "Enjoy the migration."

"Thank you, Sir!" Misty called out.

Pikachu grumbled as he tried to remove the ribbons tied to his ears, "_How do you get these off?!_"

Soot snickered, "I got it." She walked over to Pikachu, put a paw on his head, and shifted her eyes. After a second, all of the bows fell through her and Pikachu and landed on the ground, "There we go."

Pikachu shivered and smiled awkwardly, "_Uh, thanks._"

Soot snickered again and looked over at the Fairy-type, "Do you want some help, too?"

Clefairy blinked and adjusted the bow. She smiled, "_Nah. I kinda like it._"

After a minute, Ash walked back out of the forest with Butterfree on his shoulder. Both of them seemed a little down.

Brock noticed, "Is everything alright?"

Ash smiled sadly and nodded, "Yeah." He climbed into the balloon, "Let's go."

"Okay." Brock said; feeling unsure. Everyone else climbed in and Brock pulled the switch, "Hang on, guys."

The balloon lifted off the ground and soared over the water.

Clefairy looked over the edge and smiled brightly, "_Wow! Look at the view!_"

Pikachu looked to the side and called out, "_Look! There they are!_"

Everyone looked over and found the butterfree flock …

**Ohirume: Swarm? Cluster? Gimme a sec … Okay, I looked it up; a group is butterflies ****is**** called a swarm. Makes sense.**

**Seishin: Although, other sources say "flutter" and "kaleidoscope." I mean- kaleidoscope … really?**

Everyone looked over and found the butterfree swarm flying next to them.

"Look! There they are!" Misty said with a smile.

Ash and the Pokémon all sweat dropped.

Ash looked at the butterfly on his right shoulder, "You ready?"

Butterfree nodded with a somber expression, "_Yeah._" He took a deep breath and lifted off to join the swarm.

The group watched as Butterfree flew around the swarm and met the others of his species. Everyone he flew to just turned away without a word. After a few minutes, he flew out of the swarm and back towards the balloon.

Soot frowned, "No luck."

Clefairy frowned, "_Aw._"

"Maybe none of those butterfree is its type." Brock commented.

Misty looked over at Brock, "What do you mean, Brock? They all look the same to me."

"He means features or characteristics." Ash responded, "Flight patterns, wing design, even antennae length and eye size."

Misty raised a brow, "Eye size?"

Ash shrugged, "It's what Butterfree said." He blinked when he heard pokéballs opening and turned around, "Oh, there they are."

"H_u_h?" Everyone else turned to see a large number of trainers in balloons releasing their butterfree into the swarm.

"Oh, right." Misty said.

Brock looked around the balloons and found a girl with purple hair in one of them.

"You just go find yourself a nice mate, Butterfree. Go!" The girl tossed the pokéball and let out her butterfree. It joined the swarm with the others.

Brock blushed heavily as he stared at the girl.

Misty smiled slyly, "Oh boy, this again."

Butterfree landed on the edge of the basket.

Ash frowned, "No luck, huh?"

Brock ran up and got in Butterfree's face; startling the bug, "Listen up, Butterfree! See the Butterfree that girl just released?!" He pointed at the butterfree in the distance, "That one! That one right there! Pick that one!"

Butterfree looked where he pointed and sweat dropped, "_Uuuh._"

"Don't you get it?!" Brock said frantically, "If two butterfree fall in love their trainers will meet and they can fall in love, too!"

Misty moved over and pulled on his ear, "Don't butt in!"

Soot sweat dropped, "And, putting aside the trainer thing- Brock, that butterfree is a male."

Brock pouted, "Just my luck."

Ash chuckled and looked back at Butterfree, "Give it another go. You might more luck with a bigger crowd."

Butterfree nodded, "_Alright. Wish me luck._" He flew back towards the butterfly Pokémon.

Ash smiled sadly, "Good luck."

Soot blinked in surprise and glanced at Ash.

After Butterfree looked around for a bit, he fluttered excitedly towards a-

Misty leaned forward, "Whoa! A pink butterfree?!"

Brock stared in surprise, "But, how?! I thought shiny butterfree only had pink hands and feet."

Soot looked up at Ash, "You think she might be a pinkan?"

Ash put a hand to his chin, "Could be. If so, she either came a long way for this or had one of the most thoughtful trainers imaginable."

Brock looked at them in surprise, "Pinkan?"

Ash rubbed the back of his head, "I'm not really supposed to say."

Soot jumped in, "And it's not because of the watch, this time. We promised Professor Oak we wouldn't tell anyone the details. All we can really say is that it's being researched by a colleague."

Ash nodded, "Yeah, sorry. Just know that if you see an unnaturally pink Pokémon, there's a justified reason."

Misty sweat dropped, "Great." She smiled when she looked back at Ash's butterfree, "At least Butterfree found someone it likes."

Butterfree floated next to the pink one and started fluttering around rhythmically and spinning.

Clefairy blinked in surprise, "_What's Butterfree doing?_"

"It's called a courtship dance." Ash responded, "It's how the butterfree species asks others to be their mate."

Misty smiled, "Aw. That's so romantic."

Clefairy titled, "_Why don't they just ask normally?_"

Soot shrugged, "Instinct."

Brock followed, "If it works, the other butterfree should dance too."

Soot raised a brow, "She's doing something."

The pink butterfree turned away and started flying above the swarm. Butterfree followed.

Misty blinked, "Is this normal?"

Ash frowned, "No, it's not."

Butterfree continued his dance in front of the probable pinkan. *SLAP* She didn't feel the same.

Soot shied away, "Ohhh. That can't feel good."

The pink butterfree flew away; leaving the sobbing Butterfree behind.

Brock frowned, "Butterfree got shot down."

Misty glared, "What?! That isn't fair!"

Clefairy pouted, "_So mean._"

Pikachu frowned, "_Poor Butterfree._"

Butterfree sobbed from the rejection and started flying down, past the swarm, and into the forest below.

Ash frowned, "Butterfree."

Soot looked up at Brock, "We should make sure he's okay."

Ash started messing with his watch, "I'll go ahead." He found the braviary silhouette and ducked down to hide in the basket. The green light flared up and faded before Ash shot out of the basket and soared towards the forest, "_Butterfree, wait up!_"

Misty sweat dropped, "Still getting used that."

.

*Forest*

"Dad! Butterfree!" Soot called out.

"_Where did you go?!_" Pikachu shouted.

Misty followed, "Butterfree! Come out!"

"Guys! Over here!"

Everyone looked over to see Ash waving at them. Butterfree stood against a tree next to Ash; facing away from them. The group hurried over to the pair.

"How is he?" Brock asked Ash.

Ash frowned and looked at the butterfly, "Not good."

Butterfree sniffled, "_I can't believe it. Why didn't she like me?_"

Ash put a hand on the butterfly's head, "I'm sure it'll be alright, Butterfree."

Brock crossed his arms, "Being rejected by someone you love. It's a terrible shock, believe me." He perked up and called out, "I promise to do everything in my power to help!"

Misty deadpanned, "Maybe it'd be better to get advice from the only one of us with actual experience." She looked over at Ash.

Ash frowned and waved his hands, "Trust me, Misty. You're asking the wrong guy."

Misty blinked in surprise. She raised a brow and pointed over at Soot, "Really?"

Ash scratched the back of his head, "It's not what you think. Soot was an accident from training."

Brock flinched, "S-surely you don't mean that, Ash!" He said through his teeth as he forcefully gestured towards Soot.

Soot noticed and deadpanned, "Oh, please. It's not big of a deal for Pokémon. How do you think daycares work?" She sighed, "Dad may know more than your average rookie, but he's as dense as a brick when it comes to romance. A member of his own team could have a crush on him, and he wouldn't know it."

Ash glared, "Hey, I'm not that bad."

Soot rolled her eyes with a smirk, "Of course you're not."

Ash raised a brow but shrugged it off. He put a hand to his chin, "Still, there has to be some way we can help."

Clefairy jumped in, "_I know! We just have to show her how great Butterfree is!_" She ran up to Butterfree and smiled brightly, "_You show off your moves! Tackle! Sleep Powder!_"

Ash's eyes widened, "Ominous Wind!"

Misty blinked in surprise, "What?"

Ash smiled, "That pinkan butterfree might be looking for someone special or unique; like herself. And what's more special than a move that's near impossible to learn?"

Clefairy tilted, "_I don't know. What?_"

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_I think that was a rhetorical question._"

Brock put a hand to his chin, "You make a good point. A rare move could make the suitor seem more desirable."

Ash nodded, "Exactly." He brought up his watch and started twisting the dial, "The migration doesn't leave until sundown, so that gives us time for some last-minute move training." He found Banette and quickly hit the device.

Banette-Ash looked over at Butterfree with a determined smirk, "_We've got around thirteen minutes before I need to recharge. So, let's get to work._"

Butterfree became determined, "_Alright!_" He looked down slightly and looked somber, "_But, will that be enough time?_"

Ash put a hand to his chin, "_That depends. At the very least, we should try and get to the point where you can fire on command._"

Butterfree nodded, "_Sounds good._"

Ash lifted off the ground and levitated towards the center of the clearing. Butterfree followed.

"_We'll start like before._" Ash held out his hands and quickly fired the purple wind at a tree.

Butterfree nodded with a determined glare and started flapping.

Misty sweat dropped, "Were we supposed to understand any of that?"

"Dad's helping Butterfree with Ominous Wind again." Soot responded, "He'll time out in about thirteen minutes."

Pikachu looked up at her, "_So, we just wait?_"

Soot shrugged, "Yeah, I guess. It shouldn't that long, though"

Brock looked down at Soot, "Hey. You weren't serious about the crush thing, were you?"

Soot smirked, "Oh, I definitely was. For starters, you ever notice how often Pidgeotto blushes?"

Misty's eyes widened, "You're kidding."

Soot smiled slyly.

.

*Thirteen minutes and, uh … twenty-eight seconds later

The symbol on Ash's stomach started beeping and flashing red; catching the others attention.

Ash sighed, "_Well, looks we're out-_" A red light overtook him and faded, "of time." He looked at Butterfree and smiled, "Nice work. By now, it's just a matter of stamina and aiming."

Butterfree fluttered happily, "_Yes! Do you think it'll be enough to impress her?_"

Ash crouched down to pet him, "That's what we're gonna find out."

Soot blinked in surprise, 'What the- when did he-' Her eyes widened in realization before she deadpanned, 'Of course.'

Ash looked over at his friends, "Alright, I think we're ready. Let's give this another try."

"Hold on a moment." Brock said with a raised hand. He ran over to Butterfree and crouched down, "A new look might help, too." He stepped back to reveal Butterfree with a yellow sash around his neck.

Ash smiled softly, "Good thinking, Brock."

Misty smiled, "Yeah, that looks great."

Butterfree fluttered happily and lifted off the ground, "_Let's go!_"

.

*High in the air; hot-air balloon

Ash had a hand over his eyes as he looked around, "Now, where did she go?"

Misty smiled sadly, "It's really kind of you to do all of this for Butterfree. And a little surprising."

Ash blinked in surprise and looked back, "Why wouldn't I help him?"

Brock rubbed the back of his head, "Well, you seemed pretty upset about Butterfree leaving."

Ash looked down with a sad smile, "I want what's best for him. Even if it means going away."

Misty smiled softly and walked up to put a hand on Ash's shoulder. Brock moved up and did the same. Ash smiled softly and went back to looking.

"Found her!" Ash called out after a few seconds. He smiled, "And it looks like she still hasn't found a mate, yet." He looked over at Butterfree, "Give it all you've got, Butterfree!"

Soot jumped in, "Save your new move for last, just in case."

Butterfree nodded and soared into the swarm again. He fluttered over to the pinkan. She acted as if she didn't notice.

"Start with Whirlwind!" Soot called out.

Butterfree moved away and flapped heavily; firing the large gust of wind at the empty space. Pink turned away.

Ash frowned before calling out, "Try zipping around with Tackle!"

Butterfree did as suggested. She just turned away again. Butterfree whimpered from the rejection and looked down in shame.

Clefairy glared, "_Come on! That was super impressive!_"

Ash smirked, "Luckily, we still have an ace up our sleeve. Butterfree! Ominous W-" He was cut off by the sound of helicopter blades in the distance.

Everyone looked towards the source and stared in shock when they saw a large black helicopter with a large red 'R' on the front.

Prepare for trouble! Jessie said through a loudspeaker.

And make it double! James followed. You know how it goes from here.

To protect the world from devastation!

To unite all peoples within our nation!

To denounce the evils of truth and love!

To extend our reach to the stars above!

Jessie!

James!

Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!

Surrender now, or prepare to fight!

"Meowth! Dat's right!" The Scratch Cat finished as he appeared on a massive, discolored Master Ball rip-off with a red R on it.

Jessie laughed, Look at all the Butterfree.

All ours for the taking. James followed.

The fakéball burst into a giant net and tRio flew through butterfree swarm; catching the Bug-types.

Brock grimaced, "You've got to be kidding me!"

Misty clenched her fist, "How could they do this?! And during their mating season, no less!"

Soot growled, "We can't let this happen!"

Ash smirked, "Right!" He held out his right hand and sprouted his claws. He aimed towards the chopper, "I'll get the net! Soot, on my mark, take out the back rotor! Pikachu and Clefairy, blast them off Thunderbolt and Disarming Voice after the butterfree are out of range! We're stopping them here and now!"

Pikachu looked ahead and stared in shock, "_Um. We may not get the chance too._"

Ash, Clefairy, and Soot looked at him in confusion and followed his gaze. They grimaced when they saw what he meant. Brock and Misty looked too and reacted the same.

"Brace yourselves!" Ash shouted as Team Rocket's missile struck the balloon.

.

*Team Rocket

James looked through the side window as the twerps' balloon basket plummeted with the shredded balloon blowing upward.

James looked at Jessie with a worried expression, "Do you think we went too far with that?"

Jessie's eyes narrowed as she looked ahead, "Or course not! The twerps and their Pokémon would shoot us down in an instant! We just acted first!"

Meowth's voice came up over the radio, 'Sides, da Phantom ain't gonna go down dat easily. He'll find a way out a dis.

James pouted, "Still, he's going to be pretty mad."

Jessie pushed the cyclic forward; increasing their speed, "Then, we shouldn't be here when they recover!"

**Seishin: Yes, it's called a cyclic. Look it up.**

**Ohirume: I did.**

.

*Butterfree

"_NO!_" Butterfree shouted as his trainer's balloon dropped out of the sky. He was about to chase after them, when-

"_HELP!_"

He stopped and turned to see the pink butterfree trapped in Team Rocket's net. The helicopter was already flying away through the sea of balloons.

Jessie's voice came from it again, Our thanks to all of you who came to see Team Rocket's latest triumph. We hope to see you again.

James's voice came up next, Next time we steal the show.

Butterfree stared in shock as they left. He glanced back at the crash site and grimaced, "_Please be okay, Ash._" He turned towards the helicopter and flew as fast as he could.

.

*Ash and others; plummeting

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy screamed as the basket fell to the ground. The missile was only aimed at the balloon.

Ash and Soot gritted their teeth.

"DAD, DO SOMETHING!" Soot shouted at the top of her lungs.

Ash looked over edge and looked around the rapidly approaching terrain.

After a second, Ash shouted, "GOT IT!" He held out a hand to Soot, "Soot, get me down there!"

Soot's eyes widened in realization and she smirked, "Consider this payback for the waterfall!" She quickly yanked off her right foreleg and held it in her mouth as her eyes shifted.

Ash grabbed the leg and Soot forced it downward. Ash was phased through the basket to the ground below.

Pikachu grimaced, "_What are you doing?!_"

Soot spat out her leg; not bothering to reattached it yet, "Trust him! And hold on to the basket!"

Everyone grabbed the rim and closed their eyes. The flinched when they felt the basket land. But not on the ground.

Everyone's eyes shot open when the basket started sliding at an angle. Misty looked back and saw a giant ramp made of green crystal guiding them towards a giant half-pipe. They shot across the center, up the other side, etc., and settled down in the vertex after a minute.

A trembling hand grabbed onto the rim of the basket and Misty pulled herself up. She slumped over the edge; her face green from motion sickness, "I hate those three. So much!"

Pikachu and Clefairy held the rim of the basket in a vice grip; shaking like crazy.

Brock held his head and looked around at the crystalline structure in confusion, "Where did this come from?"

Brock heard heavy breathing and looked over to see-

Brock jumped, "Whoa!" Everyone, except Soot, followed his gaze and flinched.

Standing there was a large figure made entirely of the same green crystal. Its body was humanoid in stature but was far more prismatic and jagged. Two long crystals could be seen jutting from its back; pointing upwards in a slanted fashion. A third spike pointed from the back of its head. They had pupil-less, yellow eyes and a familiar symbol in the middle of its chest.

It was breathing heavily in a deep voice and held its four-fingered hands towards them. It fell to its knees and sighed in relief, "Oh, thank Arceus that worked!"

Misty blinked and looked closer; finally noticing the hourglass-looking symbol, "Ash?"

Soot flopped out of the basket, "Yep. Everyone, meet Stone Edge. The reason for dad's claws and him being able to shrug off getting hit by a balcony."

Clefairy's eyes widened, "_Wait, what?_"

Stone Edge raised a hand, "Hey." He hit the symbol of his chest.

A second later, Ash stood there; still slumped over. He got his second wind and ran over, "We need to catch up with Team Rocket!"

Misty shook off her confusion and nodded, "Agreed. But how? The balloon's toast."

Brock looked in the direction of the hot-air balloon stand, "Maybe we can rent a new one?"

Misty frowned, "Do you think he'll be okay with that? He might be upset about this one blowing up."

"I already thought of that." Ash said as he held up three necklaces made of Stone Edge's crystal. Each one was shaped like a star and was just over the size of a golf ball, "Do you think his daughters like jewelry?"

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy just stared; wide eyed and speechless.

"I'd be surprised if they didn't." Soot said casually.

.

**Time Skip**

The attendant was upset about the first balloon but completely forgot about that when Ash presented him with the gems. He accepted the necklaces without hesitation when he saw his daughters' eyes light up at the sight of them.

Ash and the others were high in the sky in the new balloon. This one was gold and silver with a thin yellow stripe dividing the colors. And, yes, that design is completely intentional.

The attendant gave them a stern warning not to pop this one.

Ash scrutinized the surrounding sky for Team Rocket. He grimaced and held his head, "Crag! There's no trace of them!"

Brock put a hand on his shoulder, "We just have to keep looking."

Misty nodded, "They couldn't have gone that far."

Ash looked back at the with a somber expression, "We still need to act fast. If it takes until sundown, the whole migration could get messed up." He looked down with a thoughtful expression, "I just wish we had a way to track them."

Soot deadpanned, "Like the natural hivemind-esque signals the species gives off to help them find this place?"

Misty blinked in surprise, "Is that how that works?"

Soot nodded, "It helps that the species can learn a handful of Psychic-type moves."

Brock scratched the back of his head, "That might work, but we would need a butterfree."

Soot looked at Ash, "That's your queue, dad."

Everyone else, including Ash, blinked in surprise, "H_u_h_?_"

Soot deadpanned again, "Seriously? Dad, you've been responding to Butterfree a bit to accurately since leaving the forest. Just admit that you scanned him so we can track them."

Ash chuckled nervously, "I guess the cat's out of the bag, then." He quickly started messing with the watch and hit it. A butterfree stood in Ash's place; the symbol directly between his hands.

Pikachu gaped, "_Wha- When did this happen?!_"

Brock stared in confusion, "I don't remember butterfree being on the list of forms you mentioned."

Misty raised a brow, "Do you just get new forms every so often?"

Soot spoke up, "We'll explain later. But for now," She looked at Ash, "get to tracking."

Ash nodded, "_Right._" He stared off into the distance and spaced out. His antenna twitched a bit before he lifted off the ground and flew away; seemingly in a trance.

Soot pointed, "Follow him!"

Brock nodded and pulled the switch. The group flew after the butterfly-trainer as fast as they could.

Misty frowned slightly and looked at Soot, "Is it safe for Ash to do this? He looks like he's in a trance or something."

Soot nodded, "He is, but don't worry too much. Worst case scenario, he has a small headache after changing back."

The continued following Ash. Eventually, they floated into a large canyon. Ash began to descend.

.

*Butterfree

"_Ominous Wind!_"

Butterfree fired the shaky attack at the entrance to Team Rocket's warehouse. The metal doors held strong.

Butterfree breathed heavily; having been trying to break in for the last twenty, or so, minutes. Team Rocket lost interest after the first three minutes and just ignored the constant banging.

The tRio could be heard inside, "Seventy-three Meowth, seventy-four Meowth, seventy-"

"Do you really have to count them?" Jessie interrupted in a bored tone.

"Of course, I do!" Meowth shouted back, "We've gotta take stock for da boss!"

"But this is wasting time." James followed in a worried tone, "The twerps could already be back in the air."

"Jus' let me have dis! We'll ship em off when I'm done! Now stop interruptin' so I can finish! Seventy-five Meowth."

Butterfree glared, '_There has to be some way in._'

His antenna twitched and he became confused when he felt something strange. Yet, kind of familiar.

The Bug/Flying-type looked back and saw a gold and silver balloon following another butterfree.

Butterfree's eyes lit up, '_Trainers! Please be on our side!_'

He flew towards them as fast as he could and immediately got in the other butterfree's way, "_You have to help! These bad guys have kidnapped a bunch of our kind! We need to save-_" He stopped and stared when he noticed something on the butterfree's chest.

Ash flew past him without a word; en route to the warehouse.

Butterfree stared in confusion, "_Ash?_"

"Butterfree!"

The butterfly jerked around to see Soot and everyone else in the balloon. He flew towards them and started rambling wildly.

Soot smiled brightly, "He found them!"

"Alright!" Misty cheered.

"Let's hurry!" Brock said as he pulled the switch again.

They followed Butterfree to the warehouse and immediately found Ash … aimlessly trying to fly into the locked door.

Soot snickered, "Aw man. I wish I had time enjoy this." She looked at the Fairy-type, "Mind Wake-Up Slapping him?"

Clefairy quickly ran in front of Ash and slapped him hard enough to force him onto his back and into the ground.

Clefairy grimaced, "_Sorry Ash._"

Ash sat up and shook his head, "_I'm good._" He slapped the symbol and switched back to normal.

Ash stood back and instantly regretted it, "Woah." He said as he held his head and fumbled.

"Are you alright?" Brock asked.

Ash blinked rapidly and shook his head, "Yeah. I just- haven't done something like that in a while."

"Ninety-eight Meowth, ninety-nine Meowth, one-hundred Meowth." Meowth laughed from inside the warehouse.

"Finally." Jessie groaned.

Ash looked at the door and glared, "Let's finish this!"

.

*Team Rocket; inside

"Ninety-eight Meowth, ninety-nine Meowth, one-hundred Meowth." Meowth laughed 'wickedly'.

"Finally." Jessie groaned with an annoyed look. She perked up, "A very nice catch."

James frowned and looked around nervously.

Jessie looked at him with a raised brow, "James, it's your line. Remember? Something like, 'It's nice to have to have one our schemes work, for once.'"

"Sorry, Jess." James said, "But, this is around the time the twerps show up."

Jessie grumbled and got in his face, "James, in the original series, they followed us here and found the twerp's butterfree. This time, we shot them down, they didn't see which direction we went, and that bug is still out there banging on the door."

Meowth nodded with a cocky smirk, "Yeah. How are they supposed to find us this time?"

James kept frowning and raised a finger, "Well, couldn't the twerp turn into something that's good at tracking?"

Jessie and Meowth's eyes widened in realization. A window shattered; catching the tRio's attention.

Meowth gulped, "Uh oh."

Ash stood there with Pikachu on his shoulder. The duo smirked with their arms crossed and eyes shaded, "P_r_e_p_a_r_e _f_o_r_ t_r_o_u_b_l_e_!_"

Misty stood opposite to the pair with Clefairy on her shoulder. Also, smirking, arms crossed, and eyes shaded, "A_n_d _y_o_u_ c_a_n _m_a_k_e _t_h_a_t _t_r_i_p_l_e_!_"

Brock came up with a flashlight point at his face and Butterfree in his head, "T_o_ p_r_o_t_e_c_t _t_h_e_ w_o_r_l_d _f_r_o_m _d_e_v_a_s_t_a_t_i_o_n_!"

"To _un_it_e a_ll _pe_op_le_s w_it_hi_n o_ur _na_ti_on_!" Ash, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy followed.

Soot sat to the side; deadpanned, "Remind me why we're doing this again."

Team Rocket sweat dropped, "This was just-" "too good-" "ta last." 'Why did the author have to keep that part?'

Ash glared, "Ya got that right."

Pikachu and Clefairy jumped down and glared, "_That's right!_"

"We're defending the beauty of truth and love." Misty followed with her hands on her hips.

Jessie groaned and mumbled, "It's times like this that I wish copyright infringement was a thing in this world."

Ash overheard and raised a brow, "Copyright?"

Meowth shouted without warning, "We gotta stop dem!"

"Go, Ekans!" "And Koffing!" Jessie and James said as they released their Poison-types.

Jessie quickly brought out a metal sledgehammer, "Today's the one day-"

James followed with a metal clamp and smiled wickedly, "You won't win!"

Ash glared and pointed, "Butterfree, go for the net!"

Butterfree shot past him.

James raised an arm, "Koffing, stop that bug!"

"You too, Ekans!" Jessie followed.

The snake and gas ball jumped into Butterfree's flight path. They were immediately knocked back by a sudden Thunderbolt and Disarming Voice to the face.

Soot smirked, "Nice shot!"

Misty threw a pokéball, "Go, Starmie!"

"Go, Geodude!" Brock called out.

The Mysterious and Rock Pokémon emerged in midair.

"Starmie! Spinning Tackle!"

"Geodude! Use Tackle too!"

The pair shot through the air and chased Team Rocket. The trio just ran and screamed.

Soot snickered as Brock and Misty's Pokémon chased them. Pikachu and Clefairy kept the Poison-types at bay. Ash looked towards the net and saw Butterfree Tackling it repeatedly. Pink was watching at him in awe.

Ash smiled sadly before frowning, 'He's still too worn out for Tackle to do that much.' He shifted to a smirk and held out a hand, "Butterfree, the tip of the net looks pretty empty. Hit it with Ominous Wind!"

Butterfree glared and fired the purple gust. It broke through the net like it was nothing. The butterfree all started pouring out of it.

The trio was still running as Meowth called out, "Da butterfree are gettin' away! Do somethin'!"

Jessie stopped in her tracks and swung her hammer at Starmie, "Take th-"

She stopped and stared when Geodude caught the sledgehammer.

"_Nice try._" Geodude said before punching the hammer; breaking it in half.

Jessie glared, "Hey! That was a rental!"

"Hurry up, fly away!"

Jessie, James, and Meowth turned to see Brock at the now opened entrance and the butterfree escaping.

James grimaced and held his head, "Oh no!"

Ash ignored them, ran over to the panting Butterfree, and crouched down with a worried expression, "Butterfree, how are you?"

"_I'll- I'll live._" Butterfree panted.

"_You saved me. You saved all of us._" The pinkan said happily as she looked at Butterfree brightly.

James shot over to her with a butterfly net, "You're mine!"

Ash was about to pounce, but Butterfree beat him to it with another Ominous Wind, "_GET AWAY FROM HER!_"

"Ahhhh!" James screamed as he flew back into a crate.

The pink butterfree blushed at the act and started tapping her fingers together.

"Butterfree!"

She flinched and looked down to see Ash propping up Butterfree, "You need to rest. Ominous Wind takes a lot of stamina."

Butterfree laughed weakly, "_I-I'm okay, Ash. Don't worry._" He looked at the pink butterfree, "_Are you okay?_"

She stared in shock and landed in front of him. She jumped forward and pulled him into a hug immediately. Butterfree's eyes lit up as he hugged her back. Ash smiled softly. They all flinched when they heard the helicopter again.

"Stop!" Brock called out.

"Wait!" Misty shouted.

Soot growled as they flew after the swarm again.

Ash hurried over, "Come on. We need to follow them."

Everyone loaded into the balloon and chased Team Rocket. They found the helicopter with its net already out again.

Misty grimaced, "They're doing it again!"

Butterfree looked over at Pikachu, "_Get on my back! I can get you close._"

"Hold it!" Ash declared as he put a hand on Butterfree's head, "Butterfree, stay here. You can't push yourself like this!"

The pinkan butterfree looked at Ash in confusion.

Butterfree glared, "_But we can't let them do this again!_"

Ash brought up his watch and hit the button on the side; causing the center to spring up, "I know." He twisted the dial, slammed it down, and emerged in braviary form.

Pink flinched, "_Whoa! What the Yvel?!_"

Ash looked at Pikachu, "_We're going with Butterfree's plan. Hop on._"

Pikachu nodded and jumped on. Ash lifted off and soared towards the chopper. Pink just stared in shock.

Soot noticed, "Yeah. My meema can do that."

.

*Team Rocket

James noticed something through the side window and blinked, "Huh?"

Meowth looked at him, "What now?"

"I think I just saw Pikachu."

Jessie glared at him, "Don't be stupid, James! That's not possi-" She stopped when she looked ahead again, "Wait, what's that?"

James and Meowth followed her gaze to see Ash and Pikachu ahead towards them. Pikachu jumped off his trainer's back and landed on the helicopter windshield.

Pikachu smirked as his cheeks started sparking, "_See ya._" Pikachu used Thunderbolt. Ash swooped in to grab him right before the vehicle blew up and only sustained a minor shock.

The trio screamed as they were thrown to the abyssal canyon below. Again, not kidding. I don't know how to explain it.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Soot looked over the edge; wide eyed, "Um, wow."

Misty blinked in surprise, "Do you think they'll be okay?"

Brock scratched the back of his head, "I mean- they had to have survived worse, by now. Right?"

.

*Migration Cliff; Sunset

Ash tossed five pokéballs into the air, "Come on out!"

Squirtle, Charmander, Bulbasaur, Pidgeotto, and Krabby materialized.

Squirtle quickly noticed the pink butterfree and smiled slyly. He ran up and nudged Butterfree, "_You sly bug! Found yourself a cute one, huh?_"

"_You're more right than you think, Squirtle._" Ash said in a somber tone. Everyone looked and found him in butterfree form.

Bulbasaur blinked in surprise, "_How long have you had that form?_"

Ash looked at him, "_Most of the day._" He took a deep breath, "_Guys, there's something you need to know. Butterfree's going away for a while._"

"_What?!_" Pidgeotto cried out.

Charmander looked at Butterfree and frowned, "_Where are you going?_"

"Across the sea to start a family." Soot said somberly.

Butterfree nodded sadly, "_Yeah._" He moved over to the Pinkan and held her hand, "_Everyone, this is my mate._"

She fluttered happily, "_Hello._"

Bulbasaur frowned, "_So, this is goodbye?_"

Butterfree nodded with a somber expression, "_Yeah._"

Ash looked around, "_It seemed right to let you all give him a proper goodbye. Instead just saying he's on a trip or something._"

**Gem and Faux: *groans***

**Seishin: Hah! Anime slam!**

Pidgeotto walked up; making the pinkan butterfree a little nervous. "_It's been nice knowing you, bug._" Pidgeotto said with a glare.

Butterfree glared back, "_Same to you, feathers._"

The pair cracked a smirk and chuckled.

"_I guess we can't finish our training together, then._" Pidgeotto said with a sad smile.

Butterfree stood proud, "_No need! 'Cause I already learned Ominous Wind without you!_"

Pidgeotto stared in surprise before chuckling, "_Well then, I guess I have some catching up to do._" She smiled sadly, "_Take care._"

Butterfree nodded.

Charmander ran up and hugged the Bug-type, "_Thank you for helping back at the Pokémon Center. I'll miss you._"

Butterfree hugged him back, "_I'll miss you, too._"

Bulbasaur held out a vine, "_It's been nice knowing ya._"

Butterfree took the vine and shook it, "_You too._"

Bulbasaur looked at the Pinkan, "_Take care of him._" He shifted to a harsh glare, "_Break his heart and I break you._"

She flinched slightly and nodded, "_O-of course._"

Butterfree chuckled, "_Don't worry. I'm sure he's probably joking._"

Pink chuckled nervously.

Krabby scuttled over. He put a claw behind his head sheepishly, "_I, uh, haven't really known ya that long. But,_" He held out a claw "_I'm happy we got a chance to share the world's most confusing trainer._"

Butterfree chuckled and shook hands/claws with the crab, "_Don't worry, you'll get used to it._"

Ash sweat dropped at the comment.

Butterfree looked at Squirtle.

Squirtle crossed his arms and pouted, "_I guess I'll miss ya._" He sighed and walked over to with a sad smile, "_Take care out there._"

Butterfree nodded, "_Thanks._"

Squirtle grinned, "_Hey, and maybe you can even name one of your hatchlings after the coolest Water-type you know._"

"_Hmm._" Butterfree tilted his head, "_Do you really think that'd be okay with Goldeen?_"

Squirtle's eyes widened, "_What?!_"

Butterfree laughed, "_See? I can joke, too._"

Squirtle blinked before busting into laughter. Butterfree followed soon after.

Squirtle calmed down and held out a fist, "_Stay safe, bug._"

Butterfree mimicked the motion and they bumped fists.

Clefairy walked up to him with tears in her eyes. She sniffled and pulled him into a hug, "_I'll miss you a lot._"

Butterfree hugged her back, "_I'll miss you too, Clefairy._"

After a few more seconds, Clefairy let go, nodded with a sad smile, and walked back to the crowd.

Pikachu walked up and held out a paw, "_I'll never forget you, buddy._"

Butterfree shook the paw, "_Same._"

Soot walked up and put a paw on his head, "I'll miss ya, Butterfree. I'll still never understand how you managed to evolve twice in less than three days."

Pink jerked and stared at Butterfree in shock.

Butterfree blushed, "_Aw, come on, Soot. I'm sure it's not that rare._"

Soot snickered, "Keep tellin' yourself that, Aporia Crataegi."

Both butterfree tilted their heads, "_Aporia what?_"

Soot shrugged, "Something a freak called you." She paused and raised a brow, "I think."

**Seishin: Yeah! I'm a reference!**

**Omega: She called you a freak.**

Ash fluttered over and hugged him, "_Take care of yourself._"

Butterfree hugged him back, "_You too, Ash._"

Ash let go and hit the symbol on his chest. He reverted back to human and brought out Butterfree's pokéball, "Normally, for these migrations, a trainer would release there Pokémon for good. Voiding the connection to their pokéball and trainer."

Butterfree looked at the ball sadly.

Ash smiled softly, "But when have I ever been normal?" He put the ball away and crouched down, "I'll keep it as is and send it to Professor Oak for safe keeping. That way, you'll never have to worry about being caught by another trainer."

Soot nodded, "And if you guys ever decide to find a new home, the ranch will be open. We'll even be able to see each other again."

Butterfree looked at them in awe before tearing up and flying into Ash's arms. Ash hugged him back, "Thank you for everything, Butterfree."

The pink Butterfree watched with a sad smile.

After a minute, they separated. Ash smiled sadly, "Goodbye Butterfree."

Butterfree sniffled, "_Goodbye Ash._" He and his mate lifted off the ground and took to the air.

Misty waved, "Bye-bye, Butterfree."

"Good luck to both of you." Brock called out.

The butterfly's started flying into the distance as they followed the migration.

Brock put a hand on Ash's shoulder, "You raised him well, Ash. You should be proud."

Ash smiled softly, "Thanks."

Misty smiled as she took in the view, "Isn't that beautiful?"

Soot smiled sadly, "It sure is."

.

.

**Omega: Oh, now I get it.**

**Faux: Wait … We could have kept his Pokéball?!**

**…**

**Seishin: I'm wondering, now. How many other fanfictions actually have Butterfree leave?**

**Ohirume: If it's a rewrite story like this one, I haven't found one yet.**


	26. Ch 23: Saffron

**Seishin: Rob … you made it the title, so PLEASE let us do the song.**

**Ohirume: Go ahead.**

**Seishin: Seriously?! Come ON, Rob! You're actually going to pass up a- … wait what?**

**Ohirume: Well, yeah. Go for it.**

**Seishin: YES!**

**Omega: Wait a second. Which are you planning to do?**

**Seishin: The best one. 99.**

**Omega: *crazed laughing* Oh man, that's good! No. Everyone knows 99.9 is better.**

**Seishin: Oh, Yvel No!**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Gym Psycho 100**

.

Brock looked at Ash with a raised brow, "Hey, what did Team Rocket mean when they said you could turn into something to track them?"

Misty looked over too, "Yeah. That was kinda weird."

Soot blinked in surprise, "Oh, you heard that, too."

Ash sweat dropped, "You're not gonna like the answer."

**Seishin: If everyone is not special**

**Maybe you can be what you want to be**

**You're searching for the answers**

**You will find them all**

**In TIIIIME!**

.

*The next morning; Breakfast

The group continued on their way to Saffron for Ash's fourth Gym battle. Ash was currently a few feet away in vaporeon form; getting a head start on the move training he promised. That left Soot to explain things to Brock and Misty.

"WHAT?!" The Gym leaders cried out in alarm.

Soot sighed, "We warned you."

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?!" Brock asked worriedly.

"We wanted to wait until you guys got a little more used to everything before dropping this bombshell." Soot explained, "We were worried you'd freak out."

Misty's eye twitched, "How on earth could we not freak out?! You're telling us Team Rocket knows about the watch!"

Soot titled her head, "Well, yes and no."

"What?" Brock asked in confusion.

"Look," Soot started, "those idiots know that dad can transform and that he's my actual dad. But, not for the reason you think. They heard about the Phantom Child thing and came to the conclusion that he was the Phantom Pokémon."

Misty deadpanned, "That doesn't sound better."

Soot frowned, "I thought the same thing at first. But, while we were trapped on Pokémon Land, Meowth told me that only the three of them knew about their theory. I don't know why, but they're keeping it a secret."

Brock rubbed the back of his head, "Still, that's unsettling. Why would they think that, though? It seems like a pretty big leap."

"It was after dad turned into Braviary at Melanie's place." Soot explained, "Meowth heard him talking and recognized his voice."

Misty raised a brow, "What?"

Soot sweat dropped, "Oh, right. When dad turns into a Pokémon, his voice usually sounds the same to other Pokémon. The only exception, so far, is Banette whose voice is distorted by a small echo."

"Oh." Brock and Misty said.

"Vapor!/_Alright!_" Ash cheered.

Soot, Brock, and Misty looked over to see a tired Starmie in front of a partially frozen tree.

Misty smiled brightly and shot a fist into the air, "Alright! Way to go, Starmie!"

A loud clang rang through the area. They looked over right as Onix's tail lost its metallic sheen against the pillar that Stone Edge set up.

Ash tilted his head, "_Huh, what do ya know? Element style._"

Brock smiled and cheered, "That's amazing, Onix! Keep up the good work!"

The rock snake smiled back.

Ash nodded, "_Nice work, guys. Practice on your own for a bit._" He hit the symbol, switch to Mightyena, and turned to Geodude, "_Now, let's get started on Hidden Power._"

Geodude smirked and clenched a fist, "_Alright!_"

Ash perked up and looked at his River Crab, "_Hey Krabby, do you wanna join in?_"

"_Finally!_" Krabby cheered as he scuttled over excitedly.

**Omega: Get ready! Wake your psyche up, Mob!**

**Get ready! Dig your anger up Mob!**

**Get ready! Wake your psyche up, Mob!**

**GET READY!**

.

**Time Skip**

The group continued their journey to Saffron. They were currently walking through a dark, eerie forest.

Misty looked around warily, "Are we sure we're going the right way?"

Ash nodded, "Yeah. We should be able to see Saffron from a cliff up ahead."

Soot nodded too, "We'll warn you when we get close."

Brock and Misty stopped walking and started looking around in confusion. Pikachu and Clefairy perked up and looked around from Ash's shoulders.

"Where's that coming from?" Misty asked.

Ash looked back at them, "Where's what coming from?"

Brock looked at him, "You don't hear that giggling?"

Soot raised a brow, "What are you talking about?"

Pikachu pointed into the distance, "_Look! There she is!_"

Everyone looked where the mouse pointed.

Soot sweat dropped, "What am I looking at?"

Clefairy pointed, "_That little human. Don't you see her?_"

Ash gave her a confused look, "What?"

Misty took a step towards that direction, "Hello? Do you live around here?"

"Are you lost?" Brock asked in concern.

Ash and Soot shared a worried look.

"Hey wait!" Misty called out before breaking into a sprint, "We're trying to help you!"

Ash's eyes widened when he saw which direction she was headed.

Brock was about to follow when Ash shot past him. Pikachu and Clefairy fell to the ground and stared in shock.

Brock looked down at Soot, "What was that about?"

Soot's stared ahead; wide eyed, "That's the direction the cliff is in."

They heard Misty screaming in the distance.

"Gotcha!" Ash called out.

Brock and the Pokémon ran after Ash and Misty.

**Seishin: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7-8-9-10**

**11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17-18-19**

**21, 22, 23, 24, 25, Looking for trouble so let's pump it up**

**26, 27, 28, 29, 30, Look inside yourself with telepathy**

**31, 32, 33, 34, 35, Asking for too much it's a psycho showdown!**

**36, 37, 38, 39, 40, A salty splash of younger days!**

.

*Cliff

"A psychic illusion?" Brock asked.

Soot nodded, "Right. Sabrina's a human psychic and one the strongest alive today. That girl you saw was probably an illusion she sent to toy with us."

Misty's eyes narrowed, "She tried to lead me off a cliff."

Ash sweat dropped, "Her track record is pretty shaky."

Brock raised a brow, "If that's true, then why didn't either of you see her?"

"Soot's a Dark-type and is naturally immune to most Psychic influences. As for me," Ash held up his watch, "Power Integration. The mightyena, Calm Mind, and now butterfree DNA gives me a resistance and the know how to set up mental barriers. On the downside, I can't 'hear' telepathic Pokémon."

Misty sighed in relief, "Regardless, thanks for the save." She looked over the edge, "I don't even want to know what would have happened if I fell from here."

Soot looked out into the distance, "At least we found the city."

Everyone looked over and saw the lit up Saffron City.

"Oh, wow, it's beautiful." Misty said with smile.

Clefairy's eyes lit up, "_So shiny._"

Soot frowned, "Still, we need to be careful. Sabrina might send more illusions."

Ash nodded and started walking alongside the cliff, "Watch your step and speak up if you see something unusual."

Everyone else followed.

Brock looked over at Ash, "So, what's your plan for battling Sabrina?"

Ash frowned, "I'm afraid telling you guys would be a bad idea."

Misty raised a brow, "What?"

Ash continued, "Sabrina's powers can extend far enough to send an illusion almost a half mile past the city limits. The closer we get, the higher chance she'll read your minds and figure out my strategy."

Brock flinched and stopped dead in his tracks, "Wait! If she can read our minds, then she'll find out about the watch!"

Misty grimaced, "You're right!" She looked over at Ash with a frown, "Maybe we should stay back on this one."

Ash smiled sadly and shook his head, "Don't worry about that. She already knows."

"W_H_A_T_?!" Everyone, even Soot, cried out in alarm. Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy blinked and looked at Soot in surprise.

Soot noticed, "Seriously, I'm just as surprised as you." She looked at Ash, "Dad, how could Sabrina know about the watch? We've never been to Saffron before."

Ash raised a brow, "I came here as Quick Attack, remember?"

Misty blinked in surprise, "What? But I thought Sabrina couldn't read your mind."

Ash shook his head, "I don't have my resistance as Quick Attack." He smiled softly, "Besides, the only way we could have kept it a secret would be for Soot and I to go in alone. And I'd rather not leave you all behind."

His friends smiled softly at that.

"Thanks." Misty said before frowning, "Still, how will know she'll keep it a secret."

Ash frowned, "We won't." He shifted to a soft smile, "But I wouldn't have it any other way."

**Omega: Coming down. Can you feel your satisfaction?**

**You're a Mob. Can you feel your frustration?**

**Coming down. Can you feel your satisfaction?!**

**You're a Mob. What you want to be?**

**You still-**

.

*City limits

The group walked through the city's main entrance. Everyone except Ash and Soot looked around warily for more illusions. Before this, there were eighteen false alarms.

Right as they walked through the entrance, firecrackers started going off around their feet. Everyone jumped and shouted in alarm.

Misty flinched, "Ah! It's another illusion!"

"No, this one's real." Soot said in a bored tone.

'Two' women dressed like hula dancers ran up and started putting leis around the group's necks. They quickly planted a kiss on either of Brock's cheek. The Rock trainer blushed and smiled stupidly.

The 'brunette' laughed, "Congratulations, winners."

The 'orange haired' one smiled brightly, "It just so happens that you're the millionth, millionth and first, millionth and second, millionth and third, millionth and fourth, and millionth and fifth visitors to Saffron City."

Soot sweat dropped, "You're joking, right?"

The 'brunette' giggled, "Not at all." 'She' gestured down the street, "Now, please come this way for-"

"Okay, stop!" Ash shouted out of the blue, "Give it a rest, already! You already tried this at the St. Anne!"

The pair flinched.

Misty's eyes widened, "Wait, you mean-" She glared at the girl's', "Team Rocket?!"

Brock grimaced, "What?!" His face gained a green tint as he put a hand over his mouth, "Oh, dear Arceus. I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Hey! I take offense to that!" James shouted; forgetting to disguise his voice.

Brock's jaw dropped as he stared in shock. He put a hand over his mouth again and ran to a nearby bush.

Soot's ears drooped, "Poor Brock."

Ash sighed in annoyance, "Alright, I'm giving you two options. Get out of the city now." He pointed to his shoulder Pokémon, "Or they get you out."

Pikachu glared as his cheeks sparked, "_Please pick number two._"

Clefairy was already charging Disarming Voice.

Meowth ran out from behind a building and waved his arms, "Alright, alright! We're leavin'!"

He walked out of the city limits in a slump. His partners sighed and followed. They passed by a recovering Brock on the way out. He flinched as they passed by.

Brock trudged back through the city entrance; slumped forward with a hand on his head.

Ash looked at him with a worried expression, "Are you okay? It looked like you lost a lot of fluids."

Brock gulped, "Yeah. I think I just need to lie down."

Misty put a hand on his shoulder, "Come on, you'll feel better at the Pokémon Center."

Soot smiled slyly, "Yeah. Nurse Joy will be there."

Brock perked up, "You're right!" He started jogging into the city with a smile, "Come on! Let's hurry!"

Misty blinked, "Huh, that worked."

Everyone else ran after him.

Clefairy looked at Ash, "_So, that was really Team Rocket?_"

Ash nodded, "Yup."

Soot sighed, "At least now we know that they survived the canyon drop."

**Seishin: MOB! MOB! What do you want?!**

**MOB! MOB! Why do you want?!**

**MOB! MOB! Who do you want?!**

**MOVE! MOVE! Just like MOB!**

.

*Saffron Pokémon Center

"Nurse Joy!" Brock cried out in joy as her took a hold of her hand.

He started going through one of his usual pickup lines. Sorry, not my forte.

Misty sweat dropped, "Should we stop him?"

Soot shrugged, "Eh, let him have it this one time. He could use this after the whole Rocket thing."

Misty shivered in disgust at the memory, "Fair enough."

After a few minutes, Brock walked over to them in a slump. Still, he seemed better than before.

Misty smiled slyly, "Shot down?"

Brock sighed, "She already has a boyfriend."

Soot chuckled, "I'm sure it'll work out someday."

Ash walked back over from the video phones, "Alright, Butterfree's pokéball is with the professor. Let's go ahead and check in." He walked over to the front desk. Everyone else followed.

Nurse Joy smiled, "Welcome to the Pokémon Center. How may I help you?"

Ash smiled back, "Check-up, please. And I was hoping to rent a room for all of us."

The nurse nodded, "Of course." She started typing on the computer, "So, that's three rooms-"

"Um, sorry to interrupt." Ash said with a frown, "But, I was hoping to get one room for all three of us."

Brock and Misty looked at him in surprise.

Joy blinked, "Are you sure? The larger rooms require a payment."

Ash nodded, "I know. I researched the Gym leader here and wanted to do this as a precaution." He looked down at and pet Soot, "I don't want any of us getting hurt."

The Gym leaders caught on and nodded in agreement.

"Yes, please." Misty said.

"If it's not too much trouble." Brock followed.

Nurse Joy looked over the desk and saw what Ash was petting, 'Oh, Dark-type.' She smiled and nodded, "Very well, then. How long do you plan to stay?"

Ash looked back at her, "Just, tonight. I'm planning to battle Sabrina tomorrow."

Joy's eyes widened slightly. She shook it off and smiled sadly, "Very well. We can take care of the payment at the end of your stay." She pulled out three pokéball trays from under her desk, "Please place your pokéballs here."

Brock placed his three pokéballs into the first tray, Misty placed her four into the second, and Ash placed his five in the third. Pikachu and Clefairy jumped down from Ash's shoulders and Soot propped herself up against the desk.

The nurse raised a brow before realizing, "Oh." She pointed at Ash, "You're the trainer my cousins in Vermillion told me about. The one with the increased carrying limit."

Ash chuckled, "Yeah, I guess I am."

Nurse Joy smiled and placed the pokéball trays and two small Pokémon on the cart, "Your Pokémon should be ready momentarily."

She wheeled the cart to the back and Soot followed her.

Misty chuckled, "I guess news travels fast between Nurse Joys."

Ash shrugged, "I don't mind. It means I don't have to explain it every time."

Brock pouted, "Why couldn't they gossip about me?"

Ash and Misty laughed.

"You there."

Everyone looked back and saw a bearded man in a green track suit with a hat covering his eyes, "You said you were here to challenge Sabrina, right?"

Ash's eyes narrowed, 'Where did he come from? I didn't hear any footsteps.' "That's right."

Brock and Misty calmed down when Ash answered him. That was clue enough that he wasn't an illusion.

The man frowned, "If you're trying to enter the Pokémon League, I suggest staying away from that Gym."

Brock looked at him in surprise, "Why's that?"

"Sabrina is a dangerous Pokémon Trainer." The man responded in a somewhat sorrowful tone, "If you go to face her, you'll only end up trapped in her toy box for eternity."

Misty's eyes widened, "I'm sorry, but did you just say 'toy box?'"

The man nodded, "For your own safety, you should leave this city and never return."

Ash glared, "I'm not backing down. I came here to challenge the Saffron leader for a Marsh Badge and I'm not letting any psychic get in my way."

Misty and Brock looked at Ash in surprise, 'Any psychic?'

The man's frown deepened, "Fine." He raised his head to look at Ash and his blue pupils started glowing red. Brock and Misty flinched at the sight.

A blue energy surrounded Ash. The man frowned in confusion when nothing more happened. Ash smirked and the energy shattered around him.

The man took a step back with a scared look on his face, "What the Yvel?!"

Ash chuckled, "Your psychic powers aren't going to work on me Mr. Esper."

Brock looked at Ash in surprise, "Esper?" He stared at the man in shock, "As in, Sabrina Esper?!"

Ash nodded, "Yeah, this is Sabrina's father."

Misty laughed and looked at Brock, "What do you know, Brock? You and Sabrina have something in common."

Brock deadpanned, "Seriously?"

Mr. Esper stared at Ash with a horrified look, "Wh-what are you? I don't sense any psychic power in you. How were you able to negate mine so effortlessly?!"

Ash shook his head, "I didn't negate it. I'm immune to psychic influence." He put a finger to his lips, "Family secret."

The man's eyes widened, "You're … immune?" He took a step forward with determined look, "Then you have to help my daughter! Please!"

Misty raised a brow, "What do mean help her?"

Mr. Esper became somber, "My daughter wasn't always the mischievous girl she is now. At a young age, Sabrina became obsessed with her psychic training. She didn't want to make friends and all she wanted was to be left alone to develop her powers." He looked down in shame, "My wife and I tried to help her, but Sabrina drove us away." He reached into his pocket, pulled out a photo, and presented it to the trio, "The conflict caused Sabrina to split into two personalities: the strong and troublesome trainer, and the lonely girl who only wants a friend."

Misty frowned as she looked at the photo, "Now I'm starting to feel bad for her."

Brock nodded before becoming surprised, "Wait a second." He looked closer at the picture, "That's the same dress that little girl from the forest was wearing."

Misty looked over and blinked in surprise, "You're right."

Sabrina's father nodded, "You've seen her doll, then. It represents her true self from before her training. Before she rejected her own heart."

Ash looked at Sabrina's father again, "Why do you think I can help her?"

The man smiled sadly, "You said it yourself. You're immune psychic powers. If anyone can defeat Sabrina, it has to be you."

Ash raised a brow, "How is defeating her in a battle supposed to help?"

Mr. Esper frowned, "If I'm being honest, I'm desperate. Sabrina has never actually been defeated by someone below an Elite Four member. All of the badges she's given out have been earned through either respect or performance."

Brock and Misty gulped at the news.

"So, you think an actual defeat may snap her out of it?" Ash asked.

Sabrina's father nodded, "At least, long enough for me to slip through and talk to her."

Ash smiled softly, "Alright. I'll do what I can to defeat her."

Mr. Esper smiled hopefully, "Thank you. And let me give you some advice. A Ghost-type Pokémon should give you advantage against Sabrina's Psychic-types. If you don't already have one, Lavender Town is going to be the best place to-

He was cut off by a ringing.

Nurse Joy pushed a cart with Pikachu, Clefairy, and all of their pokéballs on it. Soot walked next to her, "Ash Ketchum, Brock Slate, and Misty Waterflower, your Pokémon are ready."

Pikachu and Clefairy jumped down from the cart, ran over, and jumped onto Ash's shoulders. Soot walked over and sat next to Ash. The psychic's eyes widened upon seeing the canine.

The Dark-type smiled up at Ash, "Hey, dad." She noticed Mr. Esper and blinked in surprise, "Who's he?"

Ash chuckled and pet her, "I'll explain in a bit, Soot." He looked at Mr. Esper, "I think we're good."

The man blinked in surprise, "I see." His eyes flashed red and he disappeared in a flash.

"W_O_A_H_!" Everyone, except Ash, exclaimed.

"Huh." Ash blinked, "So, he can teleport."

**Omega: Shroud yourself**

**In all these Mutinous feelings**

**Try to break it down!**

**Pass the limit, what kind of scene will you see now?!**

**99.9! 99.9!**

**A Mysterious Percentage!**

.

*The next day; Saffron Gym

Everyone stood before the Saffron City Gym. They were all tense from last night. Ash had already informed all of his Pokémon about Mr. Esper and their side goal.

Ash looked back at his friends, "You guys remember what we talked about, right?"

Misty nodded, "Yeah. Stay with you and Soot, and don't get distracted."

Brock followed, "And if it feels like either of you are acting strange, we should touch one of you to make sure you're real."

Ash smiled and nodded, "Right. I looked up the building's schematics last night and have the route memorized. I'll stay up front and Soot will take up the rear."

Ash took a deep breath to calm his nerves, "Here we go."

He and the others walked up to the glass doors. They slid open automatically.

Clefairy grabbed Ash's head and cried out in alarm, "_Ah! A psychic opened the door!_"

Ash and Soot broke in laughter.

Soot looked up at Brock and Misty, "Clefairy didn't realize it was an automatic door. She thought a psychic opened it."

The Gym leaders chuckled along with them.

Clefairy blinked in surprise and looked at Pikachu, "_Wait, so some doors can just open on their own, like that?_"

The mouse sweat dropped, "_Uh, y-yeah. Some of them._" '_How the Yvel was I supposed to know that?!_'

The group walked through one of the various hallways throughout the Gym. Luckily, Clefairy unknowingly eased some of the tension. But not all of it.

Misty frowned, "This place is kinda creepy."

Brock nodded, "I know what you mean."

Pikachu looked over to a find a green door, "_What do you think is in there?_"

Ash glanced over at the door, "That's one of the training rooms. This place doubles as a school for developing psychics."

Misty blinked, "Really?"

Soot walked over to the door and propped herself up against it to look through the window, "Yup, he's right."

Everyone else walked over to look through it.

Ash started pointing around the room, "See? Spoon bending for telekinesis. And cards for mind reading and/or clairvoyance."

Misty blinked and looked at Ash warily, "You seem to know an awful lot about this stuff."

Brock looked at him too, "She has a point."

Ash smiled softly, "Guys, it's me. Promise. I just studied the place before we came here."

Their looks didn't fade. They shared a look and nodded in agreement. They quickly brought up a hand and grabbed Ash's shoulder and Soot's ear.

Soot deadpanned, "Really?"

The pair smiled awkwardly and let go.

Misty chuckled nervously, "Sorry."

Brock rubbed the back of his head, "Our bad."

Ash smiled and shook his head, "Hey, I'm the one who suggested that, remember?"

"What are you kids doing here?"

Everyone looked over to see a man in a lab coat and doctor's mask glaring at them.

Ash walked up to him, "My name is Ash. I'm here to challenge Sabrina Esper for a Marsh Badge."

"You want to challenge the Great Sabrina?" The man said in a mocking tone.

Soot sweat dropped, 'The Great Sabrina?'

Ash raised a brow, "Well, yeah. This is a Gym."

The man chuckled, "You won't stand chance against her." He held up a spoon and the glared at the utensil intensely. After a second, he started grunting and his glared intensified. He started sweating from the apparent strain.

Clefairy blinked in surprise, "_What's he doing?_"

Pikachu looked at Ash, "_Should we find help?_"

The man's face started turning red. His eyes shot open and the spoon bent forward slightly.

The man breathed heavily, "Behold. *pant* The power of a psychic."

Misty sweat dropped, "Sure..."

Ash raised a brow, "Are you feeling alright?"

The man glared, "Fool. It's telekinesis. You can't control a Psychic-type Pokémon with it."

Ash deadpanned, "I know what telekinesis is. I was asking because you looked worn out."

Brock sweat dropped, "Also, there are tons of non-psychic trainers with Psychic-type Pokémon on their team."

The telekinetic grumbled and turned around, "Follow me to the Great One."

Soot snickered. Everyone followed him.

The man pulled open the doors to the battlefield, "Here we-"

"You're finally here!" Came a young, cheerful voice.

The psychic Gym Leader could be seen on the other side of the battlefield with a small smirk on her face. A pokéball shrouded in blue energy floated next to her and her doll stood next to her and smiled brightly.

The man wearing the surgical mask blinked in surprise, "Ms. Sabrina?"

Soot glared, "That's the little girl from the forest. Isn't it?"

Misty nodded, "Yeah."

Ash watched her warily, "So, you were expecting me. How much do you know?"

"Not a lot." The doll said, "Your visit last week was a little too quick." It giggled at its own joke.

The human looked at the watch on Ash's wrist, "But I found something far more valuable."

Soot's eyes narrowed, "And that is?"

Sabrina smiled wickedly, "A surprised feeling." He held out a hand towards Ash, "A trainer I can't read. A trainer I can't manipulate. One who can fight without Pokémon." She grinned, "I've finally found a real challenge."

The Gym trainer's eyes widened, "W-what?!" He looked at Ash in shock, "What is the Great One talking about?! How can you-" He stopped talking and started trembling as blue energy surrounded him.

Sabrina's eyes glowed red as she stared at the man, "That is not your concern. Leave us." The glow in her eyes faded along with the energy around the man.

He ran out of the room and shouted, "I am sorry Great Sabrina!" The doors shut behind him.

The doll waved as he left, "Bye bye."

Misty glared at Sabrina, "You can't just do that to people!"

Sabrina looked at Misty and held out a hand towards her; making the Water trainer flinch, "You are not needed here." Her eyes started to glow red. The glow faded and Sabrina's eyes widened at the scene before her.

Ash and Soot stood in front of Brock and Misty defensively. Ash glared at Sabrina with Intimidate as Brock and Misty shielded their eyes. Sabrina's floating pokéball lost the glow around it and fell to the ground. The doll became motionless with a small smile literally plastered on its face.

"My friends are off limits." Ash said in a harsh tone.

Sabrina nodded absently and continued staring.

Ash's eyes returned to normal and the humans all calmed down.

Ash looked back at his friends in concern, "Are you guys okay?"

Brock nodded with a smile, "Yeah. Thanks for that."

Misty sighed in relief, "I really thought I was a goner."

Soot smiled, "As if we'd let that happen."

"You-"

Everyone looked at Sabrina and their eyes widened at Sabrina's expression.

The Gym leader smiled crookedly, "You actually managed to scare me. Real, genuine fear." She clenched a fist, "I've never felt such a rush!" She looked at Ash greedily.

The doll put a hand to its mouth and giggled, "You're going to be my new favorite toy."

Ash gulped and glared, "You know you can't force me to stay."

Sabrina composed herself and crossed her arms, "Then, how about a wager? You came here to battle me for a Marsh Badge and to help that old man. Correct?"

Everyone flinched.

'Crag!' Ash nodded, "That's right."

Sabrina's pokéball levitated next to her again, "Then that's what we'll do. A one-on-one battle between you and my abra. You may choose any one Pokémon form you wish."

"What?!" Misty cried out.

"You're going to have Ash battle personally?!" Brock asked in alarm.

The doll nodded, "Oh yes. It'll be super fun."

Soot glared, "What happens if he loses?"

The doll smiled, "He'll have to turn into something that I can play with. And stay with me forever and ever."

Pikachu glared, "_Yeah right!_"

Clefairy glared too, "_There's no way Ash will agree to that!_"

"Deal." Ash said with a glare, "So long as everyone else is left out of it. That includes all of my Pokémon."

Everyone looked at him in shock.

Sabrina smiled, "Deal."

Soot grimaced, "Dad, are you serious?! This is way too risky! Even for you!"

Brock nodded, "We should just leave now, Ash. There are other Gyms we can try."

Misty nodded with a worried expression, "Yeah. This is too much."

Ash didn't look back, "Guys, please trust me." He removed his belt and slung around Soot's neck. He lifted Pikachu and Clefairy off his shoulders and placed them on the ground.

Clefairy hugged his arm, "_Please be careful._"

Ash smiled sadly and pet her, "I promise."

The trainer pulled his hatchling into a hug, "I love you, Soot." He whispered, "Pidgeotto's made a lot of progress on Ominous Wind and Geodude's Hidden Power is Ghost-type. Watch Abra closely to figure out their pattern."

Soot's eyes narrowed and she nudged up against him, "I love you too, dad."

Ash pulled away and took a deep breath before walking on to the battlefield.

Brock held out a hand, "Ash-"

"Guys," Soot said, "trust him. He's not losing this."

Ash through the trainer area and onto the battlefield. He brought up his watched and spun the dial before settling on a form.

Ash glared at Sabrina, "I'm ready when you are."

Sabrina smirked and the pokéball lurched forward, "Come now, Abra."

The Psi Pokémon emerged on the battlefield. In sat in the center and slept peacefully.

Ash hit the center of the watch and became engulfed in green light. It faded and the mightyena growled at Abra.

The doll giggled, "Awww. What a cute doggy."

Sabrina smiled wickedly, "A form with a massive type advantage that I still can't read. What's more, the only move your friends know from it is Hidden Power. Very clever."

Soot smirked, "Yeah. But what type of Hidden Power?"

Sabrina grinned, "I can't wait to find out. The first move is yours."

Ash sprang forward and charged Abra immediately. He opened his mouth and lunged.

Sabrina's eyes flashed red and Abra disappeared right as Ash Bit down on the empty space. Abra reappeared behind Ash. The Dark-type skid to a halt to turned around to face the Psychic-type.

Misty's eyes widened, "It Teleported!"

Brock grimaced, "Sabrina must have used her powers to tell Abra to use it."

Pikachu glared, "_What?! How is that fair?!_"

Soot grimaced, "Unfortunately, it's justified. Dad's battling without command and Sabrina's giving commands in a way that we can't hear. Her using telepathy evens the playing field."

Ash charged Abra again. Abra responded by Teleporting behind Ash again. He skidded, turned around, and charged again. This pattern continued playing out as such.

"What's Ash doing?" Misty asked worriedly, "Abra just keeps avoiding his attacks."

"Don't think about it." Soot responded, "Clear your minds and watch. We don't want to help Sabrina figure it out."

Ash Bit down on the air again as Abra disappeared.

The Pokémon trainer smirked, '_Gotcha._'

He quickly formed six green spheres; two in each hind paw and two the right of his forepaws. He detonated the ones by his forepaws to spin himself around in midair, then detonated the four in his hind paws and rocketed himself forward. Abra reappeared in his path.

Sabrina's eyes widened as Ash's Bite struck Abra in the shoulder. Abra shrieked as the Dark-type attack clamped down onto him.

"He hit!" Brock called out.

"_Alright Ash!_" Pikachu cheered.

Ash bit harder as an icy mist started coming from his mouth. Ice Fang quickly started freezing the Psychic-type.

The doll giggled, "Nuh uh. We won't lose that easily."

Sabrina smirked and became shrouded in blue energy. Abra quickly became covered in a white light.

Ash's eyes widened before he let go and jumped back onto the field.

Everyone watched in shock as Kadabra appeared in Abra's place.

Soot stared in shock, "She- she triggered an evolution?"

Ash grimaced, "_Crag!_"

Sabrina smiled wickedly and raised an arm, "Now, Miracle Eye!"

**Seishin: *sci-fi portal sound***

**Omega: For the love of- He's doing it again!**

.

*Lavender Town

In the upper levels of Pokémon Tower, a trio of Ghost/Poison-types were messing around in their bright and colorful playroom. Gastly played on a swing set and Gengar was doing a one-handed stand on a circus ball. Haunter laid against a foam wall and sighed.

Gengar noticed and jumped over to him, "_Everything alright, bro?_"

"_I guess._" Haunter replied, "_I'm just getting bored of all this stuff._"

Gastly overheard and floated over, "_It's that trainer stuff again, isn't it?_"

Haunter pouted, "_Can you really blame me? I know you guys like this place, and I do too, but,_" He looked to the side, "_sometimes I just wish new would hap-_"

"DEUUS! EX! MACHINAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The Poison Ghosts flinched from the sudden shouting and started looking around in alarm. They flinched again when a figure crashed into the room … and planted his head into the ceiling … after bursting through the floor.

The trio stared in shock.

After some struggling, the figure pulled his head out and fell to the floor. Yukiro Seishin started looking around the room curiously while he sat on the floor, "Huh, nice place."

After a few seconds, Haunter floated over anxiously, "_Um, hello? Are you al-_"

"Shlap da Spook!" Yukiro shouted as he smacked Haunter across the face.

Haunter's eyes flashed blue for a second. He blinked in surprise and started looking around, "_What the? Am I back in the tower? Where's Sabrina?_"

Gengar flew over and glared at Yukiro, "_Hey! What was-_"

"Self-Defense Rush!" Yukiro yelled out as he rapidly punched at Gengar with a scared look on his face.

**Ohirume: One of Arataka Reigen's special moves that Yukiro blatantly stole.**

**Reigen doesn't actually know if it's self-defense, so he yells it out just in case.**

**Yukiro's doing it for the LOLs and because it's a Mob Psycho 100 reference. But weirdly enough, him using it here might actually be considered self-defense.**

**Nuevo: Isn't he breaking and entering?**

**Ohirume: ****might.**

Gengar stared in confusion as Yukiro's punches phased through his body, "_Uhhh._"

Haunter looked at Yukiro, "_What's going on?!_"

Yukiro grabbed a point on Haunter's head and smiled again, "A Mod Psycho 100, Ashes of the Past, and Dragon Ball Z reference."

The white-haired boy put two fingers on his forehead and the pair disappeared instantly. Gengar and Gastly stared at the empty space in complete shock.

**Omega: Well, his loss.**

**Crying My Life! Crying My Psyche!**

**Crying My Heart In Such Common Places!**

**Is That Your Ideal?! Is That Your Mind?!**

**It all Begins When You Hit 100!**

.

*Saffron City; rooftop overlooking Gym

Haunter blinked in surprise, "_So, we're back in the past?_"

"Ehhh, sort of." Yukiro said with an unsure expression, "Technically, this is the past from what you remember. For me, it's August 17, 2019." He looked to the side, "The day this line was written."

Haunter looked over at the Gym, "_And this is still some time before I met Sabrina?_"

Yukiro nodded, "Yup. A few days, to be specific. Ash is in the middle of his gym battle right now"

Haunter looked at Yukiro with a confused expression, "_Then, why are you doing this? Isn't Ash supposed to show up at the tower in a few days?_"

Yukiro put his hands behind his head, "Naw. Rob didn't think 'The Tower of Terror' would fit into this continuity. So, he cut it -and, by default, 'Haunter vs. Kadabra'- and did this instead."

Haunter sweat dropped, "_Yeah, that sounds like something that author would do._"

Yukiro chuckled, "Yeah, Rob's not really-" His eyes widened, and he stared at Haunter in shock, "NANI?! You're a fourth wall breaker too?!"

"_Well, yeah._" Haunter responded with a nod, "_I was cracking fourth wall jokes all the time during Ash's visit._"

"Seriously?!" Yukiro shouted in alarm, "How the HFIL was I supposed to know that?! There was nothing to tell the audience what you were saying!"

Haunter looked confused, "_But you can understand me. Didn't you hear me back in the original?_"

Yukiro scratched his head furiously, "I didn't even exist until around 2007! And my new author isn't imaginative enough to write an actual translation for what you said!"

Haunter laughed, "_Aw well. Your loss._" He floated down towards the Gym.

Seishin sighed in annoyance before jumping off the building.

**Omega: The Mob Is Alive! The Mob Is High!**

**The Mob's The Inverse Of Latent Untruth!**

**Is That Your Ideal?! Is That Your Mind?!**

**RIGHT NOW!**

**Woah-oh oh oh**

**Your Life Is Your Own!**

.

*Gym Battle

Ash yelped as Kadabra threw a Fire Punch into his gut. He flew back and tumbled along the ground.

Misty covered her mouth, "Oh no."

Ash stood back up shakily; revealing the blue symbol on his chest. He started timing out earlier and was forced to Lockdown to keep from 'forfeiting the battle;' as Sabrina put it. He ended up with a 48-hour time limit.

He panted heavily and fired a cluster of Hidden Power. Kadabra raised his spoon towards the attack; stopping it in midair. Hidden Power changed course and pummeled Ash with his own move. Ash yelped in pain again and fell to his side.

"Dad!" Soot cried out in alarm.

"_Ash, no!_" Pikachu and Clefairy shouted.

Ash struggled to get up but stopped as he became outlined in blue energy. He was forced onto his hindlegs and stared in shock when he saw Kadabra in front of him with his fist on fire.

Sabrina smirked wickedly, "You fought well, boy. But this is the end. Kadabra! Fire-"

"_Peek-a-BOO!_/Haun-haun-TER!"

Sabrina jerked around to see a haunter stretching its mouth open.

Sabrina's eyes widened, "What the Yvel?!"

Misty blinked in surprise, "Where did that haunter come from?"

Brock scratched his cheek, "Beats me."

Clefairy giggled, "_He's funny._"

The doll glared at Ash, "Two against one's not fair!"

Ash blinked in surprise, "_I didn't do this._"

Sabrina watched in confusion as Haunter continued making faces. Haunter reached deep into his mouth-

"Kingu Kurimuzon!"

The space surrounding everyone broke apart and flew away in various directions; leaving a behind black void filled with stars. Nobody noticed and continued moving in slow motion. Everyone appeared to have a red apparition showing what they were about to do.

Yukiro walked through the 'terrain' casually as he approached Sabrina.

He looked around curiously, "**If everyone is not special,**"

Ash's Pokémon and friends stared at Haunter with various confused expressions. Ash was falling to the ground due to Kadabra's Psychic being cut-off, "**Maybe you can be what you want to be.**"

Haunter was pulling the lit bomb out of his mouth and Sabrina stared blankly at the Ghost-type like the others, "**I know that you will suffer through,**"

Yukiro smiled brightly and pumped a fist, "**The Joy and Pain!**"

He walked up to Sabrina and flicked her on the forehead, "Thwack." She didn't react in the slightest; although her eyes flashed blue for a second.

Yukiro looked to the side, sighed, and put a hand behind his head, "Yeah … Rob made a few too many changes to Sabrina's personality. So, he had me do this." He held a card towards the floor, "And if you're getting sick of me, don't worry. This is the last time I'll pop in for a good while." The grid like portal appeared below him and he fell through it instantly.

The area returned to normal. Again, nobody noticed.

Sabrina flinched and put a hand on her forehead, "What the?"

Ash blinked in surprise as he found himself back on his feet, "_What just hap-_"

He was cut off by Haunter's explosive going off in Sabrina's face; engulfing the pair in black smoke.

Everyone stared in shock.

The smoke cleared to reveal Sabrina and a cackling Haunter covered in smudges.

Sabrina slowly crackled a kind smile and started laughing along with the Ghost-type. No one noticed the doll slowly disappear.

Misty stared; wide eyed, "Is Sabrina … laughing?"

Soot stared in shock, "I, uh- uh-"

"Sabrina."

Everyone flinched and turned around to see Mr. Esper looking at Sabrina with tears flowing down his face, "I haven't seen her laugh like this in years. I've never seen her so happy in her entire life."

Ash heard something fall over and looked over to see Kadabra rolling around on his back; laughing like his trainer.

Sabrina's father smiled and held a hand towards Ash, "Since Kadabra can no longer battle, I declare mightyena the winner."

Ash blinked, "_What?_"

**Seishin: Alright, I'm back.**

**Your Life Is Yours So Live Each Day!**

**But If You Are No Different Then That's Okay!**

**You're Searching For The Answers**

**You Will Find Them All**

**IN TIME!**

.

*Outside Gym

Haunter, Sabrina, and her parents, stood at the front of the Gym to see off Ash and the others. Soot still had Ash's belt around her neck, and Pikachu and Clefairy stood next to the canines.

Sabrina held out the golden Badge to Ash, "For your victory, I present you with the Marsh Badge."

Ash blinked and looked down at his paws.

Sabrina chuckled nervously, "Oh. Right. Sorry, again."

Brock held out a hand, "I'll hold on to it, for now."

Sabrina nodded and handed him the badge.

Ash smiled, "_Thank you Sabrina._"

"He said 'thanks'." Soot translated.

Sabrina smiled softly, "Thank you, Soot." She looked at Ash and frowned, "Again, I'm sorry about what happened. I hope you can forgive me for what I made you do."

Ash chuckled, "_Don't worry too much. If had to Lockdown into something, I'm happy it's this._"

Soot frowned, "Um." She looked up at Sabrina, "Mind crouching down?"

Sabrina did so and Soot whispered the translation into her ear.

Sabrina smiled sadly, "Thank you for not being mad."

Mr. Esper scratched his head in confusion, "I still don't see why you're presenting the badge to Ash's Pokémon, instead of him. Speaking of which, where is he?"

Sabrina giggled and put a finger to her lips, "Sorry, dad, but that's a secret." She looked back at Ash and winked.

Ash smiled back and stuck his tongue out; tail wagging.

Mrs. Esper smiled and crouched down to pet Ash, "Aren't you just the sweetest little thing."

Everyone else sweat dropped.

Ash deadpanned as the woman ruffled his fur, '_That'll take some getting used to._'

Sabrina chuckled nervously, "Mom, I think you're making him uncomfortable."

Sabrina's mother pouted and pulled Ash into a hug, "Aw. But he's just so cute."

Ash sweat dropped and started struggling. Soot snickered.

Sabrina put a hand on her mother's shoulder, "Mom, please. Stop."

Mrs. Esper sighed and let go. Ash shook his head.

Misty chuckled, "I guess we'll be off, then."

The group turned to leave the Gym and began walking away.

The Esper family and Haunter waved goodbye as they left.

"Thank you for everything!" Mr. Esper called out.

Mrs. Esper followed, "Have a good journey!"

"Take care!" Brock called out as he waved back.

Misty waved back, "See you later!"

Ash and the others disappeared into the distance.

Mr. Esper sighed and smiled at his family, "After today, I feel like we could use some rest."

Sabrina smiled softly, "Haunter and I will be in in a minute."

Her parents nodded and walked back into the Gym.

Haunter sighed and rubbed the back of his head, "_Great. Now have to get to know each other all over-_"

Sabrina cut him off by pulling him into a hug, "As if I could forget you ya big goof."

Haunter blinked in surprise, "_You can understand me?_" His eyes widened and he pointed at himself, "_Wait! You remember me?!_"

Sabrina smiled brightly, "Of course. How could I forget after all that time we spent together?"

Haunter stared in shock, "_B-but how could you remember-_" He paused and started laughing, "_Aw man! That white-haired guy King Crimsoned us! No wonder I don't remember pulling out my bomb!_"

Sabrina blinked in surprise, "White haired guy?"

Haunter grinned and pulled her into a one-handed hug, "_I'll tell ya later._"

Sabrina shrugged it off; having lived with this nonsense for years that haven't happened yet.

She looked at where Ash and the others went, and smiled with a raised brow, "It's crazy to see Ash so differently. I don't even know what to think of that watch." She sweat dropped, "Or the fact that he has a daughter."

Haunter laughed, "_Yeah. A fatherly Ash Ketchum with an Omnitrix. The author must be a real freak._"

Sabrina looked at him in surprise, "Author? I thought you always said it was anime writers?"

Haunter laughed again and pulled the psychic into a hug, "_I missed you Sabrina._"

Sabrina smiled sadly and hugged the Ghost/Poison-type back, "I missed you too, Haunter."

Sabrina pulled back and raised a brow, "Hey, did I say the word 'Yvel' earlier? What was that about?"

Haunter put a hand to his chin, "_I think it's supposed to be an abbreviation of Yveltal. A weirdly censored version of-_" He became uneasy, "_Uh-_"

Sabrina smiled, "Something that the censors won't let us say?"

Haunter chuckled, "_Now you're gettin' it._"

**Omega: Get Ready! Wake Your Psyche Up, Mob!**

**Get Ready! Dig Your Anger Up Mob!**

**Get Ready! Wake Your Psyche Up, Mob!**

**GET READY!**

.

*Outskirts of Saffron

The group of Ash, Misty, Brock, and Soot walked away from the city. Pikachu stood on Ash's back and Clefairy stood on Soot's.

"By far, the weirdest Gym Battle I have ever witnessed." Soot spoke up.

"Agreed." Misty said.

"_Uh huh._" Pikachu nodded.

"No doubt." Brock followed.

"_Can't even compare._" Ash continued.

"_Yup._" Clefairy finished.

**Seishin: 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87-8-9!**

**91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, NINETY-NIIIIIIIIIINE!**

.

.

**Seishin and Omega: *heavy breathing* Who won?**

**Ohirume: *shrugs* Honestly, I think they're both great. We'll call it a tie.**

**Omega and Seishin: *deadpanned stares***

**Omega: **** you.**

**Seishin: Ditto.**

**Ohirume: Guys, come on. Don't be like that.**


	27. Ch 24: Mankey

**Seishin: Monkeh!**

**Gem: You mean 'mankey'.**

**Faux: No, we caught him as a primeape. Remember?**

**Omega: Monkeys evolving into Apes. *sigh* Well, at least it makes theoretical sense.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Dog Days, But In A Good Way … oh and, uh, Mankey**

.

Everyone continued on their journey; en route to Celadon for Ash's next badge. The sun started setting, so they set up camp for the night.

They set up the table next to the main road and released all of their Pokémon. They didn't have access to Ash's pool, so Onix Dug a large hole for Misty's Pokémon to fill up. Brock and his Pokémon sat at and around the table; watching Ash train with his Pokémon. Speaking of them-

"_Freestyle training?_" Bulbasaur asked.

Ash nodded, "_Right. Essentially, you're going to be battling without command._"

Pikachu raised a brow, "_Isn't that just battling as if we were wild?_"

Soot shook her head and smiled, "Not exactly. The point of this is to help you think for yourself, instead of just going off instinct or orders. As such, you'll be battling a creative opponent with the goal of figuring out what they're doing."

Clefairy's eyes widened, "_We're battling you?_"

Soot smirked, "Oh, you wish. I'll be the referee for the battles."

Charmander tilted his head, "_Then, who-_" He stopped and looked at Ash in shock, "_We're battling our trainer?!_"

Ash grinned, "_Yup._ _With this thing still going,_" He pawed at the symbol on his chest, Lockdown Mode in-effect. Approximate time until release: fifteen hours. "_We have all the time we could want. Any questions?_"

Krabby raised a claw, "_Yeah. Why are we doing this?_"

Ash shrugged, "_I thought it'd be fun. By the way, this training is completely optional. If you don't want to join in, no problem._"

Squirtle raised a brow, "_Do we get anything if we win?_"

Soot smirked, "I already talked to Brock: extra dessert for anyone that passes."

Charmander frowned, "_What happens if we lose?_"

Ash blinked in surprise, "_Well … nothing. This is a training exercise._"

Squirtle smirked, "_So, everything to win and nothing to lose._"

"Nothing to lose but the battle." Soot said with a smirk.

Krabby glared determinedly, "_I'm in._"

Squirtle followed, "_Oh, Yvel, yeah!_"

Pidgeotto nodded, "_Sounds like fun._"

Bulbasaur smirked, "_Deal. Besides, you owe me a rematch._"

Pikachu crossed his arms and grinned, "_As if I'll pass up extra dessert._"

Ash smiled at his team. He looked at his last two Pokémon, "_Clefairy, Charmander, you in?_"

Clefairy frowned and started tapping her fingers together, "_Um- I don't know._"

Charmander rubbed his arm with a nervous expression.

Ash smirked, "_What if I said, you could team up against me?_"

Everyone, except Soot, looked at him in surprise, "_HUH?!_"

Ash chuckled, "_You heard me. You can partner up into teams of two or battle me one-on-one. The reward is the same either way and only one of your needs to pass for your team to take the prize._"

Clefairy smiled with a determined glared, "_Okay!_"

Ash nodded and looked over at the fire Lizard, "_Charmander?_"

Charmander frowned, "_Are you sure it's okay?_"

Ash nodded and smiled softly, "_Positive. Nothing you do will make me mad._"

Charmander smiled and nodded, "_Okay._"

Ash walked over to nudge up against him, "_Good to hear._"

Charmander smiled and hugged Ash's head.

Ash chuckled and looked around at his Pokémon, "_Alright. So how should we divide up the teams?_"

Squirtle ran over and put an arm behind Clefairy's back; surprising her, "_I call Clefairy as a partner!_"

Krabby glared and scuttled over, "_What?! Why do you get her?!_"

Bulbasaur sighed, "_He just wants her because of the type advantage._"

Squirtle glared at the plant, "_Not true! I really think we'd make a good team!_"

Bulbasaur rolled his eyes, "_Yeah, right. Do you even know her move set?_"

Squirtle nodded, "_Of course. There's, uh- Disarming Voice and- and-_" he trailed off.

Bulbasaur smirked, "_See?_"

Squirtle grumbled, "_Well I'm sure Clefairy wants to team up with me, too. Right, Clefairy?_"

No response.

Squirtle blinked, "_Clefairy?_" He looked at where she was and found nothing.

Pidgeotto walked over and nudged the turtle with a wing, "_Uh, Squirtle-_" She looked over to Pikachu.

Squirtle followed her gaze and found Clefairy hiding behind the Electric-type. Pikachu chuckled nervously.

Soot snickered, "Looks like we have our first team."

Squirtle slumped forward, "_Ah man._"

.

*skip to freestyle training

The teams ended up being comprised of Pikachu and Clefairy, Squirtle and Krabby, and Charmander and Pidgeotto. Bulbasaur decided to be the odd one out for his rematch.

The Water-type duo was up first.

Ash, Squirtle, and Krabby stood on either side of a clearing with Soot sitting to the side.

Squirtle smirked and cracked his knuckles, "_This'll be cake._"

Krabby glared mockingly at their trainer, "_Don't worry, Ash. We'll make it fast._"

Ash smiled happily, "_Alright. Good luck._"

Soot smirked, 'Oh, the poor fools.' "Alright! This'll be a one-on-two battle between Dad and team Water-boys!"

"_We never agreed to that name!_" Squirtle shouted.

Soot stuck her tongue out at them before continuing, "The battle will be over when one side is unable to continue or forfeits! The Water-types get the first move! Are both sides ready?!"

The trio nodded and took up their fighting stances.

Soot raised a paw and brought it down forcefully, "Then, START!"

"_Take this!_" Squirtle called out as he shot a Water Gun towards Ash.

Krabby followed by firing a cluster of Bubble from his mouth.

Ash smirked and jumped out of the way two attacks. He quickly fired Hidden Power towards Krabby.

Krabby grimaced and quickly used Harden. It did nothing against the barraged special attack.

Krabby was thrown back and landed on the ground; eyes in swirls.

Soot pointed a paw at the River Crab, "Krabby is unable to battle!"

Squirtle stared in shock at his downed teammate.

"_Grass-type. Convenient isn't it?_" Ash whispered.

Squirtle flinched and turned back right as Ash clamped down with Ice Fang.

"SQUIRTLE!" Cried out the Water-type as he was frozen solid.

The Pokémon, except Ash, laughed hysterically.

Soot calm down enough to say, "Squirtle is unable to battle. Dad takes the win."

Ash sweat dropped, "_Sorry. I got a little carried away._"

Squirtle glared at him from inside the ice.

Ash chuckled nervously and looked at Charmander, "_Can you come thaw him out?_"

Charmander calmed down some and ran over to them.

.

*Brock, Misty and their Pokémon

Misty snickered, "That was fast."

Brock smiled, "Ash sure seems to be enjoying himself."

Misty smiled sadly, "Yeah. Must be nice."

Brock looked at her, "Is everything okay?"

Misty frowned, "Yeah. I guess I'm just a little- well-"

Brock smiled sadly, "Jealous?"

Misty chuckled, "I guess. I mean, who doesn't imagine being able to turn into some kind of Pokémon at least once in their life?"

Brock chuckled, "Yeah. I know what you mean. But at least Ash doesn't rub it in or anything."

"Yeah." Misty said before frowning with a thoughtful expression, "Where do you think he got that watch anyway?"

Brock looked at Misty in surprise, "Hold on. Have we seriously not asked him that yet?"

.

*Ash vs. Pikachu and Clefairy

Soot smiled, "This battle will be between dad and Team Dazzling Bolt!"

Squirtle glared, "_What?! Why do they get a cool name?!_"

Soot glared back, "Stop interrupting!" She looked back at the field and smiled, "The battle will be over when one side is unable to continue or forfeits! Like before, the challengers get the first move! Are both sides ready?!"

Pikachu looked at Clefairy and smirked, "_You know the plan?_"

Clefairy nodded with a determined smile, "_Yup._"

Ash overheard and couldn't help but smile proudly.

Bulbasaur, Charmander and Pidgeotto watched intently from the sidelines. Squirtle and Krabby sat next to them in a slump.

Pikachu nodded back and looked over at Soot, "_We're set!_"

Ash glanced at Soot and nodded.

Soot smirked, raised a paw, and brought it down, "START!"

Pikachu shot forward with Agility. Clefairy stayed back and shouted a Disarming Voice.

Ash's grinned, '_Clever._' He formed and fired Hidden Power at the oncoming attack.

One sphere cancelled out the Fairy-type attack and the rest shot towards Clefairy. The Fairy Pokémon grimaced and jumped out of the way as the attack passed.

Ash's ear twitched before he detonated a Hidden Power sphere in each paw. He shot into the air; avoiding Pikachu's Iron Tail leg sweep.

The mouse's eyes narrowed as he got back on his feet and fired a Thunderbolt at the Dark-type.

Ash smirked and detonated another handful of Hidden Power to maneuver through the air and dodge. He changed course and shot down towards Clefairy with an icy mist coming from his mouth.

Pikachu shot back towards Clefairy and tackled her out of the way as Ash Ice Fanged the air. He skidded to a halt and started rapid firing Hidden Powers.

Pikachu grimaced, grabbed Clefairy by the arm, and used Agility to drag her behind a large rock. Ash shifted his focus to the rock and watched closely.

Pikachu breathed heavily, "_Well, that didn't work._"

Clefairy sat down and stared adjusting her bow, "_So, what now?_"

Pikachu looked around the rock and flinched as he ducked back and dodged Hidden Power again, "_Let's try slowing him down. I can try paralyzing him, but I need a clean hit._"

Clefairy looked up at him and nodded, "_Okay. But how are we supposed to do that? He's been dodging everything we've thrown at him._"

Pikachu looked down with a thoughtful expression. After a second, his eyes widened and he looked back at Clefairy with a smirk, "_Okay. I think I have something. On my mark, I need you to fire a Disarming Voice at me._"

Clefairy blinked in surprise, "_Huh?_"

.

*Ash

The canine glared at the rock apprehensively, '_What are they up to?_'

His eyes widened when Clefairy jumped out from behind the rock and fired another Disarming Voice. At the same time, Pikachu ran from behind it with Agility.

Ash frowned, '_They aren't trying the same thing twice, are they?_' He countered the Disarming Voice like before.

Clefairy ran back behind the rock to avoid the rest of the spheres.

Ash's ear twitched and his eyes widened before propelling himself over Pikachu's Thunderbolt.

Pikachu got closer and jumped up at him with Quick Attack.

Ash smiled, '_Not bad._' He used Hidden Power again and dodged in midair.

Pikachu glanced back at the rock, "_NOW!_"

Ash's eyes widened as Clefairy jumped from her hiding sport again and fired another Disarming Voice … towards Pikachu?

The attack flew behind the Electric-type and Pikachu shot it with Thunderbolt. The resulting explosion shot Pikachu straight at Ash; nailing their trainer in the side with Quick Attack.

"_Augh!_" Ash yelped as he was thrown to the ground.

Pikachu jumped back and unleashed another Thunderbolt. Ash shouted as the electricity overtook him. Pikachu lit up with Agility again and shot back to Clefairy.

Soot blinked in surprise, "Whoa. Nice one."

Ash shakily got back to his feet but flinched as electricity traveled across his body.

Clefairy smiled brightly, "_It worked!_"

Pikachu grinned, "_Yeah! Now let's finish this!_"

Clefairy used Disarming Voice and Pikachu used Thunderbolt.

Ash stared wide eyed as the attacks approached. He shifted to a soft smile, '_Nice work._' He grinned, '_But I'm not going down that easily._'

He took a deep breath and shouted a Hyper Voice at the oncoming attacks. It overpowered the moves and shot towards the opposing team.

Pikachu and Clefairy grimaced and covered their ears as the attack washed over them. Ash kept up his shouting and unleashed a massive swarm of Hidden Power at them. The Mouse and Fairy shouted as they were hit; kicking up a large cloud of dust.

Ash cut off his attacks and panted heavily.

The dust settled to reveal the duo on the ground; swirl eyed.

Soot raised a paw, "Team Dazzling Bolt is unable to battle!" She gestured to Ash, "This battle goes to Dad!"

Pikachu sat back up and held his head, "_Geez._"

Clefairy pouted, "_We almost had him._"

Ash walked up and smiled, "_Still, that was impressive. That thing with Disarming Voice really caught me off guard._"

Pikachu rubbed the back of his head, "_I guess. But, I mostly got the idea from the way you and Soot use Hidden Power and Shadow Ball. Really, I was just trying to paralyze you._"

Ash smiled proudly, "_Well, it worked. I'm proud of you two._"

"_But we didn't win._" Clefairy said; still pouting.

Soot walked up, "Oh, you were never going to win. Mightyena is the form dad has the most experience with. You were outclassed from the start."

"_What?!_" Squirtle shouted, "_Then what was the point of the prize?!_"

Ash smiled brightly, "_Oh, they still get the prize._"

Pikachu and Clefairy looked at him; wide eyed, "_Huh?!_"

Soot grinned, "You passed. I'll tell Brock the good news."

Krabby blinked in surprise, "_But you said we only get it if we win!_"

Soot smiled, "No. Squirtle said that."

Ash snickered, "_You win the prize under one of two conditions. One, you beat me in the battle._"

Soot smirked, "Which isn't happening."

"_And two, you impress either of us enough that we say so._" Ash smiled Pikachu and Clefairy, "_That combination of yours was impressive and your teamwork was on point. Against most wild Pokémon, you would've won without a doubt._"

Pikachu and Clefairy shared a shocked look and smiled brightly. They ran up and high-pawed, "_Alright!_"

Squirtle and Krabby grimaced and fell over.

Soot snickered and looked at the last team, "So Team Phoenix, you ready?"

"_Oh, come on!_" Squirtle shouted.

Charmander and Pidgeotto shared a look.

The Lizard Pokémon rubbed the back of his head and chuckled nervously, "_I think we'll pass._"

The Bird Pokémon nodded, "_Yeah. I can live without extra dessert._"

Ash sighed, "_Right._" He glared at Soot, "_This is why didn't want to tell them that part._"

Soot stuck her tongue out.

Bulbasaur walked up, "_I'll still battle._"

Ash looked at him in surprise, "_Really?_"

Bulbasaur nodded, "_You still owe me a rematch._" He smirked, "_And I don't intend to lose this time._"

Soot snickered, "Yeah, sure."

.

*Ash vs. Bulbasaur

Everyone watched the battle unfolding before them in awe.

"Wow." Soot said.

Misty blinked, "Should I be concerned that this doesn't surprise me?"

Brock scratched his cheek, "I mean- we know a talking mightyena who can walk through walls."

"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure she can't fl-" Misty blinked and deadpanned, "Never mind."

Ash shot all through the air avoiding Bulbasaur's Razor Leaves. Detonating Hidden Powers left, right, up, down, and however else.

Ash smirked down at the Grass-type, "_Nice work. This is actually pretty tough._"

Bulbasaur smiled up at the Dark-type, "_I learned from the best, didn't I?_"

Ash smiled softly, "_Aw, thanks._"

Soot smirked and called out, "But it'll take more than kind words to win the prize."

"_I know._" Bulbasaur smirked, "_But it helped with this._"

Ash's eyes widened. He looked around to see a swarm of Razor Leaves coming at him from all directions; except below. Ash glanced down to see Bulbasaur charging Sleep Powder where he would have to land.

Ash's eyes narrowed, '_Judging by the speed of the Razor Leaf, I'll need to propel myself down at a speed that I can't maneuver away at. He's only giving me one option that leads to a trap._' He smirked, '_Impressive._'

Ash detonated a handful of Hidden Power to flip himself over and exploded a few more to blast himself towards the ground. The Razor Leaves shot through the empty space.

Bulbasaur's eyes narrowed, '_He's coming in headfirst?_'

The Seed Pokémon unleased his Sleep Powder in Ash's path. His eyes widened when he saw Ash inhaling.

Bulbasaur grimaced, "_Crag!_" He brought out his vines and pushed off the ground as Ash screamed Hyper Voice at the ground.

The sound waves tore through the blue cloud of powder and dispersed it out throughout the battlefield.

Soot's eyes widened before she looked over at her teammates, "Pikachu, Charmander, burn the spores with Thunderbolt and Flamethrower!"

The pair complied and burned the Grass status move out of existence.

Soot sighed in relief, "That was close."

Ash cut off Hyper Voice, landed, and shot backwards with Hidden Power. He landed back on the ground in a crouch right as Bulbasaur landed on his own side. The combatants panted before smirking and retaking their fighting stances.

Brock put a hand to his chin, "He used Hyper Voice to simultaneously negate Sleep Powder and soften his landing. Ash really knows what he's doing."

Misty stared; wide eyed, "No kidding."

Bulbasaur fired another Razor Leaf at the Dark-type.

This time, Ash countered with Hidden Power; hitting every leaf with pinpoint accuracy. He, then, ran forward with Ice Fang and lunged.

Bulbasaur shot out a Vine Whip. Intent on wrapping it around the canine's snout and muzzling him.

Ash's eyes narrowed as he shouted another Hyper Voice at point blank.

Bulbasaur grimaced and brought his vines back to wrap around his own ears. He dug his claws into the ground in an attempt to remain steadfast.

Ash landed on the ground and continued shouting. After a minute, he cut off his attack and smirked.

Misty's eyes widened, "What the Yvel?!"

Squirtle's jaw dropped, "_Wha- but- I though Hyper Voice was a Normal-type move!_"

Soot smirked, "It is."

Charmander looked at Soot in surprise, "_Then, how did he do that?!_"

Pikachu squinted, "_I think he combined it with Ice Fang._"

Soot smiled, "Look who's catching on."

Pidgeotto stared in shock, "_That's possible?_"

Soot shrugged, "It's easier than you may think."

Bulbasaur heard none of them talking as he was still covering his ears. He stopped feeling the sound attack and attempted to unwrap his vines. But it failed.

Bulbasaur's eyes shot open to find himself encased in ice.

Ash walked up casually and smirked, "_Well played, Bulbasaur. But it looks like I win again._"

Ash's smirk faded when he saw Bulbasaur smirking from inside the ice.

A blue orb materialized on Bulbasaur's forehead.

Ash's eyes widened as the sphere exploded violently and destroyed Bulbasaur's ice prison. Ash detonated Hidden Power to flip backwards and land on his side of the field. He looked back up in shock to see Bulbasaur smiling slyly and panting heavily.

"_Surprised?_" Bulbasaur asked.

Soot's eyes widened, "What the?!"

Brock stared in shock, "Since when did Bulbasaur know Hidden Power?!"

Misty and the rest of the Pokémon were speechless.

Ash stared in shock, "_Where did that come from?!_"

Bulbasaur smirked; still panting, "_I listened in when you were tutoring Krabby and Geodude. I thought it would make a good surprise._"

Ash smiled brightly, "_Well, you thought right! That was awesome!_"

"_Thanks._" Bulbasaur caught his breath and smiled slyly, "_But what do you think about the second one?_" He looked at Ash's right side.

Ash frowned and his eyes widened as he looked too. He found a Razor Leaf tangled in is fur; puncturing a massive Hidden Power. The sphere exploded violently and kicked up a massive could of dust around the trainer.

Bulbasaur chuckled and fell to his stomach, "_I put everything I had left into that. There's no way he could still be conscious._"

Everyone, except Bulbasaur, stared in shock at the cloud of dust.

"_Di-did Ash just lose?_" Krabby asked.

Clefairy blinked, "_I thought Soot said that was impossible._"

Soot continued staring in shock and blinked in surprise when the dust started clearing.

Ash stood their shying away from the blast; eyes closed, and teeth clenched. Ash opened an eye and looked over himself in confusion.

Bulbasaur stared in shock, "_H-how?_"

Ash looked back and blinked in surprise, "_What just happened?_"

Soot eyes widened in realization and she broke into laughter, "H-holy Arceus! Bulbasaur's Hidden power is Psychic-type!" She fell to her side and continued laughing like a maniac.

Bulbasaur grimaced, "_What?!_"

Ash stared in shock and looked over at Bulbasaur, "_You wanna call this one a draw?_"

Bulbasaur huffed, "_Fine._"

Soot composed herself -barely- and said, "Y-you heard it folks! This match is a draw!"

The Pokémon all ran over to Bulbasaur and cheered.

Charmander smiled brightly, "_Bulbasaur, that was awesome!_"

Clefairy smiled brightly too, "_You almost won!_"

Bulbasaur sighed and pouted, "_Yeah, almost._"

Ash chuckled and smiled extatically, "_Are you kidding me, right now?! Bulbasaur that was one of the most impressive displays I've ever witnessed! You should be proud! I know I am!_"

Soot nodded and smiled brightly, "Yeah! I mean- you turned Hidden Power into a freaking sticky bomb!"

Ash raised a brow; still smiling, "_Yeah. How did you do that, by the way? I dodged all of your Razor Leaves._"

Bulbasaur chuckled, "_Honestly, I don't know either. I just saw one of the leaves poking out of your fur when I was trapped in the ice. I formed that last Hidden Power right before the explosion._"

Soot's eyes widened, "You formed the attack on him?"

Ash mimicked her expression, "_And you came up with it that on the spot?_"

Bulbasaur chuckled nervously, "_Yeah. I got off lucky when you didn't notice._" He blinked and looked at the meema/hatchling duo, "_Oh, right. Does this mean I get extra desert?_"

Ash and Soot looked at each other in shock.

.

*Dinner

Brock and Misty sat at the table with the Pokémon all next to them. Ash decided to join the other Pokémon for dinner. In full.

Misty smiled brightly, "Ash, that battle was amazing! How did you do that Ice-type Hyper Voice?!"

Soot snickered, "He never canceled his Ice Fang before firing. It acted sort of like the Refrigerate ability. I can do the same thing with Fire Fang to turn my Shadow Balls into a more dangerous Will-O-Wisp."

Brock had his notebook out again and quickly wrote down everything.

Squirtle perked up and looked over at Ash, "_Could we do that too?_"

The canine looked up from his bowl and nodded with a smile, "_Of course. We could probably do that for training next time._"

Pikachu pumped a fist, "_Alright!_"

Bulbasaur looked up thoughtfully as he was chewing, '_Combing moves … Maybe I can put Sleep Powder in a Hidden Power._'

Misty looked at Ash, "Hey, Ash, I've been wanting to ask where you got your watch from."

Soot looked back, "Some meteor. Dad found it randomly when he was five."

"A meteor?" Brock asked in surprise.

Ash nodded, "_Yup_."

Misty looked at Ash, "So, you don't know where it really came from?"

Ash frowned and shook his head, "_Sorry._"

Brock raised a brow, "But you said that professor Oak knows about the watch. Wouldn't he have analyzed the meteor to figure out where it came from, or something?"

Ash's ears drooped, "_He never got the chance. We went back to the crash site the next day and- nothing. The meteor was completely gone. All we found was the crater._"

Soot relayed the message.

Misty's eyes widened, "Seriously?! How could something like that just disappear overnight?!"

Soot shrugged, "Couldn't tell ya. I wasn't born yet."

Ash nodded, "_To make it weirder, the non-Pokémon actually come directly from the watch. I only had Calm Mind, Frenzy Plant, and Stone Edge at first. Quick Attack and Overheat came later._"

Again, Soot relayed the message.

"Just the non-Pokémon?" Brock asked with a raised brow, "Then where do the Pokémon forms come from?"

Soot smiled, "Anywhere, really. A Pokémon just has to touch the watch's dial and it catalogues their DNA to add to dad's list of forms."

Misty's eyes widened, "So, you can turn into any Pokémon you want just by having them touch that thing?"

Soot tilted her head, "Sort of. He can't scan the same species twice. And, unfortunately, that includes evolutions."

Ash nodded, "_Right. We found that out after I evolved Eevee._"

"We found out after Eevee evolved." Soot said.

"Still," Misty said in surprise, "that's a lot of Pokémon."

Brock raised a brow, "If that's true, then why do you have so few Pokémon forms?"

Soot sighed, "Dad's sensitive about Pokémon touching it."

Misty blinked, "Really? Wouldn't you want every Pokémon you've met to touch it?"

Ash was about to respond when Soot jumped in with a grin, "It's because he's too stubborn."

Ash glared, "_I am not! I just don't think it's fair to have that kind of power!_"

Soot smirked, "Like I said, stubborn."

Ash's Pokémon all nodded.

Ash grumbled and went back to eating.

.

*The next day

Lockdown mode wore off earlier, so Ash finally got to tell his side of the story. It went about as well as you'd expect.

Misty smiled slyly, "Soot was right. You are stubborn."

Ash glared, "I am not! I just don't think it's fair to have that kind of power at my disposal!"

Brock raised a brow and smirked, "Ash, we've seen you in action. You already have 'that kind of power'."

Ash pouted and crossed arms, "Can you please just respect my wishes?!"

Soot smirked, "Sure. After you admit you're stubborn."

Ash groaned.

Pikachu snickered and patted his trainers head.

.

*Phone Call … and the start of the Mankey story, I guess

"Good Morning Professor." Ash said as the old man appeared on the screen.

Soot propped herself up against the phone, "Hey Oak."

Samuel Oak smiled, "Ah, Ash, Soot, I was wondering when I might hear from you two again. How are things going?"

Ash smiled, "Pretty well." He pulled open his jacket; revealing his badges, "We got our fourth badge, for one."

Oak smiled, "Good to hear." He looked closer before his eyes widened, "Wait, is that a Marsh Badge?! You beat Sabrina?!"

Soot sweat dropped, "Not exactly. This crazy haunter showed up near the end of the battle and caused Sabrina to laugh herself into submission."

Ash rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah. It was weird. Her personality completely changed after that." He smiled and raised a finger, "On the upside, the Saffron Gym's reputation should start going up."

Samuel sweat dropped, "Sounds like quite the experience." He smiled, "You might like to know that Gary has already earned his fifth badge in Celadon and captured around thirty Pokémon."

Soot's eyes narrowed and she mumbled under her breath, "Probably all the pushover, side Gyms."

Ash chuckled, "Good to hear. It sounds like he's making progress."

The professor chuckled nervously, "Well, yes. But, it's quite a handful taking care of all these new Pokémon. Speaking of which, it's been a while since you've caught something new. My computer says you only have eight Pokémon on your team."

Ash rolled his eyes and smirked, "Sure 'only' eight. Anyway, I'm focusing more on training my team, for now. A lot of my Pokémon have made some serious progress on their new moves. Pikachu and Pidgeotto perfected Iron Tail and Steel Wing about two months ago. Squirtle learned Ice Beam and is making progress on Aqua Tail. Pidgeotto's learning and Butterfree learned Ominous Wind. Krabby's doing well with Hidden Power and Bulbasaur eavesdropped on his training and surprised us all with the move. And Charmander even perfected Dragon Rage a while ago."

Samuel blinked in surprise, "Wait a second. How did you manage to teach Ominous Wind to a-" His eyes widened in realization, "Wait a second, Ash! Have you been teaching your Pokémon these moves personally?!"

"Bingo." Soot said with a smile, "Turns out dad isn't that bad of a tutor."

Ash waved a hand, "And don't worry, we're keeping it on the down low."

The professor sighed in relief before smiling, "Glad to hear. It sounds like you're making great strides as a trainer. Anyway, I have to go. The tea's getting cold." He hung up.

Soot looked at Ash with a smirk, "Any reason we didn't tell him that Brock and Misty know about the watch?"

Ash smiled slyly, "I thought it might make a fun surprise for when we go home."

.

*Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy

Everyone else sat around and waited for Ash and Soot to get back from their call with the professor. They all sat around a massive rock formation.

Misty sat on one of the rocks with a bored expression, "How long is this supposed to take?"

Clefairy laid down on the ground, "_So bored._"

Pikachu looked at Clefairy, "_We could do some target practice._"

Clefairy huffed and pouted, "_Don't wanna._"

Brock reached into his bag and pulled out a container, "How about some jelly filled donuts to pass the time?" He opened up the container to the group.

Misty looked over excitedly before sweat dropping, "Uh, Brock."

Brock frowned before looking at what he pulled out.

Brock sweat dropped upon seeing a container full of rice balls, "Oh." He chuckled nervously, "I must have mixed up the labels." He paused, frowned, and pinched the bridge of his nose, "That also means, that I mailed the donuts back home."

Misty walked up and took one, "No worries. Rice balls are pretty good too."

Pikachu and Clefairy ran up and looked up; bright eyed.

Brock grabbed a pair of rice balls and handed them to the Electric and Fairy-types, "Here you go."

"Pika!"

"Fairy!"

They ran over to a rock, jumped onto it, and dug in happily. Misty joined them soon after.

After a minute, Ash and Soot walked down the path and back towards the rest of the group. Soot was still scowling.

Misty noticed, "Is everything alright, Soot?"

Ash smiled softly and pet the canine, "It's nothing, really. We just found out that Gary has earned his fifth badge."

Pikachu and Clefairy glared at the mention of the brown-haired trainer.

Soot grumbled, "He probably got them all from those nobody gyms."

Brock sweat dropped, "Soot, he challenged me a few days before you guys did."

Misty deadpanned, "And my sisters said that three Pallet Town trainers defeated them before Ash."

Ash raised a brow, "And the professor said that Gary got his fifth badge in Celadon."

Soot sweat dropped, "I meant the ones outside the main eight." She looked at the Pewter Gym leader, "Brock, Gary's starter was a squirtle. He had the type advantage." She turned to the Cerulean leader, "And, Misty," Soot deadpanned, "we're talking about your sisters, here."

Misty sweat dropped, "Yeah, you've got me there."

Brock chuckled and held out a rice ball, "Here, maybe a rice ball will cheer you up."

Pikachu smiled and nodded, "_Yeah! They're great!_"

Ash smiled and took one, "Thanks Brock."

Soot sighed before smiling, "Yeah, thanks." She took one and sat down by the rock.

Ash sat down next to her and ate.

Clefairy looked down at Ash, "_Hey, what's the main eight?_"

Ash looked up at her, "Kanto actually has over twenty official gyms where you can get badges for the league. But, terms of reputation, only eight of them are considered genuine. That's actually the route I have planned."

Pikachu looked over, "_Speaking of which, where are we headed next?_"

Ash pouted down the road, "Celadon City. It'll be a Grass-type Gym. If we keep a steady pace, we should be there by tomorrow."

A bush next to a rock startled rustling; catching Ash and the Pokémon attention. A mankey poked its head out of the bush with its eyes apparently closed.

"Hey, a mankey." Ash said with a softly smile.

The Pig Monkey Pokémon hopped out of the bush and over to Brock. It started bouncing around him excitedly and chattering.

Misty smiled, "Aw, how cute." She looked at Soot, "What are they saying?"

Soot shrugged, "Nothing much. I think he's just really excited."

Brock smiled, "Maybe he wants a rice ball." He held out the snack to the Fighting-type.

Mankey sniffed it curiously. Pikachu and Clefairy jumped down and walked over; catching Mankey's attention.

"_Go ahead._" Pikachu said with a smile, "_They're really good._"

Clefairy nodded; still chewing, "_mm hm._"

Mankey sniffed again before taking it and jumping back to the rock by the bush. He started eating happily.

Ash smiled, "Looks like he likes it."

Brock smiled too, "It's my own special recipe."

Soot looked at Ash, "Come to think of it, we could use a Fighting-type on our team."

Misty nodded, "Yeah. You should catch him."

Mankey stopped eating and looked at Ash apprehensively; eyes still closed.

Ash looked back and smiled softly, "Maybe. We can ask after he's done eating."

Mankey's eyes shot open and he blinked in surprise, "_Huh?!_"

Misty sweat dropped, "You know most trainers would rather battle a Pokémon than ask them to join their team."

Ash smirked with a raised brow, "Hey, I caught Krabby without asking and battled Bulbasaur"

Brock looked at Ash, "Didn't they challenge you?"

Ash chuckled, "Okay, fair enough. Still, it wouldn't be fair to attack while he's enjoying himself."

"Agreed." Soot said as she went back to eating.

Misty sighed and smiled softly, "Alright, fine. Just don't say I didn't warn you if he says 'no'."

Ash chuckled and continued eating too.

Mankey stared at Ash; wide eyed, '_What the Yvel kind of trainer is this?_' His eyes narrowed slightly, '_No. This doesn't make sense. He's probably just waiting for me to lower my guard._'

The Pig Monkey went back to eating, '_Just play along, for now. He'll show his true colors._' He kept an eye on Ash most of the time. Ash noticed every so often and waved with a kind smile.

Ash finished his rice ball, got back up, and reached around to stretch.

Mankey's eyes narrowed, '_I knew it! He's reaching for one those balls!_' He quickly threw his rice ball at Ash. His eyes widened when Ash instantly caught it.

Ash looked at the ball and blinked in surprise. He looked up at Mankey, "Don't you want the rest?"

Soot looked at the treat excitedly, "If he doesn't, I'll take it."

Mankey blinked in surprise, "_Uhhh._"

Ash chuckled and rolled his eyes, "Very funny, Soot." He looked back at Mankey, "Heads up!" He lobbed the rice ball back over to the Fighting-type.

Mankey caught it and blinked in surprise, '_Seriously?_' He looked back at Ash in shock, '_What kind of trainer is this?_' After a few more seconds, he went back to eating on the rock.

Ash smiled softly, sat back down, and waited.

Soot pouted and mumbled, "I wasn't joking."

Brock held out another rice ball to her, "We have enough for seconds."

Soot smiled and bit into the ball. "Tanks rock." She said while still chewing.

.

*Team Rocket

The tRio watched Ash and the others from the other side of a far-off rock. Presently, Mankey, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Soot were running around playing. The humans all sat to the side and chuckled at the Pokémons' antics.

Jessie smirked, "Perfect. With the twerp's Pokémon all busy, we have the perfect opportunity to get the Phantom."

"I couldn't agree more." James said with a smile.

Meowth grinned, "Once we pull dis off, we'll be da boss's top operatives."

"Top operatives? Please." Jessie stood up triumphantly, "He'll put us on the board of directors!"

James followed suit, "Team Rocket will rule the world!"

The three of them laughed maniacally.

.

*Ash and others

Mankey finished eating a while ago. When Ash offered Mankey a spot on his team, the Pig Monkey became hesitant. And then Soot, Pikachu and Clefairy dogpiled him. The four had been running around playing ever since.

Brock chuckled, "They look like they're having fun."

Ash smiled, "Yeah."

Misty looked at Ash, "You're not upset about Mankey not wanting to join you?"

Ash shrugged; still smiling, "A bit, I guess. But I don't want to force him to join if he doesn't want to." He smiled sadly, "It's not fun, trust me."

Misty and Brock frowned and shared a concerned look.

Brock looked back at Ash, "What do you mean?"

"It happened a few times during training. Back when I was still getting used to new Pokémon forms." Ash said with sad smile, "Sometimes, a trainer would come by and try to catch me or Soot. A lot of them almost did."

Misty frowned and rubbed the back of her head, "Sorry."

Ash chuckled lightly, "Misty, it's fine. Besides, you couldn't have caught me anyway. We took care of that a long time ago."

Brock and Misty raised a brow, "Huh?"

Ash smiled, "After a few too many scares, the professor, Mom, and I agreed to register Soot and I under mom's ownership." He chuckled, "Legally, I'm registered as a house pet."

The Gym Leaders stared at the boy in surprise.

Brock shock it off enough to ask, "So, you've been inside a pokéball before?"

"A few times." Ash said nonchalantly, "Mostly to save on long trips. All I can say is," He grimaced, "I understand why some Pokémon don't like them." He shivered.

"Great. There goes that plan." A familiar voice mumbled quietly.

Ash glared, picked up a pebble, and threw it a bush on the other side of the road.

"YEOW!" Meowth cried out as he popped out the bush and held his head. Jessie and James popped out right after.

Everyone else looked over and glared at the trio. Except for Mankey who looked at them in confusion.

Misty jumped down from the rock, "You again!"

"What are you doing here?!" Brock asked angrily.

Ash stood up, "Isn't it obvious?" He glared at the trio, "They're here for me."

Everyone looked at him in surprise.

Soot looked over nervously, "Dad, what are you talking about?"

Ash smirked, "Don't bother, Soot. They already know the truth."

Meowth pointed at Ash and smirked, "So, you admit it!"

"Yup." Ash said, making his friends all flinch, "And you heard right," He pointed a thumb at himself; still smirking, "The Phantom Pokémon's off limits."

Mankey stared at Ash in shock, "_What?! Phantom Pokémon?!_"

Soot's eyes widened in realization, 'Oooooh.' She smirked at the trio, "That's right. You couldn't catch dad even if you wanted to."

Misty and Brock flinched. Pikachu and Clefairy blinked in surprise and shared a confused look.

Brock ran over to Ash and grabbed his shoulder. "Ash, can we talk to you for a bit?!" Brock said through his clenched teeth.

Before Ash could respond, Brock pulled him to the side to join Misty in a huddle.

"Ash, what the Yvel are you doing?!" Misty said in a harsh whisper.

Ash blinked in surprise and whispered, "What? I thought Soot filled you guys in about the Team Rocket's theory."

"Sure, but-" Brock responded with a frown, "Why are you letting them think they're right?"

Team Rocket all shared a confused look and shrugged.

"Guys, think about it." Ash raised a finger, "What's more believable? A human with a super advanced watch that turns him into Pokémon and creatures that shouldn't exist, or a Mythical, transforming Pokémon hiding itself by pretending to be a human?"

Misty was about to argue but stopped and thought about it. She and Brock shared a look.

Brock looked back at Ash, "Okay, fair enough."

Misty looked back too, "So, just play along?"

Ash nodded with a smile, "Yeah. If I need to transform, just give me a window to hide away so they don't see my 'process'."

The three humans nodded and broke the huddle to look back at the tRio.

Misty pointed at Team Rocket and glared, "Right! You're not getting Ash!"

Jessie blinked in surprise, 'Guess they know, too.'

James grinned, "That's what you think!"

He took up a pose, "Prepare for trouble! We're playing in reverse!"

Jessie followed suit, "And make it double! No need to rehearse!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"There's Jessie!" James said while gesturing to Jessie.

"And there's James!" Jessie followed; gesturing to James.

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to-" Jessie was cut off by Mankey jumping over and latching onto her head.

Jessie shrieked and ran around frantically; voice muffled by the Fighting-type, "Get it off! Get it off! Get it off! Get it off!"

"WOO!" Soot cheered, "Go Mankey!"

James managed to pry the Fighting-type off Jessie's face.

James held him by the tail and glared, "Buzz off hairball!" He then proceeded to dropkicked Mankey over the rock formation.

Ash's eyes widened, "Mankey!" He ran around the rock to Mankey.

Brock glared at the trio, "Hey! That was uncalled for!"

The massive rock covered a large green flash.

Pikachu's ear twitched and he grinned, "_Nice timing._"

"_Aw, come on, buddy._" Everyone looked over to see Banette smirking at Team Rocket from the top of the rock; arms crossed, "_I just lost the element of surprise._"

Mankey **(Ohirume: Yes, Mankey. Not Primeape)** glared at Team Rocket from around the rock.

James blinked in surprise, "Is that the banette from Mount Moon?"

Soot smirked, "Hey, dad."

Misty flinched before realizing, "Oh right, we don't need to hide that around them."

Meowth's eyes widened and stared at the Marionette Pokémon in shock, "What?! The twoip?!"

James flinched, "That banette was the twerp?!"

Jessie clenched a fist, "You're gonna pay for messing with my hair, brat!"

Ash jumped down and stood between Team Rocket and his friends. He did a 'come at me' taunt, "_What are you waiting for, then?_"

Meowth glared and pointed at Ash, "Get dat Phantom!"

Jessie and James threw a pokéball; releasing their Pokémon, "Go, Ekans!" "Go, Koffing!"

The snake and gas ball appeared and glared at Ash.

Ash smirked and moved to crack the knuckles his body didn't have. He took up a fighting stance.

Soot sat down and smirked, "This should be fun."

The others took this a sign that Ash had this handled. Misty and Brock pulled put a pokéball, just in case.

Jessie pointed ahead, "Ekans, use Poison Sting!"

James followed, "Koffing, Sludge!"

The Poison-types fired their corresponding attacks at Ash.

The trainer snickered, '_Too easy._'

Ash shot the Sludge with a Shadow Ball, lifted off the ground, and started spinning like a top as he whipped up an Ominous Wind around himself. The poisonous needles got caught up in the purple cyclone and spun around in it.

Meowth gulped, "Dat can't be good."

The Poison Sting escaped the counterattack and shot back towards the source. The Rockets flinched and jumped around frantically to dodge the needles.

Ash stopped spinning and stood there with a smirk.

James recovered and glared, "Let's see you do that to this!" He pointed forward, "Koffing, use Smog!"

Koffing started pouring out the dark green fog.

Ash frowned, "_I almost feel bad about doing this._" He raised a finger and a blue flame appeared at the end of it.

The banette flicked the Will-O-Wisp flame at the attack. And, if you remember the Viridian Center incident, Kaboom.

"A_H_H_H_!" The quintet cried out as they were cover by a cloud of dust. It faded to reveal them laying on the ground in a pile.

Jessie raised a trembling hand, "W-we'll take our blast off, now."

Ash nodded, "_Good to hear._"

He held out his arms and he lit up with a sparkling light. Clefairy's eyes widened upon recognizing the move.

Ash smirked and held out his hands, "_Dazzling Gleam!_"

The light shot forward and overtook the tRio. Ash shot a pair of Shadow Balls at the ground around them. The resulting upward explosion launched the Team Rocket high into the sky.

.

*Blast-off scene

Jessie groaned in pain, "We're skipping the Ashley thing, right?"

James had his book out, "More than that. The author's cutting the whole concept form the Celadon chapter."

Meowth sighed in relief, "Good. We could use some time off."

"Looks like we're blasting off again." The trio said tiredly as they flew off into the distance.

.

*Heroes

The group watched as the quintet disappeared with a ding.

Misty snickered, "They never learn, do they?"

"Nope." Soot said with a smirk.

Clefairy looked at Ash with a bright smile and trembled with excitement.

Ash noticed and chuckled, "_Alright. I promise to teach you Dazzling Gleam during training next time._"

"_Yes!_" Clefairy cheered before running over to Ash and tackling him with a hug.

Mankey walked out from around the rock and stared at Ash in shock, "_You're the Phantom Pokémon?_"

Ash looked at him with a smirk, "_Not really. That's just a cover story._"

Pikachu walked over, "_The thing on his wrist is what turned him into a banette._"

Clefairy got off Ash and nodded, "_Yeah! And a bunch of other stuff, too!_"

Mankey blinked in surprise, "_So, you really are a human?_" Soot, Ash, Pikachu, and Clefairy nodded.

"But," Soot started, "he is one of the few trainers who can understand us. In more ways than one." She smirked.

Mankey looked at Ash again, "_So, you really were serious about asking me to join your team?_"

Ash nodded, "_Well, yeah. I know what it's like for some trainer to try and catch you against your will._" He smiled softly; which wasn't easy with the zipper mouth, "_I'd rather not force someone to battle with me._"

Clefairy smiled and held out a hand, "_You can still join our team if you want._"

Ash nodded again, "_I'd understand if you didn't want to. It's your call._"

Mankey raised a brow, "_One thing, first. You said something about teaching her,_" He pointed to Clefairy, "_that big shiny move, right?_"

Soot snickered, "It's a Fairy-type move called Dazzling Gleam."

Pikachu nodded, "_He taught a lot of us how to use the moves he knows in other forms._" The mouse smirked, "_Like Iron Tail, for one._"

Mankey raised a brow at Ash, "_Do you know something I can learn?_"

Ash blinked in surprise and nodded, "_Um, yeah. My Dragonite form knows Fire Pun-_"

"_Deal!_" Mankey shouted excitedly with a clenched paw.

Ash blinked again, "_Just like that?_"

Mankey nodded with a determined glare, "_Heck, yeah! As if I'll pass up having a trainer this awesome!_"

Soot snickered, "He's got a point, dad."

Misty sweat dropped and mumbled, "Left out of the conversation again."

Brock smiled sadly and put a hand on her shoulder.

Ash chuckled nervously and hit the symbol on his chest. He reverted back to human; making Mankey flinch slightly.

Ash brought out a pokéball and held it out. Before he could say anything, Mankey hit the button in the center and was caught with no resistance whatsoever.

Ash released the Fighting-type, crouched down, and held out a hand to him, "Welcome to the team, Mankey."

Mankey glared determinedly and shook hands with the boy, "_Happy to be here._"

Ash frowned before realizing, "Oh, right." He chuckled nervously, "I probably should have mentioned that I can't understand very many Pokémon when I'm human."

Mankey blinked in surprise and deadpanned, "_You couldn't have mentioned that earlier?_"

.

*Midnight

Ash and friends all slept soundly next to the road to Celadon. All but one.

Ash laid in his sleeping bag next to a sleeping Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy. He looked up at the stars with a frown.

The trainer glanced over at Misty and Brock and his eyes narrowed.

Moving carefully, he got out of his sleeping bag and ran behind a large rock. Soot and the others didn't seem to notice.

He brought up the dial on his watch, spun it, and slammed down.

The light faded and Quick Attack sped off. Heading South-West.

.

*ten minutes later

Professor Oak trudged over to the front door; rubbing his eyes, "I'm coming. I'm coming." 'Who on earth could be here at this hour, anyway?'

He opened the door to the lab and came face-to-face with-

"Quick Attack?!" Samuel shouted in alarm, "Wha- why are you-" His eyes widened, and he looked around. He grabbed Ash's arm, "Get in here before someone sees you!" He pulled Ash inside and slammed the door shut.

He glared at the lizard, "Ash, why didn't you change back before coming to the door?! Someone could have seen you!"

Quick Attack tilted his head, "But someone could have seen me transform back into a human."

Oak's eye twitched, "Not if you hid behind a-" He took a deep breath to calm himself, "Can you please just change back, already?"

Ash shrugged and hit the symbol on his chest. The green light filled the room and faded to reveal Ash as himself again.

The trainer shook his head and blinked rapidly. He chuckled nervously, "Okay, I see your point. Sorry about that."

Oak sighed and smiled softly, "It's alright. We all know how Quick Attack can be." He raised a brow, "What brings you all the way back here, anyway? Especially at this hour?"

Ash smiled sadly, "I wanted to come back and pick up some supplies."

Oak blinked in surprise, "Really? But, wouldn't a Pokemart have been the better choice?"

Ash shook his head, "Not those kinds of supplies. The thing is," He took a deep breath before continuing, "I want to try working on the change lenses, again."

Professor Oak's eyes widened.

.

.

**Omega: Oh right, those things.**

**Gem: *raises brow* I thought we renamed them to-**

**Ohirume: Woah, woah, woah! Spoilers!**

**Omega: And for the record, Gem, we decided to change it because the name "Change Lens" ****sucks.**

**…**

**Omega: I thought the monkey pig was supposed to evolve during this chapter.**

**Seishin: Yeah, and Ash was supposed to introduce Haunter to Sabrina.**

**Ohirume: Yeah, yeah, whatever. But can you really blame me? I think Trix knows better than to provoke a Mankey.**

**Faux: *sighs and deadpans* Thanks for that.**

**Gem: *pouts* So mean.**


	28. Labor day special - not chapter

**Ohirume: Soooo, here's the thing.**

**Omega: *eye twitch* I knew it. I ******* knew it!**

**Ohirume: Give it a rest! Look, summer's over and I don't have as much time to write as I used to!**

**Seishin: *sigh* Great … Wait, you're not canceling right? Because I've started liking having a voice outside your head.**

**Ohirume: ****HFIL will freeze over before I cancel.**

**Faux: Actually, that place can get pretty cold during-**

**Ohirume: NOT THE POINT! ****I am NOT canceling the story or going on hiatus.**** But I don't know, exactly, when I'll have the next chapter up.**

**I'll still post chapters on Sundays, but I don't know which ones, now. ****All I can say is: I'll aim for around once a month. Twice if I'm lucky.**

**Omega: *glares* Like I said: I knew it.**

**Yugo: We know, Omega. Just drop it. There's nothing we can do about it anyway.**

**Hope you enjoy the comment response.**

.

From buterflypuss (chapter 21):

good chap

**Ohirume: Thank you.**

**Omega: It's-**

**Seishin: Let me stop ya right there, parasyte-boy. You're about to say "It's 'chapter' not 'chap.'" And I'll respond with something like "No one likes a grammar nut insert dumb nickname here."**

**Omega: … what?**

.

From Guest (chapter 21):

Did Ash turn into XLR8?

**Seishin: YVEL TO THE YEAH!**

**Ohirume: *relived sigh* Thank goodness. I was worried about the description.**

**Omega: Well, now we know. Nobody looks at the account profile.**

.

From buterflypuss (chapter 22):

good chap

**Ohirume: Thank you.**

**Omega: It's 'chapter' not 'chap.'**

**Seishin: …**

**Ohirume: Yukiro?**

.

From Ricardo753 (chapter 9):

Ash-Braviary x Pidgeotto, XD

**Ohirume: *chuckles***

.

From Ricardo753 (chapter 14):

One suggestion, in its pokemon Ash form, can evolve, namely if you get to make the energy plant, Ash evolves into a Raichu.

**Seishin: Thank you for the suggestion, Ricardo. Just one thing: *skeletor voice* Wat?**

**Omega: I think he means that Rob can have Trix evolve at a Power Plant. My only question is: what plant?**

**Faux: *scratches head* Well, we never went to the Kanto power plant. Maybe Ecruteak City?**

**Gem: Or maybe the one in Lumiose?**

**Seishin: Gem, that's in Kalos.**

**Yugo: Oh, I got it! Gringey City! Where we got Muk!**

**Ohirume: Huh, that makes sense. Honestly, I'm still working on when Trix will evolve his pikachu form. Though, I have already decided which one. You'll just have wait and see.**

**Omega: Pokémon worlds have a place called 'gringy city?' Seriously, who names these things?!**

.

From buterflypuss (chapter 23):

good chap

**Ohirume: Thank you.**

**Omega: It's 'chapter' not-**

**Seishin: *insert twelve-second burp from Elf***

**Omega: What the **** was that?!**

**Seishin: *dumb smile* Did ya' hear that?**

.

From Guest (chapter 23):

That was not cool for what you did to soot and ash. I hope the others would get you back for what you did to those two.

Ps. Like the story so far.

**Seishin: *cheering* HATE COMMENT!**

**Ohirume: NO! IT'S! NOT!**

**Seishin: They hate you for hurting Soot and Ash.**

**Ohirume: They never used the word 'hate!' Also, I couldn't be happier to get a comment like this.**

**Omega: What?**

**Ohirume: Just listen.**

**Guest, thank you for this. From the way you worded the review, it shows that you've begun to care about these characters to the point that you would call out the author for hurting them.**

**And, by saying that you hope the others would get me back for what I did to those two, you've even acknowledged the- um, 'existence' of Omega, Faux, Yukiro, and the others in the post/pre-chats. Something I was starting to fear that no one cared about.**

**Also, you said you like the story. So, thanks for that.**

**On the other hand, I did have a reason. So far, Ash and Soot have gone undefeated when using Marionetter. A loss shows that the technique may be powerful but isn't a guaranteed win.**

**You're still free, and welcome, to be mad at me for this. Thank you so much.**

**Although, I'm not sure about the 'getting me back' thing.**

**Seishin: *wicked grin* Oh, we can take care of that. Afterall, we wouldn't want to disappoint our fans.**

**Ohirume: What do you mean by that?**

**Seishin: This. Everyone, get 'em! True Ride! White Hare in the Moon's Shadow, Pellinore! V!**

**Ohirume: WHAT?!**

**Faux: Aura Transmution! Chakra!**

**Luke: Link Attack! Metal Rush! Stinging Eight Sword Style!**

**Pike: Spark Forge! Puppeteers Blades!**

**Laura: Finishing Move! Dragonic Wand! Equip!**

**Omega: Rending Scissors! Decapitation Mode!**

**Mizuro: *guitar riff* Consider this payback for giving Seishin my guitar! CHANCE!**

**Nuevo: *click* Uh, rocket launcher. I guess.**

**Illavera: Hidari, Sword!**

**Hidari: Got it!**

**Gem: Pikachu, let's go!**

**Gem's Pikachu: ****_Alright!_**

***flash***

**Flash: Gem Build! Spark Scythe!**

**Pearl: Oh, that's what we're calling it. Gem Build! Spear Arrows!**

**Peridot: Gem Build! Rapier times 7!**

**Mewtwo: Gem Build! Amber Spoon!**

**Yugo: Pikachu, return! Elite Power, Pokéhuman, HA!**

***flash***

**Satoshi the Denkichu: Ultimate Elite! Satoshi the Denkichu! Tri-iron Tail Strike!**

**Ohirume: *trembling* Guys, we can talk about this!**

.

From buterflypuss (chapter 25):

good chap

**Ohirume: Thank you.**

**Omega: It's 'chapter' not-**

**Seishin: FUS! RO! ****DAH!**

**Omega: *twitches and covers ears* why…**

.

From buterflypuss (chapter 26):

good chap

**Ohirume: Thank you.**

**Omega: It's- it's … Okay, why do I have a feeling something bad will-**

**Seishin: I like trains.**

***train horn***

**Omega: AHHH!**

.

From TheSilverUmbreon (chapter 27):

i'm not sure if i forgot who 'stone edge' is or it's a 'freak' you mentioned, but never fully implented

quick attackXLR8

stone edge?

frenzy plantwildvine

overheatheatblast

calm mind? (i think it's grey matter)

ps will we see rath anytime soon, or are you sort of going in order of appearance (just not using ALL of them) with aliens from OG ben 10 being introduced during kanto-johto/hoenn, alien force aliens being introduced during hoenn-sinnoh and UA-omniverse (if you're using ultimates and the omniverse aliens) aliens during unova and so on...

or something like that

**Seishin: *psychotic laughing* Holy Arceus dude, you freaking nailed it!**

**Ohirume: *applause* Well done TheSilverUmbreon, you've cracked it in an instant. And, for the record, Stone Edge made an appearance during the bye bye butterfree chapter.**

**Omega: Also, the information about them is on the ****account profile.**** Trix's Pokémon team, all of his forms, and his enhancements from Power Integration. Pokémon and Alien alike. People still don't look at it.**

**Ohirume: As for the inclusion of the other aliens, I'll mostly play it by ear. I have already chosen some of the aliens that Trix will receive and they will be from every incarnation of the Ben 10 franchise. At least … the Canon stuff.**

**I'll play it by ear in that: I recently realized that what I have planned only gives Trix ****ONE**** new alien per region/generation/whatever. Even I have to admit that that's way too long of a wait. So, I'll take your ideas into consideration.**

**One last thing and it's a bit of a spoiler. Trix's next alien form will be a species from Ultimate Alien.**

.

From buterflypuss (chapter 27):

good chap

**Ohirume: Thank you.**

**Omega: …**

**Ohirume: You okay Omega?**

**Omega: Just- waiting. I know he'll do something in a bit. *Picks up and opens water bottle***

**Seishin: *dramatic pointing* Killer Queen has already touched that bottle cap.**

**Omega: *sigh* Yup.**

***BOOM***

.

***Continuation of ****From Guest (chapter 23):**

**That was not cool for what you did to soot and ash. I hope the others would get you back for what you did to those two.**

**Ps. Like the story so far.**

**Ohirume: *running* AHHHH!**

**Pearl: Hold still! *fires bow***

**Seishin: Call! Thousand Rapier Dragon! Attack the Author!**

**Thousand Rapier Dragon: Yes sir! In vino veritas!**

**Ohirume: *frantic dodging* Guys, seriously! This is overkill!**

**Mewtwo: Psystrike!**

**Nuevo: *Fires rocket launcher* Catch phrase.**

**Faux: Synchro Evolution! Fusion! Soul Burst! Overload Crash! Fusion Enforcer!**

*******MASSIVE! EXPLOSION!*******

**Ohirume: *heavy breathing* No more, please.**

**Mizuro: *smirk* Sorry, but you had this coming after throwing the Arlequin's at Trix and his kid. *guitar riff***

**Ohirume: *eyes widen* Wait a second! I'm not the one who gave Gastly the puppets! Yukiro did, remember?!**

**Omega: *glares at Seishin* Good point.**

**Peridot: It is also possible that the reviewer was referring to Yukiro rather than Rob.**

**Seishin: *looks around nervously* Uhhhh- Thousand Rapier? A little help?!**

**Thousand Rapier Dragon: Right away! In vino-**

**Laura: Link Attack! Mist Rage!**

**Flash: Thunderbolt!**

**Thousand Rapier Dragon: I'm sorry sir! *bursts***

**Seishin: Well, crag.**

**Pike: Finishing Move! High Speed Lighting Bat!**

**Illavera: Hidari! Enhance!**

**Hidari: Understood!**

**Seishin: Yipe!**

**Satoshi the Denkichu: Enjoy the deleted scenes, readers. Me-ga Hy-per Beam!**

**Luke: Finishing Move! Auranic Javelin!**

**Ohirume: Oh, thank goodness.**

.

.

St. Anne – Onix staircase:

Why: Followed the anime too much. The actual stairwell was still intact.

Where: After the truce.

.

Ash looked at the stairs above them, "For now, we have to figure out how to get up there."

"Onix can help make a staircase." Brock said as he brought out and enlarged a pokéball.

Soot grimaced, "Wait a second!"

Brock looked at her in confusion, "What?"

"Don't forget what I said before." Soot responded, "If we add more weight, we could end up tipping this thing."

Brock grimaced and put the pokéball away, "You may have a point."

.

Dog Days – Start. Literally the start:

Why: I just- decided against it

Where: Start

.

Everyone continued on their journey; en route to Celadon for Ash's next badge. The sun started setting, so they set up camp for the night.

They set up the table next to the main road and released all of their Pokémon to play around and relax. Brock was cooking. Charmander, Pikachu, Clefairy, Squirtle, and Geodude were running/hopping around and playing tag. Misty, Ash, Soot, Bulbasaur, and Onix sat by some nearby rocks and watched the Pokémon play. They didn't have access to Ash's pool, so Onix Dug out a large trench for Misty's Pokémon to fill up and relax in. Pidgeotto and Zubat flew around through the darkened sky.

Ash smacked the symbol on his chest, Lockdown Mode in-effect. Approximate time until release: thirteen hours.

Misty frowned slightly, "Are you alright, Ash?"

Ash nodded and started growling and barking.

Soot looked over, "He said 'yes.' In terms of Lockdown, he prefers the Pokémon forms."

Ash smiled as his tail started wagging.

"_Hey Ash!_"

The three of them looked over to see Squirtle motioning for Ash to come over, "_Come on! How about you join in?!_"

Charmander smiled and nodded, "_Yeah! It'll be fun!_"

Pikachu smirked, "_Might as well put this Lockdown to good use!_"

Ash grinned and stood up, "_You're on!_" He ran over to join in.

Bulbasaur smiled, "_Ash sure seems to be enjoying himself._"

Soot smiled, "Well, yeah. He can still understand everyone like this. Plus, it's a lot easier to explain if we come across someone."

Misty sighed, "Must be nice."

Soot smiled slyly, "Are you jealous?"

"Can you really blame me? Who doesn't sometimes imagine being able to turn into a-" Misty stopped, looked at Soot, and deadpanned, "Right ... Forgot who I was talking to."

Soot grinned, "Yeah. It's pretty awesome."

Misty chuckled and rolled her eyes, "At least he doesn't rub it in or anything."

"_AHHHHH!_/SQUIRTLE!"

Everyone by the rock flinched and looked over. Pikachu, Clefairy, Charmander, and Geodude were all laughing at the frozen Squirtle. Ash's mouth was still emitting an icy mist as he stared in surprise.

Ash sweat dropped, "_Sorry. Got a little carried away._"

Squirtle glared at him from inside the ice.

Soot laughed hysterically. Misty cracked a smile and joined in soon after.

Ash chuckled nervously and looked at Charmander, "_Can you thaw him out?_"

.

.

**SeishIn: *twitching on the ground* I feel like anyone who played against Orcust from before Rusty Bardiche got banned.**

**Omega: You can't take anything seriously, can you?**

**Seishin: *raises trembling finger* ASDF movie 12.**

**Mizuro: THEY MADE A TWELFTH ONE?! *runs like Yvel to a back room***

**Nuevo: *groans* Great. This again.**

**Gem: What's an ahs-duff?**

**Ohirume: A. S. D. F. They're letters that line up on a keyboard.**

**Faux: But, what does it stand for?**

**Ohirume: Nothing. It's a YouTube series by TomSka.**

**Mizuro: IT HAS AN ANIME OPENING!**

**Ohirume: A good one.**

**Yugo: Well readers, we hope enjoyed this … this- whatever it was.**

**Ohirume: *nods* Sorry about the upcoming 'delay' and we look forward to seeing you next time.**

**Mizuro: HOLY ****, THEY GOT PROBLUESPLAYER TO VOICE TWO OF THE CHARACTERS!**

**Seishin: *jumps* WHAT?! THEY GOT SUCTION CUP MAN?! *runs to the back* Look at me go!**

**Mewtwo: *blinks in surprise* I kind of thought he'd be down longer than that.**

**Ohirume: It's Yukiro.**

**Seishin: HA! That waffle joke is so dark!**

**Waffle: [smacking lips] My mouth tastes like teeth…**

***static***


	29. Ch 25: Celadon

**Faux: *groans* Great. This again.**

**Laura: What's wrong?**

**Seishin: *snickers* He's just upset because it's the Celadon chapter.**

**Pike: *grins* Yeah. This is the first time he had to dress up like a girl.**

**Illavera: Wait, what? *looks at Omega* Does that mean, you-**

**Omega: No.**

**Nuevo: Wait a second. ****First** **time?!**

**Gem: *sigh* It's so embarrassing. *smiles slyly* At least now Trix will have to do it.**

**Ohirume: Well…**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Erika's and the Scent-sational Perfumery**

.

Ash closed the case and placed it in his pants pocket.

Professor Oak frowned, "Are you sure about this, Ash? You haven't had much luck with the Change Lenses in the past. I'm still not even sure if what your trying is possible."

Ash looked back at him and nodded, "I'm sure, professor. I know I can do it this time."

"Even so, don't go pushing yourself too far." Samuel raised a brow, "What brought this on so suddenly?"

Ash frowned, "It's just been nagging me, I guess. I'm hoping for some kind of breakthrough."

Oak sighed before smiling sadly, "Fine. I know I can't talk you out of it, anyway."

Ash smiled softly and nodded, "Thanks." He brought up his watch and pressed the button on the side, "I should go ahead and head back before sunrise." He slammed down on the device and became shrouded in green light. The light faded and Quick Attack stood in the human's place.

Quick Attack raised a claw, "See ya, professor." He sped out of the building while shouting, "Wish me luck!" He kicked up a large gust of wind and blew around a stack of papers.

The professor's eye twitched, "Freaking Yvel, Quick Attack."

.

*Celadon City

Ash and the others walked through the large city; en route to the Grass-type Gym and Ash's fifth Gym battle. Ash looked ahead blankly. He was still thinking about his little project.

"Uh, Ash?"

Ash snapped out of it looked at Misty, "Yeah?"

The Cerulean Leader sweat dropped, "What's with the mask?"

Ash chuckled through the doctor's mask he was wearing, "Right, sorry. It's because of all the perfume in the air. It overloads my senses."

"Really?" Brock asked before sniffing the air, "It doesn't seem that bad."

Soot looked up; her eyes in their inherent state, "For you guys, it isn't. Remember that's dad's sense of smell is about as strong as mine."

Ash nodded, "I could smell this place from over a half-mile away."

Misty blinked in surprise and looked at Soot, "If that's true, then why aren't you wearing something?"

"Selective intangibility." Soot answered, "I just have to knock out the right nerves and it voids my sense of smell." She frowned slightly, "It makes tasting a little weird, though."

Brock smiled; still sniffing, "Well, you're missing out. Something smells heavenly."

Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy all sniffed too.

"Perfume." Misty said, 'It's kind of familiar.'

Pikachu smiled happily "_It smells like a garden._"

Clefairy smiled too, "_So sweet._"

Ash smiled under the mask, "Do you wanna check it-"

"Ye_s._" Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy said.

Soot snickered, "Alright, fine."

Ash pulled mask down a bit, flinched, and pulled it back up.

Misty looked at him in concern, "Are you okay?"

Ash held his head, "I will be in a bit." He pointed down the road, "Anyway, there's a pretty large concentration of perfume coming from that direction. I think it might be a store."

"A perfume store?" Brock asked. He grinned brightly and started jogging towards where Ash pointed, "Let's get a move on, then!"

Soot sweat dropped, "Should have guessed."

Misty sighed, "We should hurry."

The group ran after their friend.

.

**Time Skip**

Ash and the others found Brock pressing his face up against a window to the perfume shop. Some passerby's shot him a wary glance or chuckled at him.

Misty walked over and pulled on the Rock trainer's ear, "Give it rest, Brock! You're being creepier than normal."

Brock frowned and rubbed his ear, "Can you really blame me?" He pointed into the shop.

They all looked inside and saw three girls in matching pink and yellow outfits talking around a counter.

Soot sweat dropped, "For checking out hot girls? Not terribly." She deadpanned, "But, for pressing your face up against a window to do so? Yes. Yvel, yes."

Brock pouted and slumped forward.

Ash chuckled and looked at the Pokémon on his shoulders, "Do you two wanna check the place out?"

Clefairy nodded excitedly, "_Yes, please!_"

Misty smiled and opened the door, "Well, what are we waiting for?"

Misty, Ash, Brock, and Soot walked inside. They all looked around the shop in awe.

The three girls noticed them and walked over. The smiled brightly, "Welcome to Erika's Scent-sational Perfumery."

Ash blinked in surprise, "Erika?"

The girls all turned their attention to him. Their eyes narrowed at the sight of the mask.

Soot perked up, "Oh! This perfume store belongs to the Celadon Gym Leader."

The girls all looked at Soot in surprise.

Misty smiled brightly, "I knew something smelled familiar. My sister's get perfume from here all the time."

The purple-haired girl snapped out of it and grabbed her arm, "Then, let me show you a few of our more popular perfumes."

"Okay." Misty said as she followed the girl to a bench.

Pikachu and Clefairy looked at Ash hopefully.

Ash snickered, "Go ahead."

"_Yay!_" Clefairy cheered as she jumped down and ran over to Misty.

Pikachu jumped down too and looked up at Ash, "_Aren't you coming?_"

Ash shook his head, "Sorry bud, I'm gonna have to pass. But go enjoy yourself."

Pikachu nodded happily and bound over to the girls.

The green-haired girl moved over to Brock, "How about you something for that special someone in your life?"

Brock blushed with a dumb smile, "Sure. Whatever you say." He followed her; seemingly in a trance.

Soot sweat dropped, "I'll keep him out of trouble." She ran after the pair.

Ash chuckled and looked back at where the girls were. He found nothing.

He blinked in surprise, 'Weren't there three of them?'

"Excuse me." Said a feminine voice in an accusing tone.

Ash looked over to see a green-eyed woman in a blue, floral kimono. She was glaring at him.

Ash smiled; hidden by the mask, "You must be Erika."

Erika's eyes narrowed, "And you must be the boy wearing a doctor's mask in my perfumery."

Ash became somber and rubbed the back of his head, "I really am sorry about that, but I can't take it off. My sense of smell is so strong that I'd suffer from sensory overload if I did."

Erika blinked in surprise, "Are you serious?"

Ash nodded, "I know that mask is kind of … off putting. But I thought it seemed more polite than putting a clip on my nose." He looked down solemnly, "I really don't mean to mean to offend you and I'm sorry if I did."

Erika smiled softly, 'At least he's being polite.' "Apology accepted." She raised a brow, "But, if that's true, why did you come to the most perfume filled city in Kanto?"

Ash looked back up, "I actually came here to challenge you for a Rainbow Badge. I'm trying to enter the Pokémon League and am aiming to collect a badge from each of the main eight."

Erika smiled and nodded, "Very well. I accept your challenge." She smiled sadly, "However, I'm afraid you'll have to wait. I'm teaching a class soon and it does take priority."

Ash waved a hand, "No worries. I'm not in any rush. What time works for you?"

Erika smiled, "The class starts in about a half hour and we should be done after another two, or so."

Ash looked over at a clock on the wall; it read 4:32. He looked back at Erika, "So, around 7:00, then?"

Erika nodded, "Yes, that works just fine."

Ash smiled under the mask, "Thank you, Erika. That even gives me time to head to the Pokémon Center, first. And, if it's any consolation, I was able to safely smell your perfume outside the city limits. It really is nice."

Erika smiled, "Thank you. We actually use gloom essence for our perfumes."

Ash blinked in surprise, "Really? Wow, I never would have guessed." He looked around the store, "To actually use one of the world's most foul stenches to make something so sweet. Talk about impressive." He looked back at Erika, "You must have a real talent for this."

Erika sweat dropped at the 'foul stench' remark but perked up when Ash continued, "Thank you … um, I still don't know your name."

The trainer chuckled, "I'm Ash Ketchum."

.

*In the back of the perfumery

"You can't be serious!"

"Oh, I'm serious, alright! Some punk is actually wearing a surgical mask in the store!"

"I can't believe it! How dare he insult our perfume like that!"

"Not to mention, he came up with some lame excuse that his nose was too sensitive. When his mightyena seemed fine. And I swear I heard him say 'foul stench'!"

The girl on the other end growled, "That little- we can't let him get away with this!"

"Well, I heard him tell Erika that he's in the city to have a Gym battle with her. He'll be there around 7:00."

"Don't worry. We won't let him anywhere near here." She hung up.

The blond hung up too and smirked, "This'll show that brat."

.

**Time Skip**

The group of Ash, Misty, Brock, Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy made their way to the Pokémon Center.

Misty smiled at Ash, "Sounds like it went pretty well."

Ash nodded, "Yeah. Erika was really nice. She agreed to have a battle with me around 7:00. So, we have a good hour before we need to head over there."

Brock nodded, "Sounds good. That'll give us some time to restock."

Soot smiled blissfully, "And rest."

"And get everyone healed up." Ash finished with a raised finger.

Pikachu looked over at Ash, "_So, who's gonna battle?_"

Ash put a hand to his chin, "It's a Grass-type Gym, so Charmander and Pidgeotto for sure."

Soot looked up at him, "Also, it's a fifth badge battle. So, it might be three-on-three or even four-on-four."

Pikachu smirked and clenched a fist, "_I can battle, then!_"

Clefairy pouted, "_But, what about me? I've never been part of a Gym battle before._"

Ash looked at the mouse on his shoulder, "She has a point, Pikachu. Besides, Grass-types are resistant to your Electric-type moves."

Soot smirked, "Plus, you've already been in two Gym battles."

Pikachu chuckled nervously and rubbed the back on his head, "_Right. Sorry._" He perked up and looked at Clefairy with a determined smile, "_Give it all you've got, Clefairy. I'll be cheering for you the whole time._"

Clefairy smiled brightly and ran across Ash's back to hug the mouse, "_Thanks, Pikachu._"

Brock and Misty shared a look and shrugged with a sad smile.

Ash noticed and frowned under his mask.

He shook it off and glared ahead, 'I'll figure them out. I promise.'

.

*Later; Celadon Gym

Erika's class wrapped up and she made her way to the battlefield. That was twenty minutes ago.

The Grass trainer frowned as she stood on her side of the field. She looked over at a clock; it read 7:15, 'He couldn't have backed out, could he?'

"I DON'T CARE!"

Erika flinched upon hearing the shouting. It took her a second to realize that it came from one of her students.

She hurried towards the Gym's entrance and found Ash's orange haired friend and his Pokémon glaring at a large group of girls. They were glaring back.

The spikey-haired one stood between them and tried to ease the tension. Ash, himself, just stood there with a worried expression.

Erika ran over and stomped, "What's going on here?!"

.

*Earlier; Ash and others

After their visit to the Center, everyone made their way to the Celadon Gym.

Soot snickered, "Very funny, dad."

"I'm serious." Ash responded, "Erika really said that they use gloom essence to make their perfumes."

Misty held up her bottle of 'Daffodil Dreams' and blinked in surprise, "Wow. I never would have guessed." She looked at Ash with a slight frown, "Are you sure you'll be okay with me using this?"

Ash nodded, "Positive. I'm only having trouble right now because of the huge amount in the air around here."

Soot nodded too, "A spritz or two shouldn't hurt on the road." She grinned, "Besides, it'll make it easier to track you if we get separated."

The group chuckled.

The Gym appeared in the distance. A large crowd of girls wearing matching uniforms stood at the entrance.

Misty blinked in surprise, "What's going on?"

Soot tilted her head, "Maybe they're here to welcome us?"

Brock got in Ash's face and glared, "Ash, why didn't you say anything about this?! I didn't have any time to prepare!"

Misty and Soot deadpanned at the Rock-type trainer and sweat dropped.

Ash flinched and waved his hands, "I didn't know! Erika didn't mention anything about this. And the Gym's records said nothing about a welcoming committee."

Clefairy looked at the Gym and smiled, "_Maybe they want to be friends?_"

Pikachu frowned upon noticing the look on the girls' faces, "_They don't look very friendly._"

Ash and Soot heard him and followed his gaze. Brock and Misty followed suit.

Pikachu was right, the girls had already noticed the group and were glaring at them. Most of them had their arms crossed or hands on their hips.

Everyone shared a worriedly look before approaching the Gym.

Ash walked up, "Um, hello. My name is Ash Ketchum. I have a battle scheduled with Erika."

A girl with blue hair glared at him, "Not happening."

Ash blinked in surprise, "Huh?"

"You're battle with Erika has been canceled." Her glared deepened, "I wouldn't let you in if you were the last trainer on Earth."

Misty stepped forward and glared, "Now, hold on a second! What right do you have to say who battles the Gym Leader?!"

Ash put a hand on Misty's shoulder, "It's okay, Misty." He looked back at the Gym Trainer, "Can I ask 'why?'"

A brunette pointed at him accusingly, "Don't act like you don't know! You insulted our perfume!"

Ash waved his hands defensively, "What? I never said anything like that." He brought up a hand to touch his face, "If it's because the mask, I've already explained it all to Erika. My sense of smell is-"

"Liar!" The bluenette called out, "There's no way anyone's nose could be that sensitive."

A bright red-head pointed at Soot, "And what about your dog! If it's that bad, then why is it okay?!"

Soot glared, "Look at my eyes! I have a banette inheritance! I had to void my sense of smell to come anywhere near this place!"

A lot of the girls' eyes widened as they looked at Soot.

Soot sighed, "Now get out of our way so we can have our battle. You have no right to deny our challenge."

"I DON'T CARE!" The blue haired girl shouted, "I'm not letting some brat who called our perfume a 'foul stench' enter the Gym!"

Pikachu, Soot, and Clefairy glared, "_D_o_n'_t _in_s_ul_t _hi_m_!_"

Misty glared too, "Ash didn't do anything wrong!"

Brock grimaced, ran in between the two groups, and held out his arms, "Wait! I'm sure we talk this-"

"What's going on here?!"

Everyone turned to see Erika glaring at them all.

The blue-haired girl flinched, "Miss Erika!"

The Gym Leader glared at her, "Again with this?! For the last time, we are not allowed to exclude challengers without a legitimate reason!"

The brown-haired girl gulped, "B-but he insulted our perfume."

The blond from the perfumery nodded vigorously, "He called it a foul stench!"

Erika glared at her, "He was referring to the gloom essence. He even acknowledged how impressive it was that we use it in our perfume."

Soot blinked in surprise and looked up at Ash, "Wait, you were serious about that?"

Ash chuckled, "Told ya."

Erika continued glaring, "And even if he did, that isn't a reason to deny him a battle!"

Erika walked over to Ash and smiled sadly, "I'm sorry about my students." She glared back at said students, "They have a bad habit of this."

The girls slumped over in shame.

Ash sighed in relief, "I'm just happy you showed up when you did. I was really starting to get worried."

Erika smiled, "Well, no need to worry anymore. Let's go ahead and start our battle."

Ash nodded, "Thank you, Erika."

Erika started walking back towards the battlefield. Ash and the others followed. Misty and the Pokémon stuck their tongues out at the girls as they passed.

.

*Gym Battle

Ash and Erika stood on either side of the battlefield. Brock, Misty, Soot, and a few of Erika's students sat at the bleachers. Clefairy stood by Ash's side with a determined smile and Pikachu stood next to her.

Erika smiled, "First things first, how many badges do you currently have?"

"Four." Ash responded.

Erika nodded, "Very well." She looked at the referee, "You know the drill."

The referee nodded, "This gym battle will be between the Celadon City gym leader, Erika, and the challenger, Ash Ketchum. Both sides may use up to three Pokémon, but only the challenger may substitute. The battle will be decided when one sides Pokémon are unable to continue. Should the challenger be victorious, they shall be awarded the Rainbow Badge. Are the rules clear?"

Ash and Erika nodded.

The ref raised her arm, "Then, let the battle BEGIN!" She brought it down.

Ash held out an arm, "Clefairy, take the field!"

Erika pulled out and threw a pokéball, "Go, Tangela!"

Clefairy jumped onto the field as the Vine Pokémon emerged.

"_Go Clefairy!_" Pikachu cheered.

"Give 'em Yvel!" Soot followed.

The humans at the bleachers sweat dropped at the canine's words.

Ash's eyes narrowed, 'Tangela. Pure Grass-type. High Physical Defense and Special Attack.' He smirked; hidden by the mask, 'But low Special Defense.'

'Fairy-type, huh?' Erika smirked, 'Extra weak to Poison.'

The referee gestured to Ash, "The challenger gets the first move. Start!"

Ash held out a hand, "Clefairy, Disarming Voice!"

Clefairy complied and shouted the attack at Tangela.

Erika smirked, "Dodge! Then Constrict!"

Tangela jumped over the sound move as a pair of vines unwrapped from its body and shot towards Clefairy.

Ash's eyes narrowed, 'Given the trajectory-' He smirked, "Clefairy, Metronome!"

Clefairy pointed upwards and started waving her fingers right as Tangela ensnared her. The Grass-type reeled itself over to Clefairy and held her tightly. The Fairy-type grimaced but continued her move.

Erika smiled and held out her hands, "Now Tangela, hit it with Poison Powder!"

Tangela started emitting the purple powder and shrouded Clefairy in it.

"_Clefairy!_" Pikachu cried out it alarm.

Brock grimaced, "This is bad. Fairy-types are especially weak to Poison-type moves."

Soot smirked, "True. But I wouldn't worry about this one."

Clefairy's hands shot out of the cloud; claws glowing red. They swiped at Tangela ferociously. The Grass-type flinched, let go, and stumbled backwards.

Erika frowned, "Oh no! Tangela!"

Ash clenched a fist, 'Alright! Crush Claw!' "Nice work Clefairy!" He held out a hand again, "Disarming Voice!"

Clefairy's attack tore through the cloud and fired straight at Tangela. The Grass-type shouted as the attack struck.

"Pound!"

Clefairy ran forward and slapped Tangela. The Grass-type flew back and landed on the ground; eyes in swirls.

The referee held an arm towards Ash, "Tangela is unable to battle! Clefairy wins!"

"_Alright!_" Clefairy cheered. She smiled brightly, despite the purple tint on her face, "_Ash, I did it! I won!_"

Ash chuckled lightly, "Nice work, Clefairy."

"What's going on?" The blue-haired girl asked in surprise, "How is Clefairy okay? It's poisoned."

Ash raised a finger, "It's because her ability is Magic Guard. Clefairy can still be poisoned but she won't take any damage from it."

Clefairy smiled and shrugged, "_I don't get it either._"

Erika blinked in surprise before smiled softly, "Very impressive." She brought out and pointed a pokéball at her Pokémon, "Return, Tangela."

"Come on back, Clefairy." Ash said while gesturing for her to come, "Let's give someone else a turn."

Clefairy ran over and looked up at him brightly, "_How'd I do?!_"

Ash crouched down to pet her, "You were great, Clefairy. I'm proud of you."

Clefairy's eyes lit up and she jumped for joy. Ash smiled at the Fairy-type. Though, it was still hidden under the mask.

"You can go ahead and cure her poison, if you want." Erika called out.

Ash looked at her in surprise, "Really? She can still battle."

Erika smiled and nodded, "I'm sure. Magic Guard may prevent her from being hurt, but it must still be uncomfortable."

Ash smiled softly, "Thank you, Erika." He took off and reached into his backpack. He pulled out a Pecha Berry and handed it to Clefairy, "Here. You've earned it."

Clefairy took the fruit and bit into it with a smile. The purple tint on her face was already starting to fade.

Ash pet the Fairy Pokémon again, "Go relax for now."

Clefairy nodded and sat down next to Pikachu. Pikachu sat down too and glanced at the Pecha in her hands. Clefairy noticed and looked at him. Pikachu flinched and looked back at the battlefield.

"_Here._"

Pikachu looked back to see Clefairy smiling and handing half of the berry to him.

Pikachu waved his paws and sweat dropped, "_It's okay. You need it more, anyway._"

Clefairy pushed it closer to him, "_No I don't. Besides, I know they're your favorite._"

Pikachu smiled softly as he accepted it, "_Thanks._"

The pair bit into the sweet berries and smiled blissfully.

Ash couldn't help but smile.

"Weepinbell, go!"

Ash snapped out of it and threw his pokéball, "Charmander, it's you move!"

The combatants appeared on the battlefield.

Charmander took a deep breath to calm himself, '_Stay calm and stay focused. You've been preparing for this._' He glared at Weepinbell and took up his fighting stance, '_Don't let Ash down!_'

The ref held up an arm, "Second round!" She brought it down, "Start!"

"Weepinbell, use Razor Leaf!"

The Grass-type spun as it fired the swarm of leaves at Charmander.

"Charmander, counter with Flamethrower!"

Charmander's eyes narrowed as he fired a stream of at the Razor Leaves. The leaves burned to a crisp and started raining down around Weepinbell.

The Flycatcher Pokémon flinched and dodged frantically as the flames rained down.

Erika grimaced, "Oh no!"

Ash brought up a fist, "Nice work, Charmander." He gestured forward, "Now, Skull Bash!"

Charmander charged forward and rammed into Weepinbell. The Grass-type flew back and landed on the ground.

"Finish it with Dragon Rage!"

Charmander smirked as his tail flame grew larger. He puffed up his chest and fired the ball of orange flames. It struck Weepinbell and kicked up a cloud of dust.

"Weepinbell!" Erika cried out in alarm.

The dust settled to reveal the unconscious weepinbell.

The ref raised an arm, "Weepinbell is unable to battle!" She gestured to Ash's side again, "Charmander wins this round!"

Charmander's eyes widened, "_I- won?_"

"Good job, Charmander!" Ash called out.

Charmander looked back at him and smiled brightly.

"Alright, Ash!" Misty cheered.

"You've got this!" Brock called out.

Erika smiled sadly and held out a pokéball, "Good job, Weepinbell. Return."

The Grass-type disappeared in the red beam.

Erika put away Weepinbell's pokéball and smiled softly, "I have to admit, Ash, you've battle skills are impressive. You even have a level of empathy with your Pokémon that I haven't seen in long time."

Ash smiled softly; hidden by the mask, "Thank you, Erika. I put a lot of work into training with them."

"Plus, it helps that I can translate for them!" Soot called out.

Ash chuckled, "Yeah. Good point."

Erika chuckled lightly and pulled out a pokéball, "Now then, it's time for my partner." She spun and threw the ball, "Go, Gloom!"

Gloom emerged on the battlefield. Charmander glared apprehensively.

Ash looked down at the lizard, "You good to continue, Charmander?"

Charmander glanced back, smirked, and nodded, "_I won't let you down, Ash!_"

Pikachu and Clefairy blinked in surprise and shared a look.

Ash nodded, "Alright." He looked at the ref, "We're ready."

The ref nodded, "Then, let the battle BEGIN!"

Erika gesture forward, "Gloom, do what you do best!"

Gloom pointed her head forward and started spraying noxious fumes at the Fire-type.

Ash grimaced, 'Crag!' "Charmander, Smokescreen!"

Charmander complied and shot a large cloud of black smoke from his mouth. The smoke formed a pseudo-wall in front of him and stopped the stench from reaching Fire-type.

Erika blinked in surprise, 'I didn't even know you could do that.' She shook it off and pointed ahead, "Gloom, use Energy Ball!"

The green sphere formed and fired towards the Smokescreen.

"Dragon Rage!" Ash called out.

An explosion cleared the smoke and the Energy Ball shot into the empty space. Ash could be seen pointing downward.

Erika grimaced, "Gloom! Charmander must have used Dig! Be on guard!"

Ash smirked, 'Not a bad guess.' He looked up, "Charmander, Flamethrower!"

Erika's eyes widened and she looked up. Charmander could be seen in the air in a freefall.

The Lizard Pokémon smirked and fired the stream of flames at Gloom.

"_AHH!_" The Weed Pokémon cried out as the flames engulfed it.

Charmander cut off the attack and landed on the ground. He breath heavily and slumped forward slightly.

Gloom emerged from the Flamethrower; trembling.

One of the girls at the bleachers looked at Charmander in shock, "How did it do that?! A charmander shouldn't be able to fly!"

Soot chuckled, "Propulsion. He shot and detonated Dragon Rage at his feet to shoot himself into the air. You can do this with pretty much any move that has a Projectile Style and/or causes an explosion."

Erika glared, "Gloom, Giga Drain!"

"Dodge it!" Ash shouted in alarm.

Gloom's orange leaves started glowing green. A set off energy beams shot from the leaves towards Charmander.

Charmander took a step to the side and grimaced before falling on a knee. He flinched as the beams wrapped around him and sapped his energy.

Erika smirked, "Energy Ball!"

Charmander's eyes widened as the ball approached him. It exploded on impact. Charmander was thrown back and crashed on the ground.

The ref raised an arm to Erika, "Charmander is unable to battle! Gloom wins the round!"

"Charmander!" Ash called out as he ran over. Pikachu and Clefairy followed.

Charmander clenched his paws into fists and closed his eyes, '_I failed. I failed my trainer again._' He clenched his teeth, '_And against another Grass-type! N-now he'll-_'

Ash put a hand on the lizard's head, "Are you okay?" He asked with worry in his voice.

Charmander's eyes shot open and stared he stared into Ash's eyes.

The trainer looked back softly and smiled under the mask, "Good to see you awake." He petted the Fire-type, "You did great, Charmander."

Charmander's eyes widened, "_I- I- But … I lost._"

The mouse and fairy frowned. Pikachu muttered the message quietly.

Ash's look saddened and he picked up the starter, "I know. That just means we practice more and get stronger." He pulled him into a hug, "You gave it your all and that's what matters. So long as you do that, I'll never be disappointed in you for losing a battle."

Charmander stared tearing up and hugged him back with a sad smile, "_Thank you, Ash._"

Erika and her students on the bleachers watched the scene in confusion. Misty and Brock smiled sadly.

The purple haired girl looked at Brock, "Is everything alright?"

Brock frowned, "Sort of. Charmander was abandoned by his trainer before Ash saved him."

Soot glared at the ground, "His old son of a glitch trainer abused him terribly and tried to-" She stopped sighed, "Officer Jenny hauled him off to prison."

The girl's eyes all widened in shock.

Misty smiled sadly, "Ash has been doing a lot to try and help him."

Erika overheard and smiled sadly. She couldn't bring herself to interrupt.

After another minute, Ash pulled the lizard back and pulled out his pokéball, "We'll get you healed up at the Center. Get some rest, for now. You've earned it."

Charmander smiled and nodded before disappearing into the red beam. Ash put the ball away and walked back towards his side of the field.

Ash brought out a pokéball and looked back at Erika, "Ready, Erika?"

Erika smiled and nodded, "I'm ready."

The trainer reeled back, "Pidgeotto, enter the fr-"

A round of annoyingly familiar laughter sounds throughout the room.

Everyone looked up to Team Rocket smirking on top of a light fixture.

Soot growled, "Seriously?! Again?!"

Misty glared, "What are you doing here?!"

Jessie laughed, "What we always do, of course."

James smirked and pointed, "Just because the Ashley act got cut doesn't mean we're out of the chapter."

Ash blinked in surprise, "What?"

The green-haired girl looked over to the blond, "Ashley, what's he talking about?"

The blond -apparently named Ashley- shrugged, "Beats me."

Jessie glared and smacked James over the head, "Stop that! We can't throw in a fourth wall- I mean, one of those jokes every chap- every  time we show up!"

James pouted and rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry, Jess."

Jessie sighed before smirking again, "Prepare for trouble!"

James recovered and smirked too, "And make it double!"

Jessie jumped down to the ground, "To protect the world from devastation!"

James followed suit, "To unite all peoples within our nation!"

The pair landed in a crouch and stood back up.

Soot blinked in surprise, "Woah."

Brock stared in surprise, "Say what you want, but they do have skills."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!" Jessie continued.

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

Meowth jumped down from the light; holding a plunger detonator, "And last, but not least, to blast this dump sky-high!"

Erika's eyes widened, "WHAT?!"

Meowth pressed down on the plunger. A large flash and cloud of smoke came up from under the tRio.

"Jessie!" "James!" The pair cried out in terror before being blasted through the roof of the gym.

.

*Self-induced blast off scene

Jessie glared at the Scratch Cat furiously, "Where did you put the bomb?!"

Meowth flinched, "N-near us so I wouldn't lose it."

James held up a glass bottle, "At least we got their perfume's secret ingredient."

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

.

*Celadon Gym

Soot stared into the night sky in shock, "I- I don't even- How could they manage to-"

Everyone else stared in shock as a massive fire engulfed the area.

Erika put a hand over her mouth, "N-no. My gym." She failed to notice a ceiling tile crumbling over her.

Ash ran in and tackled her out of the way as the tile crashed down.

Erika looked up at Ash in awe, "Th-thank you."

Ash helped her back up, "Don't mention it." He looked back over at the bleachers and glared, "Guys, snap out of it! We need to evacuate! NOW!"

The purple-haired girl nodded, "Right!" She stood up and looked around the area, "Quick, girls, we need to get all the Pokémon out of here!"

The girls ran around the room with pokéballs in hand.

"Hurry! Now!"

"There's some over here!"

"We've got to get them all!"

"Keep looking!"

.

*Outside the gym

Everyone evacuated the gym and worked frantically to put out the inferno. Erika's students all used either a hose or water buckets against the flames.

Ash, Brock, and Misty already had out their Pokémon.

"Squirtle! Water Gun!" Ash called out.

"Staryu, Starmie, and Horsea! Use Water Gun!" Misty followed.

"Geodude!" Brock shouted with an outstretched arm, "Throw as much sand as you can!"

The five Pokémon complied and started firing away at the blaze.

Soot ran over with a water bucket and threw in on to the fire. Pikachu and Clefairy ran over with another one and followed suit.

Erika ran around with a worried expression.

Misty noticed, "Erika, what's wrong?"

Erika frowned, "I can't find Gloom anywhere."

Ash grimaced, "What?!" He looked at the flames and his eyes narrowed, "Crag! She might still be in there!"

Erika's eyes widened and stepped towards the blaze.

Misty grabbed her, "Erika, you can't!"

Erika looked at her with in worry, "But Gloom might be trapped!"

Ash put a hand on her shoulder, "I'll handle it."

Erika looked at him in shock.

Ash looked back at his Water-type, "Squirtle, listen to Misty for now!"

Squirtle gave him a thumbs up, "_Got it!_"

Ash ran towards the inferno and disappeared into the blaze.

Erika held out an arm, "No, wait!"

"Don't worry, Erika." Misty said, "Ash will be fine." 'I hope.'

.

*Ash

"Gloom!" Ash called out as he ran back to the battlefield, "Say something!"

"Gloom!"

Ash looked over to a bush to see Gloom shaking in fear.

Ash smiled under his mask, "There you are!" He charged into the blaze, dodged a flaming tile, and scooped up Gloom, "Don't worry, Gloom. I'll get you out of-"

Ash's eyes widened and jumped to the side to dodge another ceiling tile. Gloom shivered in fear as Ash held her.

Ash looked around the room warily, 'Crag! This is too much! Even for Vaporeon!' He looked down at the trembling Grass/Poison-type and his eyes narrowed, 'First things first, I need to get Gloom out of here!'

He put Gloom back down. The Weed Pokémon flinched and grabbed his left arm.

Ash put a hand on Gloom's head, "It's okay, Gloom. Please trust me. I promise to keep you safe."

Gloom looked around at the blaze warily. She looked back up at Ash and nodded before letting go.

Ash nodded and brought up his watch, "Try not to freak out." He popped up the dial, spun it, and slammed down.

Gloom flinched and shied away as Ash was engulfed in a green light. It faded and she looked back at Ash.

Gloom's eyes shot open in shock at what she saw, "_AHHHHHH!_"

.

*Outside

"GLOOOOOOOM!"

Erika's eyes widened, "GLOOM!" She glared into the fire, "Don't worry! I'm coming!"

Misty grabbed her arm, "Erika, stop! It's too dangerous!"

Erika glared at her, "I don't care! Gloom needs my help!"

"AHH!" One of the girls screamed, "What is that?!"

Everyone looked back at the entrance and their eyes widened.

A tall creature stood at the entrance with its arms outstretched and the Gym's flames connecting to its hands.

It appeared to be made entirely out of hardened, red magma with glowing, yellow magma veins traveling all across its body. It's hands and feet were made of the same yellow magma and its head resembled a less detailed skull engulfed in flames.

Misty's eyes widened upon noticing the symbol on its chest, "Is that-"

Soot smirked, "Overheat."

Squirtle's jaw dropped, "_What?! Ash can turn into __that__?!_"

Pikachu blinked in surprise, "_His name suddenly makes sense._"

Clefairy tilted; not getting the joke, "_I thought humans got names when they were born._"

Erika stared at Ash in shock before noticing something. Her eyes widened, "Gloom!"

Gloom peeked out from around Overheat's leg and smiled brightly before running towards Erika. Erika crouched down as Gloom jumped into her arm.

"Thank Arceus, you're okay!" Erika said with a softly smile.

"Gloom!" The Weed Pokémon cried happily.

One of the girls glared at Ash, "We need to stop that thing!" She pointed the hose at him and put her hand on the switch.

Brock ran in front of the hose and spread his arms, "You can't! You could hurt him!"

The girl blinked in surprise, "Huh?"

Soot ran over, "Brock's right! Look closer!"

Erika blinked in surprise before looking again. Her eyes widened, "The flames are weakening!"

Soot smirked, "Right! He's not shooting the fire, he's absorbing it!"

Misty clenched a fist, "Well let's help him, then!" She held out an arm, "Everyone, Water Gun! Aim away from A- I mean, the creature!"

Erika looked around at the trainers, "You heard her, girls!"

.

*Another non-climactic firefighting scene later

**Ohirume: I'm sorry but I barely know how to write a firefighting scene aside from using a hose. This isn't a Fire Force Fanfiction.**

**Seishin: Which is ironic because pyronites look a lot like infernals.**

**Omega: How is that ironic?**

**Seishin: … Shut up.**

Overheat walked down the staircase and towards the group. The Celadon Native's -presumably- all looked at him warily.

Erika gulped, "Um. Th-thank you for helping us. And for saving Gloom."

Ash smiled softly and nodded.

The purple-haired girl walked over; somewhat trembling, "Do you … have a name?"

"Overheat." He said in a deep, rough voice. They expected him to continue. He did not.

Brock and Misty looked at Soot with confused expressions.

Soot looked back, "Strong and silent type. Emphasis on the silent."

Overheat jumped back as a small, but powerful, jet of flames burst from his feet. He shot into the air and spun as he gained altitude. Once he made it above the gym, he cut off the jets on his feet, flipped and twisted, and fired from his hands to shoot over the gym and out of sight.

Erika and her students all watched in awe and shock.

Soot sweat dropped, "Yet, surprisingly flashy."

Brock scratched his head, "You'd kind of expected something like that to have a short temper or something."

Soot shrugged, "That's fair."

Misty smirked, "He is a hothead."

Misty's Pokémon, Pikachu, Soot, and Squirtle all groaned. Clefairy giggled.

Ash ran out of the gym; mask still on. He slumped forward and breathed heavily, "Erika *huff* I'm sorry *huff* but I couldn't find Gloom any-" He looked back up and blinked in surprise, "Oh, there she is."

He ran down the stairs, towards the group.

Ash looked around happily, "It looks like everyone made it out. I didn't see anyone else inside."

One of the girls stared at him; wide eyed, "Speaking of which, how were you okay in there?"

Ash tugged on his jacket, "Fireproof clothing." He put a hand on his mask, "And this thing helped filter out the smoke."

Another girl ran over, "What about that Overheat thing?!"

Ash blinked in surprise, "You mean that big red thing?" He pointed back to the gym, "I saw it flying off into the distance through a window. I have no idea where it went."

The girls all looked at each other in confusion and/or worry.

Misty crouched down next to Soot and whispered, "Are they really gonna buy that?"

Soot smirked, "It worked on you guys at Melanie's place."

Brock and Misty stared in surprise and shared a look.

Brock rubbed the back of his head, "Good point."

Ash looked back at the gym with a somber expression, "I'm sorry about all of this." He looked back at Erika, "Also, for Team Rocket taking your secret ingredient."

Erika smiled and raised finger, "I wouldn't worry. That bottle only had one ingredient." She smirked and narrowed her eyes, "Concentrated gloom essence."

Gloom chuckled, "_It smells worse than normal._"

Soot laughed maniacally, "Oh man! I wish could see the look on their faces when they open it!"

Erika chuckled before continuing, "As for the gym, we should be able to fix it. Insurance should help with the actual building and the ashes from our plants can be repurposed as soil."

Ash smiled softly; again, blocked by mask, "Good to hear. So, um, should we reschedule the Gym Battle, then?" He glanced at the structure, "And relocate?"

Erika chuckled lightly and reached behind her back, "I don't think that will be necessary." She held out a Rainbow Badge to Ash, "I think you've earned it."

Ash sighed before taking the badge, "Thank you, Erika."

Erika blinked in surprise, "I thought you'd be happy. Not a lot of trainers can say they've earned a badge as a 'thank you.'"

Misty smirked and slung an arm around Ash's shoulder, "Yeah. And even less can have it happen three times."

Ash sweat dropped, "Come on, Misty."

Erika stared in shock, "What?"

Brock walked over and smiled, "I gave Ash a Boulder Badge as thanks for saving my siblings."

Misty pointed to herself, "My sisters gave him a Cascade Badge after he saved most of our Gym from Team Rocket."

Soot walked over and smiled slyly, "And if not that it's something else. A haunter made Sabrina's kadabra laugh itself into submission."

Ash groaned, "Thanks for that."

Pikachu jumped on to his shoulder and smirked, "_Hey. At least I actually beat Surge._"

Ash chuckled lightly and pet the mouse, "Yeah. I guess."

Erika just stared at the group in complete shock.

.

*That night; Pokémon Center

Soot stirred awake and looked around the bedroom; eyes still in their inherent state. Pikachu and Clefairy slept peacefully on the bed and Ash was nowhere to be seen.

Soot looked over to the bathroom door. It was closed with the lights off.

The Dark-type frowned and rolled out of the bed. She walked through the wall to the Pokémon Center's hallway.

She sniffed around before realizing something.

Soot groaned, 'Right. Can't smell.' She sighed, 'Here goes nothing.'

The canine cut off the intangibility and flinched as all of the scents hit at once. She voided her sense of smell again, shook her head, crouched down until the pain went away.

After recovering, she ran silently down one of the halls. She came up to a broom closet. Under the door, she could see a strange, flickering flash and what sounded like scrapping metal.

Soot's eyes narrowed before she poked her head through the door.

Inside, there was a small, grey, amphibious creature crouching down over a set of tools. It stood at approximately four inches tall and had its back turned to Soot. It had gills on the sides of its head; near its cheeks. On its back, there was a familiar green symbol.

Soot blinked in surprise, "Calm Mind?"

Ash flinched and looked back; revealing his green, bulbous eyes with rectangular pupils.

He saw Soot and sighed in relief, "Greetings, Soot. I request that you not startle me in such a fashion in the future." He said in a high pinched voice

Soot sweat dropped, "Right…" She walked into the closet, "Dad, what's going on? Why are you-" She stopped and stared upon seeing what he was working on.

Soot groaned and gave Ash a disappointed look, "Really, dad? The Change Lenses again?"

Calm Mind's eyes narrowed; showing horizontal eye lids, "Do not lecture me about this, offspring. I have legitimate reasons for taking these actions."

Soot sighed and sat down, "Fine. Then, tell me."

Ash sighed, "It has come to my attention in these recent few solar cycles that our companions-"

"Dad." Soot interrupted with an annoyed glare, "Change into something normal first."

The amphibian frowned before reaching around and hitting the symbol on his back. The green light flared up and faded to reveal Ash in banette form.

Soot sighed and looked Ash in his matching eyes, "Dad, what's going on? I thought we left all your tools at the lab."

"_I ran back last night._" Ash frowned, "_It's Brock and Misty. I know you've been hearing it too._"

Soot frowned, "All that jealousy stuff? Dad, you know they don't hold it against you, right?"

Ash sat down and shook his head, "_That's not the point, Soot. They feel left out and I don't blame them._" He looked back at Calm Mind's supplies, "_I thought if I could just finish them, then-_" He stopped and sighed.

"Dad, you've been trying to get these things to work for almost two years now." Soot said; still frowning, "What makes you think you can get them to work this time?"

Ash's eyes narrowed slightly, "_I have a reason, now. I'm going to figure them out, Soot._"

Soot sighed, "Fine." She walked over and nudged up against Ash, "Just promise to get some sleep."

Ash smiled sadly and hugged her head, "_Promise._"

Soot pulled back and glared mockingly, "And don't lockdown."

Ash snickered, "_Alright. Alright._"

Soot snickered and looked at Clam Mind's little set up, "Should we tell Brock and Misty?"

Ash frowned and shook his head, "_No. At least, not until I finish them. I don't want to get their hopes up on a false promise._"

Soot smiled softly, "Alright."

Ash smiled and hit the symbol on his stomach. The light appeared and faded to reveal Calm Mind again.

Ash looked up at Soot and smiled, "I wish you joyous mental perception over the course of this lunar cycle, Soot."

Soot sweat dropped, "Sweat dreams to you too, dad." She turned around and walked back to the door. She stopped and looked back with a sad smile, "Good luck." She jumped through the closed door.

Calm Mind smiled softly and got back to work.

.

.

**Omega: And, once again, Trix avoids embarrassment and one-ups the two of you at the same time.**

**Faux: Aw, come on! I had to literally take the form of a girl to do that!**

**Mizuro: *sly smirk* So, not only did you cross-dress, you-**

**Faux: I was still male! … On the inside.**

**Luke: *sweat drops* You're really not helping your case here.**


	30. Ch 26: Hypno

**Omega: I- I- Wha- Who names these places?!**

**Faux: *sigh* Yeah. HopHopHop Town is just too weird of a name.**

**Mizuro: *spit take* WHAT TOWN?!**

**Seishin: I know, right? It's almost as bad a name as *shivers* Toadally Awesome.**

**Ohirume: *groan* Why didn't they just keep it as Treatoad?**

**Omega: I'm sorry, what?**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Trashy Titles & Terrible Town Names (T4N)**

**Or**

**Unfortunate Aliases of Confusingly Labeled Townships (Seishin: Oh, Rob. Why? Ohirume: Yeah … not every JoJo reference is a good one.)**

.

Ash and his friends continued on their journey. Their destination: Fuchsia City for Ash's sixth Gym badge. There were currently cutting through-

"_Pleeeeaaase._" Clefairy whined as she pushed up against Ash's head.

Ash looked at her with a sad smile, "I'm sorry, Clefairy. But we can't work on Dazzling Gleam yet."

Clefairy pouted, "_Why not?_"

"There are too many people around." Ash responded, "We can practice in a forest, like usual."

Clefairy smiled brightly, "_That's great!_" She pointed into the distance, "_There's a forest right there! Let's go!_"

Soot looked where she pointed and smiled sadly, "Sorry Clefairy, but that's a park. It's still too public."

Clefairy slumped forward, "_Aww._"

Ash smiled softly and pet her.

Misty snickered. She looked over to the Gym Leader holding the map, "Hey, Brock. Where are we anyway?"

Brock looked at the map and sweat dropped, "Uh, HopHopHop Town?"

Pikachu looked back and stared in shock. Misty stared as well, "_A_r_e _y_o_u_ s_e_r_i_o_u_s_?"

Ash sweat dropped, "Unfortunately, he is. The founder was pretty … eccentric."

Misty snapped out of it and looked at Ash in surprise, "Did you study this place?"

Ash chuckled, "Not exactly." He pointed back, "We passed a statue of the founder earlier and the plaque was, uh, interesting."

Brock raised a brow, "Who was this guy?"

Ash sweat dropped, "I'm not even sure how to pronounce it. I think his first, middle, and last names were over three syllables and had the honorifics 'Sir,' 'Lord,' and 'Esquire'. And to make it weirder, 'the fourth'."

**Omega: That explains it.**

Brock, Misty, and Soot looked at him in shock. Clefairy looked at Pikachu in confusion. The mouse just shrugged.

"I, uh" Misty said in a daze, "I don't even know how to respond to that."

Ash sighed, "Yeah. No one really knows why he named this place HopHopHop Town."

Soot smirked with a raised a brow, "With a name like that, you'd expect this place to be loaded with hoppip."

Ash chuckled, "Yeah. Or spoink."

"Arnold!"

Everyone turned to see a woman with brown hair running towards Ash.

"Arnold!" She cried out as she pulled Ash into a hug; knocking Clefairy and Pikachu off his shoulders, "Where have you been Arnold? Mother's been so worried."

"H_uh_?" Brock, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Misty said in confusion.

Clefairy blinked in surprise, "_Why is that lady calling Ash 'Arnold'?_"

Pikachu raised a brow, "_And hugging him?_"

Soot sweat dropped, "Uh, not sure." She sighed, "But I've got a pretty good guess."

Ash struggled and managed to say, "I'm sorry, ma'am. But you have me confused with someone else."

The woman looked closer and let go in surprise, "Oh! I'm so sorry. I thought you were my son, Arnold." He looked down somberly, "You look so much like him."

Ash smiled softly and waved a hand, "It's okay. This happens more often than you may think."

Misty blinked in surprise. She crouched down to Soot and whispered, "Is Ash serious or is he just being polite."

Soot sweat dropped again, "He's serious, alright. Dad has a very common face."

Brock looked at her in surprise, "Really? How many times has this happened?"

"I stopped counting over a year ago."

.

**Time Skip**

Everyone sat at, and around, a set of benches.

The woman looked down somberly, "I'm just so worried about my son. He's been missing for three days."

"And you haven't heard from him?" Brock asked.

The woman shook her head, "Not a word."

Ash frowned, "Could he have gone on a journey? Maybe he said something about becoming a trainer?"

"He never said anything like that. Plus, he isn't old enough to become a trainer."

Misty spoke up, "Do you think he might just come home soon?"

She looked down somberly again, "Arnold isn't the only child to have vanished so suddenly." She looked over to a nearby wall, "See those posters?"

Everyone followed her gaze. Their eyes all widened upon seeing line up of missing persons posters.

The woman continued, "Those are pictures of all the children that have disappeared."

Misty stared in shock, "Whoa."

Brock gulped, "Just how dangerous is this town?"

Ash, Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy just stared; speechless. Ash and Soot snapped out of it when they noticed Officer Jenny putting up another poster.

The pair quickly ran over to her; with Pikachu and Clefairy still on Ash's shoulders, "Officer Jenny."

The cop looked back at them, "Huh?" She blinked in surprise upon seeing Ash and looked down at one of the posters. She looked back at Ash and smiled, "Oh, there you-"

Ash raised a hand and deadpanned, "I'm not Arnold. I just look like him." He looked down at the poster and blinked in surprise, "apparently."

Soot looked down at the poster and back up at Ash, "Huh, I can see the resemblance."

Clefairy looked at the poster and back at Ash repeatedly; shocked, "_B-but I thought-_" She looked at Ash, "_How many of you are there?!_"

Pikachu stared at the poster then down at Soot, "_Are you sure you're an only child?_"

Soot stared at Pikachu and deadpanned, "You don't know that much about humans. Do you?"

Jenny looked at Soot in surprise. She looked back at Ash and raised a brow, "You're the boy that helped with the Squirtle Squad and caught that scammer in Maiden's Peak. Right?"

Ash chuckled, "I'm guessing your relatives said something about a talking mightyena?"

Officer Jenny smiled brightly, "That was you! My cousin's cousin in Maidens Peak said you helped stop one of the biggest threats to this year's festival."

Ash blinked in surprise, 'That was the biggest threat to the festival? Gastly really knows how to keep a low profile.'

Soot sweat dropped, 'Cousin's cousin? What the Yvel is their family?'

Brock blushed and smiled goofily, "This one's the most beautiful one yet."

Misty gave him a sideways glare and mumbled, "They're all exactly alike."

Brock ran up to the cop; shoving Ash aside in the process, "It must be terrible searching for all these lost children." He took hold of her hands, "I would be very happy to help you in your search."

"What?" Jenny said in surprise.

Brock's smiled brightened, "We can work together hand in-"

He was cut off when Misty started pulling on his ear and dragging him away, "Come on, you."

"Ow! Ow!" Brock whined, "Misty, come on! That hurts!"

Jenny blinked in surprise.

Ash walked back over, "We actually would like to try and help."

Soot nodded, "If it's okay with you."

Jenny perked up, "Of course! With your help, we should get to the bottom of this in no time."

Clefairy smiled with a determined glare, "_Yeah! I'm sure we'll find them!_"

Pikachu nodded, "_It'll … be-_" the mouse's ears drooped, and he fell forward.

Ash's eyes widened and caught him, "Pikachu!"

"_What's the … mat-_" Clefairy fell forward too.

Ash grimaced and caught her too.

Brock and Misty overheard and hurried over.

"What's wrong?!" Brock asked in alarm.

Ash frowned, "I-I don't know!" He put a hand on Clefairy's head, "No fever." He nudged Pikachu slightly, "Pikachu, say something!"

"_don' wanna._" Pikachu groaned.

Clefairy rolled over in Ash's arms, "_sleepy._"

Ash sighed in relief, "They aren't hurt."

Jenny frowned, "Still, we should get them to the Pokémon Center."

.

*Center

The group ran through the front entrance and straight to the front desk.

Nurse Joy noticed them and smiled, "Welcome to the Pokémon Center. How may I-" She saw Pikachu and Clefairy, and frowned, "Oh, no. Not again."

Ash blinked in surprise, "You've seen this before?"

The nurse nodded somberly, "I'm afraid so. All of the Pokémon in town have been acting strangely." She turned and motioned them to follow, "Come look."

.

*Back room

Everyone stared in shock at the lineup of drained Pokémon. An oddish sat with a tie expression and leaves drooping. A cubone just laid on the table; looking half asleep.

"Just look at Cubone and Oddish." Joy said before placing a magikarp on the table, "Even Magikarp is affected and it's usually so full of life."

The fish fell over.

Misty stared in shock, "I never thought I'd see a magikarp that wasn't splashing."

Soot frowned, "Poor guy."

Joy looked back, "The flame on this Charmander looks like it could go out any minute."

Everyone looked over and frowned at the sight of the weakened reptile.

Ash clenched a fist; being reminded of Damien. Soot gritted her teeth.

Nurse Joy brought up a psyduck, "And this one's been in terrible shape."

"Psy-y-y" Psyduck called out as he held his head.

Soot cocked her head, "He seems fine to me."

Jenny looked at her in shock, "How does that seem fine?!"

Misty sweat dropped and deadpanned, "Because it's a psyduck."

Ash nodded, "They're known to have perpetual headaches until they evolve."

Joy blinked in surprise and looked down at the duck, "That would explain why he's been like this for so much longer than the others."

Soot sweat dropped, 'Isn't she supposed to be an expert, or something?'

Brock looked at the nurse, "So, aside from Psyduck, how long has this been going on for?"

The nurse frowned, "Three days, now."

Everyone's eyes widened.

"Just the like the missing children!" Misty said in shock.

"That can't be coincidence." Soot said.

Joy blinked and looked at Soot in confusion, "Come to think of it, how come you don't seem affected?"

Ash frowned, crouched down, and put a hand on Soot's back, "Are you feeling okay, Soot?"

Soot snickered, "Dad, I'm fine." Her eyes widened in realization and she looked back at the nurse, "Have any Dark-types shown these symptoms?"

Nurse Joy scratched her head and looked up thoughtfully, "I don't think so."

Brock snapped a finger and pointed at Soot, "You're thinking this might be a Psychic-type's doing."

Soot smiled and nodded, "Yeah. It would make sense."

Ash frowned and his eyes narrowed, "Unfortunately, that would mean that someone is causing all of this to happen."

The nurse's eyes widened, "Who would do such a thing?!"

Jenny's eyes narrowed, "That's what we're gonna find out." She put a hand to her chin, "If only we could find those lost kids, we might find the source."

Soot looked up at the cop, "Have you tried tracking their scent?"

Jenny sighed, "I thought of that, as well. But we would need something that belonged to one of the children and a Pokémon to do the tracking."

Ash raised a brow, "Like something from the mother of one of the children?"

Soot sweat dropped, "And a canine?"

"Well sure, but where am I supposed to find-" She perked up, looked at the pair, and sweat dropped, "Oh."

.

*Edge of town park; one minute later

Brock looked up at the trees in surprise, "So, they've just been in the park this whole time?"

Ash raised a brow, "I guess so. The trail leads through here."

Jenny's eyes narrowed, "Now hold on a second. Do you have any idea how unlikely it is that someone would hide a bunch of children in the middle of a park? It's way too out in the open."

Soot glanced at her, "Did you check?"

Jenny sweat dropped, "Well…"

Misty sighed and started walking, "Come on."

Everyone followed.

They came to a clearing in the middle of the park with a large pond. And all of the lost children. Completely unharmed but not at all normal.

All of them were running around and acting like Pokémon. Thankfully, the only "Water-type" was splashing in a puddle.

Jenny stared in shock, "I don't think anything could have prepared me for this."

Misty blinked in surprise, "Why are they acting like this?"

Soot looked around, "Maybe it's some kind of hypnotism? That would support the psychic influence theory." She frowned, "But I'm not seeing a possible culprit."

Jenny walked forward and clapped loudly, "Alright, wake up, everyone! It's time to go home!"

None of them listened.

Jenny walked closer and grabbed a girl acting like a magikarp but the hand, "All of your parents are worried sick!"

The girl pulled away with a frown and went back to splashing.

Jenny frowned, "It's no use."

Ash crossed his arms, "If this really is a psychic's influence, then snapping the out it won't be that easy."

Brock perked up and looked at Ash, "What about Intimidate."

Jenny looked at them in surprise, "What?"

Ash raised a brow, "Why do think that would work?"

Brock smiled, "Remember Saffron City? It looked like you're Intimidate negated Sabrina's psychic abilities for a second."

Misty smiled, "Oh, yeah!"

Jenny's eyes widened and she looked at Ash in shock.

Ash frowned and rubbed the back of head, "It wasn't that. Intimidate -the ability and mine- are design to frighten or shock the targets at a subconscious level. Which is why Pokémon put more strain on themselves when using attacks. Sabrina just lost her concentration."

Soot's eyes widened, "But, it might still snap the kids out of whatever trance they're in!"

Ash looked at her in surprise and put a hand to his chin, "You have a point." He looked ahead, "I'll give it shot." He walked towards the kids.

Jenny blinked, "Wait, what are you talking about?"

Misty looked at her, "Just, uh, cover your eyes." She followed her own instructions, "Trust me."

Jenny blinked in surprise and looked at Brock. He was doing the same.

The cop raised a brow, "What could be so-" She looked ahead, and her eyes widened.

Facing away, Ash stared at the large group of children with Intimidate. Jenny started trembling in fear and breathing heavily as Ash's ability spread throughout the area. She flinched when Misty put a hand in front of her eyes. Jenny quickly moved her own hand in front of her face and glanced at Misty.

Misty pulled back her hand and glanced at her with a sly smile, "Told ya."

Ash continued with Intimidate. But the children didn't seem to notice.

Ash's eyes narrowed, 'What the?' He cut off the ability and put a hand to his chin, "Hmm."

The humans stopped feeling scared and moved their hands out of the way. Though, Jenny was still staring at Ash in shock.

Soot looked around in confusion, "How did that not work?"

Misty crossed her arms, "Maybe it's because they're acting like Pokémon?"

Ash shook his head, "That wouldn't do it. As far as we've been able to tell, my Intimidate locks on to human brain-" His eyes widened, "waves."

Brock raised a brow, "What is it?"

Ash looked back with a smile, "I think I just found out what's been going on!"

Jenny snapped out of it and blinked, "What?"

Ash smirked and raised a finger, "Mental transference. The Pokémon in the Center aren't just being drained of their energy. They're very brainwaves are being transferred to the children. That's why Intimidate didn't work on them. Mentally, they don't register as humans. That would also mean that all of this really is connected."

Misty raised a brow, "Isn't that a bit of a leap?"

Ash shrugged, "It's more of a theory."

Soot looked around, "That would also mean that none of these kids are the culprit."

Jenny looked at her in shock, "Why would you even consider that a possibility?!"

Soot's eyes narrowed, "I didn't mean on purpose. Not every child Psychic has a perfect grasp on their abilities. One of these kids could have done this without even knowing it and thought it was some weird game. They also would've reacted to Intimidate if they were faking."

Jenny sweat dropped, "Oh."

A strange buzzing started sounding throughout the area.

"Oh!" Jenny reached around.

Misty looked over, "Is that your radio?"

Jenny shook her head, "Nope." She pulled out a large, handheld device and held it out, "It's a sleep wave detector."

Brock raised a brow, "Sleep waves?"

Jenny nodded, "Wavelengths that induce sleep."

Ash's eyes widened, "Like Hypnosis! That could be what's causing all of this!"

Jenny blinked in surprise, "Now that you mention it, I've only been picking them up recently. Since all of this started, in fact."

Soot gave Jenny an incredulous look, "You've been picking up these signals ever since the children went missing and the Pokémon started losing energy and never once thought that it might all be connected?"

Jenny blinked, "Um." She pointed the detector into the distance, "The sleep waves are coming from that direction." She ran off, "Let's hurry!"

Everyone shared a look, sighed, and followed the officer.

.

**Time Skip**

They tracked the source of the sleep waves to the roof of a skyscraper. What they found made less sense than the town's name.

Ash stared in shock, "What the actual Yvel?"

"A mansion on top of a skyscraper?" Brock said in shock at the sight of the structure.

"This day just keeps getting weirder." Misty said; wide eyed.

Jenny pointed her device ahead, "The sleep waves are coming from in there."

"All right." Ash said before he and Soot ran towards the door and each put an ear to it; eyes closed.

Everyone else followed.

"What do you hear?" Brock asked.

Ash frowned, "Well over twenty- no, thirty." He grimaced, "They're moving around too much. I can't get an exact number."

Soot opened her eyes and glared at the door, "Taking into account all of our Pokémon and assuming they each have at least one, we're outnumbered by around four to one. If we're lucky."

Jenny's eyes widened in shock.

Misty glared and brought out four pokéballs, "Then, we need to be ready."

Jenny looked at Misty in surprise.

Brock nodded, "Right." He pulled out three pokéballs.

Jenny stepped forward with a worried expression, "Wait a second. This could be dangerous. You could all be hurt."

Ash looked back at her with a determined glare, "Whoever's inside is responsible for everything that's been happening." He glared back at the door, "We're not backing down."

Soot smirked and shifted her eyes, "Ditto." She looked up at Ash, "Dad, go for it!"

Ash nodded, grabbed the zipper buckle on her back, and pulled.

Ash crossed his arms and the strings shot out and attached to him, "Soot, Marionetter!"

Officer Jenny stared in shock as Soot moved to her hindlegs.

Ash moved a few fingers and Soot tore off her right foreleg.

Jenny flinched, "Woah!"

Soot glanced back, "Don't worry. I don't feel pain while I'm like this." She looked back at the door, "And honestly, the arm thing wouldn't hurt anyway." Soot grinned, "Hey, dad. How about we try the new move?"

Ash smirked, "Sounds good." He crossed his arms over his head, "Les Arts Martiaux!"

Jenny blinked in surprise, "Is that Kalosian?"

.

*Inside the mansion; moments before

"Soot, Marionetter!"

Everyone in the mansion looked at the door in surprise and started murmuring.

"What was that?"

"What's a marionetter?"

"Did they say 'Soot?'"

"Where have I heard that name before?"

"Les Arts Martiaux!"

Everyone flinched as they heard furious scratching at the door. It burst and everyone shied away as splinters, and the doorknob, flew everywhere.

"Swirling Tiger!"

Everyone looked up and gasped in horror. Standing there was something that would give them all nightmares.

A mightyena with eyes like a banette stood over the splitters on only its hindlegs. The nightmarish part was the fact that it was holding its own severed arm and its waist was twisted into a knot that defied all laws of biology … and decency.

The Pokémon stood there with a frown and its eye twitching. Though, it seemed to be more uncomfortable than in pain.

Without warning, the Dark-types upper torso began to spin rapidly as her body righted itself.

"Waaaahhh!" She shouted as she spun against her will.

Everyone flinched again.

Soot stopped spinning but, to her, the room didn't.

"You okay, Soot?" The voice from before asked in worry.

They all turned to see a boy from black hair and brown eyes; wearing a red baseball cap. He held his arms out in front of him with purple, translucent strings stretching from his fingers to the Dark-type. A few people's eyes widened upon seeing him.

"I'll live." Soot said in a daze, "But dad, we either need to practice that more or make it a series of pirouettes."

Ash chuckled, "Noted." He moved a few fingers for Soot to reattach her arm.

Misty looked at Ash in surprise, "When did you learn how to do that?"

Soot looked back at her, "We got the idea from Gastly. Arlequin Yin used that technique to beat me." She sweat dropped, "Although, his was a lot more efficient."

Soot looked ahead into the room and blinked in surprise, "What the Yvel?"

Ash, Brock, Misty, and Jenny looked around at the large group of people in upper-class garb. In the middle of the room sat a hypno and drowzee on a table.

"What is this place?" Brock asked in confusion.

Misty followed, "What's going on here?"

Jenny stepped forward and glared, "Alright! You all have a lot of explaining to do! Why are there sleep waves coming from this location?!"

Soot deadpanned and sweat dropped, 'Seriously?' "It's the hypno and drowzee." She glared at the group, "What I want to know is why you're using them to hypnotize the town's children and drain Pokémon."

A brown-haired man in a suit and glasses frowned, "What are you talking about? We've only had them help with our insomnia."

A man in a top hat nodded, "We've been using these Pokémon instead of sleeping medication."

Brock sweat dropped, "Couldn't you have just gotten a Pokémon that knows Sleep Powder? Most Grass-types -even common one- can learn it pretty easily."

The guy with the glasses chuckled nervously, "It was mostly a heat of the moment sort of thing." He gestured to the taller Psychic-type, "You see, our hypno only evolved from a drowzee three days ago."

Jenny's glare deepened, "The exact same time the children went missing and all of the Pokémon started losing their energy!"

The man waved his hands defensively, "I assure you; we have no idea what you mean." He gestured to the room as a whole, "We're all member of the Pokémon Lovers Club."

Misty blinked in surprise, "Pokémon Lovers Club?"

He nodded, "Precisely. You see, all of our members absolutely adore Pokémon, and well, Hypno has become our favorite." He gestured to Hypno again, "All of our hard work paid off when Drowzee finally evolved. Living our lives in the city can be very stressful and all of us suffer from insomnia, so we've come to rely on Hypno's powers to help us get to sleep at night."

Ash frowned, "Unfortunately, your 'solution' has been doing more than that." He turned his back to Misty, "Can you get them?"

Misty nodded and opened his backpack before pulling out the exhausted Pikachu and Clefairy. They laid there with uncomfortable frowns on their faces.

Misty looked up and frowned, "The same thing happened to all of the Pokémon at the Pokémon Center."

Soot nodded and crossed her arms, "Yeah. And a handful of children in town have been hypnotized into thinking they're Pokémon. They were all reported missing."

Many of the club members gasped in shock.

The man they've talking to the whole time frowned, "Oh dear. How could this have happened?"

Ash sighed, "A hypno's non-attack hypnotism is designed to only work on Pokémon. Rerouting it to affect humans must be causing this massive side effect."

The man looked back at hypno; somberly, "To think we caused such a terrible situation." He looked back at the group, "Please. If there's any way we can help, just say it."

Ash moved Soot's arm to point at drowzee and he said, "You could let us borrow him."

"Drowzee?" The man asked in surprise, "Why him?"

Soot smiled, "All of this is being caused by Hypno's dream waves. So, we might be able to counteract it if Drowzee can send out an opposing signal."

The man blinked in surprise and put a hand to his chin, "That might just work." He perked up, "Let's try it!"

Ash nodded, "Alright." He moved his fingers again and Soot ran forward before hoisting the Psychic-type to her shoulders.

Soot smirked, "Let's hurry!"

Soot, Ash, Misty, Brock, Jenny, and Glasses ran out of the building.

Misty looked at him in surprise, "You're coming too?"

He nodded, "Drowzee is the club's Pokémon. While I do wish to help, I also want to make sure Drowzee stays safe."

Ash smiled softly, "Fair enough."

Something gleaming in the sky caught everyone's attention.

The man looked up in surprise, "What is that?"

"Whatever it is, it's coming this way." Jenny said with a hand above her eyes.

Ash squinted before sighing, "Them again."

Brock, Soot, and Misty heard him and groaned.

Team Rocket glided down to the roof, landed, and looked at the group with cocky smiles.

Jessie pointed at them, "Prepare for-"

"Nope." Ash and Soot said as Ash aimed one of Soot's paws at them.

Soot unleashed a massive swarm of Shadow Balls from her paw and mouth.

Team Rocket screamed as they exploded and shot into the distance; their gliders shredded.

Jessie glared down at them, "Okay, that was uncalled for!"

James pouted in a fetal position, "We didn't even get to try plans A or B."

Meowth grumbled and crossed his arms, "What goes up mus' come down."

The humans looked at him with raised brows.

Meowth looked back at them, "What? I couldn't think of anythin'."

**Omega: You had him say that because ****you**** couldn't think of anything. Didn't you?**

**Ohirume: *sigh***

"We're blasting off without a chance!"

Jenny blinked in surprise, "What was that?"

Ash looked back, "Something we don't have time to worry about." He and Soot ran towards the exit with Drowzee still on her shoulders.

Everyone followed.

.

*Park

The group made it back to the park, deactivated Marionetter, and the Psychic-type got to work on sending out the counter waves. In a matter of seconds, all of the children had completely fallen asleep. As did Pikachu and Clefairy; who were laying on Ash's shoulders.

"It looks like it's working." Ash said with a smile.

After another second, Drowzee stopped moving his arms and clapped. Almost immediately, all of the children started stirring awake.

"Hey, how did I get into the middle of the park?" One boy asked in confusion while looking around.

Another boy held his head, "It's so weird. Last thing I remember I was studying for my journey."

The magikarp girl looked down at herself in shock, "Why am I all wet?"

"Excuse me!" Jenny said with a raised hand; catching the children's attention, "I know you all must be confused, but know that everything is okay now. Please go back to your homes. Your parents have been worried."

The kids looked around in confusion before shrugging and running home.

Pikachu and Clefairy came too after a moment.

Pikachu shook his head and blinked, "_What happened?_"

Clefairy looked around, "_Are we in a forest?_" She smiled brightly and looked at Ash, "_That means we can work on Dazzling Gleam, right?!_"

Ash chuckled and pet her, "Glad to see you guys back to normal."

Pikachu blinked in surprise, "_Wait, what?_"

"Arnold!"

Everyone looked over to woman from before running into the park.

Misty smiled, "It's that mother we met."

Soot blinked in surprise, 'How did she know to come here?'

A young boy -likely Arnold- ran over and hugged her, "Mommy."

Brock stared in surprise and looked back and forth between Arnold and Ash, "I can see how she got you guys mixed up."

The gentleman smiled softly, "I'm happy to see all of this resolved." He looked over at Jenny sheepishly, "I hope we're not in too much trouble for all of this."

Jenny crossed her arms, "Well, all of this was an accident, so I'll let you off with a warning. But this better not happen again."

The man smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Officer Jenny. And, rest assured, we'll look for another method of curing our insomnia. One that doesn't include hypnotism." He paused and looked at Brock, "Come to think of it, you said something about Sleep Powder, right?"

Brock nodded, "Yeah. Sleep Powder naturally works on Pokémon and humans alike." He rubbed the back of his with a sheepish expression, "But I'm not really an expert on Grass-types."

Ash smiled and spoke up, "Your best bet for an early fix will probably be bellsprout or tangela. Even the hatchlings from both species can learn the move within a month. Though, bellsprout will take a bit more work. Also, you can try for a bulbasaur or petilil if someone in your club has connections. Bulbasaur learns around the same time a bellsprout, petilil learns faster than either them, but none of them learn as fast as tangela."

The man smiled brightly, "Thank you, Mr. Ketchum. We'll get to work on it right away."

Ash smiled, "Good to hear." His eyes widened, 'Wait, did I ever give him my name?' Ash deadpanned, 'Oh boy.'

Jenny's eyes widened in realization, "Wait a second! I just remembered! We still need to cure the other Pokémon!" She looked over to the man, "Would you mind if I took Drowzee to the Pokémon Center real fast?"

Brock ran up next to her and smiled brightly, "And I can go with her to make sure everything's okay!"

Soot and Misty sweat dropped.

The man smiled softly, "I suppose that would be alright. I only ask that you bring him back to the club as soon as you're done."

The cop saluted, "Can do." She walked over to Drowzee and grabbed his hand before leading him to the Pokémon Center.

Brock waved at Ash and Misty with a bright smile, "See ya guys later."

The three of them disappeared into the distance.

Misty sweat dropped, "That can't end well."

The man looked down at Soot, "I know I may not have much of a right to ask this, but could you do us at the club a favor?"

Soot looked at him with a raised brow, "What's the favor?"

.

*P.L.C. mansion

Ash, Misty, Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy stared in shock at the bulletin board covered in pictures and articles about Ash and Soot. The two of them were just thankful that all of the pictures were from newspaper and magazines … and that none of them were candid.

"Um, wow." Was all Misty managed to say.

"_They really went all out._" Pikachu said.

Clefairy was speechless.

The man smiled brightly at Ash, "As you can see, we are also very large fans of you and the Phantom Child." He pulled put a notepad, "So, we were hoping to get a few autographs and/or pictures."

Ash and Soot looked past him to see the other members smiling brightly with a camera and/or paper. The pair shared a sideways glance.

"I mean," Ash started, "I guess we kind of owe you for destroying the door."

Soot sighed, "Yeah." She looked past the man again, "Who's first?"

.

**Time Skip**

The group made their way out of the town. Although…

"So, why is he following us?" Soot said as she looked back at Psyduck.

Brock cleared his throat, "Well, Nurse Joy still concerned about Psyduck. So, I may have given her my word that I would take care of him." He looked over to the Cerulean Gym leader, "Maybe you should take him, Misty. Water-types are your specialty."

Misty walked backwards as she looked at Psyduck and sweat dropped, "I'm not sure. Psyduck aren't exactly the easiest Water-types to trai- Whoa!" She didn't notice the rock in her path. She also didn't notice one of her pokéballs fall out of her bag.

Ash intercepted and caught her, "You okay?"

Misty smiled and nodded, "Yeah. Thanks."

The sound of a pokéball enlarging caught everyone's attention. They looked over right as Psyduck tapped the ball again and … caught himself.

Misty stared in shock, "Di-did that really just happen?"

Brock scratched the side of his head, "Um, congratulations Misty?"

Misty sighed and walked over to pick up the pokéball, "Thanks, I guess." She smiled softly, "Maybe this won't be so bad. Afterall, it'll be pretty cool to have a golduck."

Soot snickered, "Yeah. If he ever evolves."

Misty rolled her eyes with a smirk, "I'm sure it won't be that bad."

**Faux: *groans***

.

.

**Omega: What about the Chemicritters?**

**Ohirume: Chemical Beast.**

**Omega: Zoodiac?**

**Ohirume: Zodiac Beast or Juunishishi. Also, most, if not all, of their personal names were changed.**

**Omega: What about That Grass Looks Greener?**

**Ohirume: Lawnmowing Next Door.**

**Seishin: Aaaaand.**

**Ohirume: *sigh* Right. Before the official reveal of That Grass's English name, there was a scare about it having a name worse than Toadally.**

**Mizuro: What was it?**

**Ohirume: *groans* The Grass Is Always Tastier On The Other Side.**

**Seishin: *shivers in disgust***

**Omega, Mizuro, Nuevo, Illavera, Faux, Luke, Pike, Laura, Mewtwo, Pearl, Peridot and ****even**** Gem: *group cringe***

**Laura: Wow. Sounds like that game has a lot of trouble with translating.**

**Seishin: It's not just Yu-Gi-Oh. Other franchises get names ruined all the time. Mostly due to copyright.**

**Ohirume: Yeah. Like JoJo.**

**Mizuro: Deadly Queen isn't ****that**** bad.**

**Seishin: Actually, he was referring to things like Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. A.K.A. D4C.**

**Mizuro: *shivers* Oh, right?**

**Luke: What did it change to?**

**Ohirume: *sigh* Filthy Acts At A Reasonable Price.**

**ALL (Except Ohirume and Seishin): *Blank/Shocked stares***

**Nuevo: *snaps out of it and deadpans* Oh. That explains the title.**

**…**

**I know this one is a little short. Especially taking into account that it took three weeks to post. I originally planned for this and the Scissor Street chapter to be the same chapter, but that half was longer than I thought. Although, I've made enough progress on it that I'll have it up by next Sunday.**


	31. Ch 27: Fashion

**Seishin: Scap scap scapa dap**

**doop dap doop dap**

**scap do dap **

**scapa dapa doopa dap**

**scapa do dap**

**Ohirume: It's Thanksgiving!**

**Thanksgiving for everybody!**

**Except for Europeans.**

**Seishin: Kaka pow.**

**Ohirume: It's Thanksgiving! **

**Thanksgiving for everybody!**

**Except for Europeans.**

**Omega: It's not Thanksgiving today. ****, this isn't even a Thanksgiving themed chapter.**

**Seishin: *shrug* We know, but we're doing the next comment response on Halloween and this year's Thanksgiving isn't on a Sunday.**

**Ohirume: Also, I could it resist doing this song. "Bob's Burgers" by the way. It's an Adult-ish show that's entering its tenth season and has never used a curse word worse than the real version of 'HFIL.' In other words, no "bleeps"**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Fashion Nightmare, Rockét**.

.

Ash looked at Brock with a raised brow, "Scissor Street?"

Brock nodded with a smile and handed him the map, "Yeah. It's also known as Breeder's Lane. I was hoping we could take a quick detour through there."

Ash looked over the map, "It doesn't seem that far away. Going there shouldn't put us too far off course."

Clefairy looked too, "_Is there a forest on the way?_"

Ash shook head his head, "Doesn't look like it."

Brock frowned, "What?! But Ash, you just said it wasn't that far away!"

"Huh?" Ash said in surprise before realizing, "Oh, no, sorry. That isn't what I meant."

Soot snickered, "He was answering Clefairy's question about whether there was forest on the way."

Clefairy slumped forward, "_Aww._"

Pikachu walked across Ash's back and patted Clefairy's back.

"Oh." Brock said in relief, "So, we can head there?"

Ash smiled and shrugged, "I don't see why not."

.

*Scissor Street

Misty looked around the buildings, "So, this is Scissor Street, huh? There sure are a lot of Pokémon beauty parlors."

Brock nodded, "Yeah. Some of the best breeders have shops here. There are lots of terrific makeup places and fashion salons, too. Just for Pokémon."

Ash looked at Brock, "So, we're here to check out some of these breeders and their methods?"

"Something like that." Brock said as he started looking around.

Soot looked up at the breeder, "Any place in particular?"

Brock kept looking, "You'll see."

"Hey!" Misty called out as she ran ahead. She stopped in front of a large poster depicting a koffing and ekans wearing … yeah, I'm not even sure where to start in describing that, "Oh, look! This must be the newest fashion!" She smiled brightly, "How cute!"

Pikachu stared in shock, "_Seriously?_"

Soot sweat dropped, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

Clefairy stared in shock before looking at Ash, "_Aren't those guys?_"

Ash sweat dropped, "Yeah."

Misty looked closer, "Hey, there's an address." She grabbed Ash's arm, "Come on. We've got to check it out." She dragged him along towards the salon.

Brock looked at the poster and frowned, "Is it me, or do those Pokémon look kind of familiar?"

Soot sighed, "No, you're definitely right." She ran after Ash and Misty, "We should hurry."

Brock followed.

.

*Team Rocket's Salon

**Illavera: Isn't that a bit of a spoiler?**

**Seishin: It's not a spoiler if it's obvious.**

You won't believe how beautiful a Pokémon can be. Came James's voice over a loudspeaker, Step in and see for yourself. Let us dazzle you with the latest fashions by the expert artists of Salon Rockét.

Ash sweat dropped, "Salon Rockét?"

"Why does that name sound so familiar?" Misty asked.

Soot looked at her; deadpanned, "You're joking right?"

"Huh?" Misty said in surprise.

Brock looked into the salon's window and appropriately grimaced, "W-whoa. Is that supposed to be a Pokémon or a Christmas tree?"

Soot noticed something exit the salon and turned to see-

The canine's eyes widened in shock, "Holy freaking Arceus."

Everyone looked over and -expect Misty- stared, slack jawed, at the dodrio and raichu accompanying a woman in a blue gown.

Dodrio had two of their three heads shaved to depict a mohawk and a … wider mohawk. (?) The third head's face was covered in white powder with its feather braided into curls … somehow. All three heads had dark pink blush on their cheeks. The body itself had yellow bows unevenly placed all over the front.

Raichu was wearing red lipstick, pink star stickers, a pearl necklace, dangling earrings, pink blush covering its electric sacks, and some kind of pink stripes below its arms.

Neither of them looked happy about it.

"Who the Yvel shaves a dodrio?" Soot asked in shock.

Clefairy frowned, "_That doesn't look very fun._"

Pikachu laughed like a maniac at the sight of Raichu, "_Oh- oh, dear Arceus! This is the best day of my life!_"

Raichu glared, "_Hey! I didn't choose to be dressed up like this!_"

Ash's eyes widened before he noticed Raichu's tail, "Holy Yvel, it's a guy."

Brock looked at Ash in shock, "Seriously?!"

Raichu grimaced and slumped over.

Pikachu laughed harder.

The woman didn't seem to hear them as she continued walking. Her Pokémon followed; still in a slump.

Misty smiled, "I think I should get in line."

Ash, Soot, Pikachu, and even Clefairy looked at her in shock, "Hu_h?_!"

"There it is!" Brock called out excitedly as he pointed across the street.

Everyone looked over to see another Salon with a vulpix on the door.

Brock ran over immediately and looked up in awe. "I found it!" He called out in triumph, "I've been looking all over for this place!"

Misty walked up and asked, "This is the store you've been looking for?"

Brock didn't respond and walked over to the door. He moved to open it but stopped short and started trembling. He flinched when he felt Ash put a hand on his shoulder.

Ash blinked in surprise, "Are you okay, Brock?"

Brock nodded, "Y-yeah." He looked back at the door and took a deep breath to calm himself. He opened the door -causing a bell to ring- before walking in. Everyone else followed.

"Welcome. I'll be with you in a moment." Called out a teal-haired woman as she massaged a chansey, "Just relax. Release all your tension."

Brock watched in awe.

Misty noticed and sweat dropped with a deadpanned expression, "Ah. That explains it."

Soot looked over at Brock and raised a brow, 'It seems a little different, this time.'

The woman stood back up and smiled, "All done. You should be feeling much more energized."

Chansey jumped over to mirror and looked over herself with a bright smile, "_Oh, wow!_"

A ma- wo- uh … Chansey's trainer walked into the salon. Ash and the others looked at them in surprise … and slight discomfort.

**Omega: Won't some people take offense to that?**

**Seishin: If they're offended by this, they're offended by the same scene in the anime.**

**Ohirume: *nods* That character is canon. As were Ash and Misty's reaction to them.**

**Nuevo: Wow. So, people were accepting enough in ****1997 and 1998**** for a character like that to show up in a children's anime.**

**Seishin: *snickers* Or it's because Pokémon worlds have a legitimate third gender.**

**Omega, Mizuro, Illavera and Nuevo: Wait, what?**

**Gem: *raises brow* Well, yeah. Genderless. This is a pretty basic fact.**

**Faux: *nods* There are like … 20 species of Pokémon that don't have genders.**

**Ohirume: Legendaries.**

**Faux: Okay, 63.**

**Gem: Mythical.**

**Faux: *groans* 83.**

**Seishin: Ultra Beasts.**

**Faux: Alright! 93! Happy?!**

**Ohirume: For the record, he didn't count evolutions. Feel free to correct me if I miscounted.**

**Mizuro: Wha- But- How does that even work?!**

**Illavera: Wouldn't they be long extinct by now?!**

**Mewtwo: Well, most of us are immortal.**

**Nuevo: What?! I thought you were a guy!**

**Mewtwo: Mentally, yes. But-**

**Seishin: Guys, I think we've been talking for too long. Back to the story.**

"Chansey! I've come for you, darling!" Their eyes lit up, "Ah! Don't you look precious! Suzie, you're a miracle worker!"

Suzie nodded with a kind smile, "Thank you for bringing Chansey to my salon."

"See you soon, Suzie." The trainer said as they and Chansey left.

Suzie looked over to Ash and the others, "May I help the next customer?"

Ash chuckled nervously, "Uh, good question."

Suzie blinked in surprise, "Hm?"

Brock walked up; blushing and sweating, "W-well- you see- it's- uh-"

Misty pushed him aside, "Look! Isn't that vulpix the cutest thing?!"

Ash and his Pokémon looked over to see the Fox Pokémon sleeping peacefully on a chair.

Misty walked over and smiled brightly, "Oh, don't you just want to hug it?" She reached out to pick up the Fire-type.

"Don't touch it!" Suzie called out in alarm.

Ash looked at Suzie in surprise.

Misty didn't listen and picked up the fox, "You're just about the cutest little Pokémon I've ever-"

She was cut off when Ash held out a towel in between her and Vulpix. She was about to say something when she heard Vulpix call out something.

Ash moved the towel away. Misty looked over and grimaced when she saw it smoking. Suzie watched the scene in surprise.

Misty quickly put Vulpix back on the chair and waved defensively, "Sorry, it won't happen again."

Vulpix laid down and yawned before going back to sleep.

Misty sweat dropped, "Guess I shouldn't have woken them up." She looked at Ash and smiled, "Thanks for the save. I didn't know you had a towel like that."

Ash pointed back, "Actually, I grabbed it off that shelf."

Suzie blinked, "But how did you know it was fireproof?"

Ash started folding the towel back up, "Fireproof fabrics give off an extremely faint, but unique, scent." Ash pulled on his jacket, "I know that because all my clothes are all fireproof, too." He walked back over to the shelf.

Misty looked over and her eyes widened upon seeing a massive display of towels, lotions, and tools, "Woah, look at all this stuff!" She looked around curiously, "You must have supplies for every kind of-" She stopped and stared in confusion, "Why is there a mallet?"

Ash placed the folded towel back where he got it, "It's most likely for Pokémon with metallic bodies. Like the magnemite and beldum lines." Suzie looked at him in surprise as he continued, "While it doesn't happen often, their bodies can become tense and a rubber mallet is the safest way to give them a massage." He looked over at Suzie, "That's also why you have the hedge trimmers, sandpaper grinder, and liquid nitrogen, right? For Grass, Rock, and Ice-types?"

Suzie blinked in surprise, "That's right." She shifted to a soft smile, "You sure seem to know a lot about Pokémon."

Ash shrugged, "I just read a lot as a kid."

Brock walked over nervously, "Uh, Suzie?"

Suzie looked back at him, "Yes?"

Misty sweat dropped, 'Oh, boy.'

Brock stood up straight; blushing heavily, "Uh, my name's Brock! Nice to meet you, Suzie! Uh, I want to breed like y- I-I mean, I want to be a breeder like you!"

Suzie smiled, "It's very nice to meet you, Brock. I'm flattered you want to make me your model."

"Yes, I want to model you. I mean, I-I'm flattered that you're flattered! I mean, your vulpix is nice."

Pikachu blinked in surprise, "_Um … wow._"

Clefairy raised a brow, "_Is Brock okay?_"

Brock gulped before starting again, "What I'm trying to say is-" He perked up and looked at the teal-haired breeder determinedly, "Suzie, I'm begging you to accept me as your pupil!"

"_Huh?!_" Pikachu and Clefairy called out in surprise.

Misty blinked in surprise, "Wait, so this isn't just another crush?"

Ash chuckled "Yeah. I guess, he's actually been star-struck this whole time."

Soot smiled, "I thought it seemed kind of odd. Brock's usually a lot more forward and confident."

Clefairy looked at Ash in worry, "_Wait! Does that mean Brock's leaving?!_"

Ash and Soot frowned. Pikachu's eyes widened.

Suzie frowned, "I'm sorry, Brock. But I don't have pupils. Breeding takes up all of my time."

Pikachu sighed in relief, "_Thank Arceus. I don't know what I'd do without his cooking._"

Soot looked up at him; deadpanned, "Really?"

Brock frowned and looked down somberly, "Oh, I see."

Suzie smiled softly, "But I wouldn't mind if we shared a few of our techniques."

Brock looked back up and smiled brightly, "Thank you, Suzie!"

.

**Time Skip**

Everyone decided to sit down for tea and chat. Pikachu and Clefairy sat on a bench next to the table and ate. Soot sat next to Ash. Brock had just finished listing Suzie accomplishments. And, just, wow.

Misty looked at Suzie in surprise, "Now that's what I call a great breeder."

Suzie smiled, "Thank you, Misty." She looked over at Pikachu and Clefairy, "Your pikachu and clefairy have beautiful, shiny coats, Ash. You must take very good care of them."

Ash smiled and waved a hand, "Thanks, but I can't really take the credit." He gestured to the Rock-type trainer, "It's Brock's cooking that really does it."

Suzie looked over at Brock; still smiling, "I have to admit, Brock, I'm impressed."

Brock stood at attention, "Th-thank you, Suzie!"

Vulpix jumped onto bench and sniffed the bowl of food. Everyone looked in surprise.

Pikachu noticed and held out a piece to the Fire-type, "_You want some?_"

Clefairy swallowed and smiled, "_Try it. It's great!_"

Vulpix sniffed again before biting into the piece.

Suzie's eyes widened at the sight. Brock watched intently.

Vulpix swallowed and her eyes lit up, "_Woah!_" She started eating immediately.

Soot smiled, "I guess she likes it."

Suzie stared in shock, "I don't believe it."

Brock rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "I mean- I'm sure my recipe can't even compare to yours."

Suzie shook her head and smiled brightly, "It's not that." She looked back at the fox as she ate, "Vulpix is extremely picky when it comes to food. Before now, she's only ever eaten my personal recipe and has even refused gourmet foods in place of it." She looked at Brock with a bright smile, "Your recipe is even more amazing than I thought, Brock."

Brock stared in shock before blushing with an overjoyed smile, "Thank you, Suzie!" He bowed too rapidly and slammed his head on the table, "I'm not worthy." The pain finally caught up to him and he held his head, "Ow."

Suzie giggled before noticing something on the floor. She reached down and picked up a notebook, "What's this?"

Brock looked up, "Oh, my notebook. It must have fallen out."

Suzie looked at him, "Would you mind if I took a look?"

Brock smiled brightly, "Of course not! It'd be an honor!"

Suzie smiled before opening the book. She nodded and turned a page, "I see. You really put a lot of thought into your recipes." She turned the page again and her eyes widened in surprise.

Ash and Soot's eyes widened. Ash looked at Brock anxiously, "Uh, Brock. You didn't write anything … 'personal' in there, right?"

Brock looked at him in confusion, "Huh?" He grimaced upon realizing what he meant and waved his hands defensively, "No! Nothing like that! It's just the stuff that you and Soot have been telling us."

Suzie looked at Brock in surprise, "Wait, what?!" She looked at Ash; wide eyed, "Where did you find out about all of this?!"

Soot snickered, "Mostly me." She looked at Brock with a raised brow, "I'm assuming?"

Brock nodded, "Right. Stuff like the family terms, how to teach a Pokémon to speak Human," Suzie's eyes widened, and she flipped to the next page. "and a few things about different move applications and combinations."

Ash raised a brow, "Like the propulsion thing?"

Suzie turned another page and blinked in surprise, "Um, yeah." She flipped back to the third page and looked at Soot, "So, these terms are actually part of a Pokémon's instincts?"

.

*Over an hour of on-topic conversation later

"Hey, Suzie." Misty said; catching Suzie's attention, "We saw some super-fancy-looking Pokémon when we were walking down the street."

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_What about that was fancy?_"

Misty continued, "Is that really the latest trend?"

Suzie frowned, "By any chance, do you mean Salon Rockét?"

Ash nodded, "Yeah. That's the place."

Suzie sighed, "Ever since it opened, some trainers have been trying to make their Pokémon as flashy as possible."

Brock frowned sourly, "So that Salon started the trend."

Suzie continued, "A good breeder's goal is to try and bring out a Pokémon's inner strength and personality. But this new fad is about standing out. Not what's inside."

Ash frowned, "I know what you mean." He looked at the tRio's salon through the window, "Owners aside, their methods add on tons of useless accessories that would actually hinder a Pokémon's ability to battle. Not even Coordinators or Performers take outfits that far."

Soot nodded, "Not to mention some of the makeovers could borderline abuse." She sweat dropped, "A dodrio is not meant to be shaved."

"Well maybe." Misty responded, "But sometimes even Pokémon like to get dressed up and show off a little." She smiled at the Fairy-type, "Right, Clefairy?"

Clefairy looked over and tilted, "_What?_"

"She asked 'what'." Soot translated.

Misty pointed to Clefairy's bow, "You know, like your bow. You like to wear it to show off a little, right?"

Clefairy blinked, "_Show off? I just like it._"

Soot translated again.

"Oh." Misty said before looking back at Ash, "Well, it still proves my point. Some Pokémon do like to dress up."

Ash frowned, "I'm not denying that. I'm saying just that their methods seem over the top. Plus, they don't really seem to care whether a Pokémon wants to be dressed up like that. That raichu hated their get up."

Pikachu snickered.

Misty raised a brow, "How would they know for sure that a Pokémon doesn't like it? Wouldn't they need someone who can translate?"

Ash and Soot sweat dropped, 'Really?'

Misty perked up, "Anyway, I still like their style. In fact," She pulled out a pokéball and released her newest Water-type, "I think Psyduck and I are gonna head over their right now." She walked towards the exit, "Come on, Psyduck."

Psyduck ran after her.

Soot leaned over to Ash and whispered, "We really need to teach her how to see past Team Rocket's schemes."

Ash nodded, "Yeah."

Clefairy and Pikachu overheard and looked at the pair in shock, "_What?!_"

Vulpix raised a brow, "_What about a rocket?_"

Suzie looked down with a sad smile, "I'm starting to wonder if it's what's on the outside or inside that really counts. Ever since that salon opened, I've been wondering about my methods."

Brock frowned and stood up, "Don't say things like that!"

Suzie looked at him in surprise.

"Suzie." Brock continued; hand clenched, "You've got to keep following the path you believe in."

Soot nodded with a determined glared, "Yeah! We'll show everyone just how bad those so-called makeovers really are for Pokémon!"

Pikachu nodded, "_Yeah!_"

Ash smiled, "We'd be happy to help in any way we can."

Suzie smiled sadly, "That's very kind." She frowned again, "But, how can we?"

Brock smiled determinedly, "If they want to put style over substance, we'll give customers substance with style."

Soot nodded, "Yeah. And we can help draw in a crowd." She smirked, "With the help of a few exotic Pokémon." She shot Ash a sideways glance. Ash's eyes widened in realization

Suzie looked at her in surprise, "What do you mean 'exotic'?"

Ash smiled, "Well, I know Professor Samuel Oak pretty well and he might be willing to send over a Pokémon that isn't native to Kanto. Specifically, banette or braviary." He shifted to a sly smirk, "Or maybe even a rare one like dragonite or vaporeon."

Brock sweat dropped, "A-ash, are you sure about-"

Suzie's eyes lit up, "You can get a dragonite?!"

.

**Time Skip**

Brock stood at the front of the crowd and spoke through a microphone, "Uh, there are still a few seats left in the back of the room for our lecture on Pokémon care."

Charmander looked up at Ash from his lap, "_So, we just sit here?_"

The dragon smiled as he held the smaller reptile, "_More or less. We're mostly trying to draw in a crowd. Just don't be too surprised if people wanna take pictures._"

A handful of cameras flashed; startling Charmander.

Ash chuckled, "_Like that._" He held Charmander tighter, "_Don't worry. They'll have to get through me if they wanna try anything._"

Charmander smiled and cuddled him, "_Thanks Ash._"

"Aww! It's so cute!" One trainer squealed.

"It's like the Charmander is their baby." Another said.

Someone's treecko pouted, "_I wish my meema could've been a dragonite._"

Charmander chuckled nervously, "_He's not actually-_"

A squirtle interrupted, "_Hey, what egg move did you get from him?_"

A poliwag's eyes lit up, "_I bet it's something super strong like Outrage!_"

Another charmander glared at Poliwag, "_No way! It's gotta be Flare Bitz!_"

Ash sweat dropped, "_Dragonite can't learn-_"

Treecko titled his head, "_What about Hyper Beam?_"

Ash's eye twitched, "_That attack can't be an egg mo-_"

"Do you think Dragonite might be wild?" Another trainer thought out loud; unknowingly cutting off Ash.

Their rattata gulped, "_Please don't be wild._"

Soot walked over and sat down next to Ash, "I can assure you all that neither he, Charmander, nor I, are wild. We all have trainers who I know would not be willing to trade."

A few trainers pouted. The rest looked at Soot in surprise and started taking more pictures.

One of them ran around and held out a camera, "Say cheese."

Soot grinned, Charmander waved with a smile, and Ash stuck his tongue out before the camera flashed.

Suzie looked over at Brock, "Shouldn't Ash be here? We're about to start the demonstration."

Brock grimaced, "W-well, you see-"

Soot looked over and frowned, "It's actually best that he isn't. Dad and dragonite aren't on the best of terms."

Ash pouted and spoke in an angry tone, "_Random words to sound angry._"

Charmander and Pikachu snickered. Clefairy giggled. Every other Pokémon looked at Ash in confusion.

Soot held back her laughter enough to say, "Case and point."

Vulpix looked up at Ash in surprise from her table, "_Why do you sound like that trainer?_"

"Attention everyone." Brock said through the microphone again.

No one listened. Their attention on Ash and the other Pokémon.

Brock sweat dropped, "Excuse me."

Again, no response.

Soot noticed and sweat dropped, "Right." She walked over to Brock, "Let me try."

Brock frowned, "Good luck." He crouched down and held the microphone in front of her.

Soot cleared her throat, "Excuse me, everyone. This is Soot Ketchum, the mightyena, talking."

Everyone looked over immediately.

Brock stared in confusion and looked down at Soot, "How did you do that?"

Soot put her paw on the microphone, "When a Pokémon talks, people tend to listen." She moved her paw and continued, "If you'll please turn your attention towards the front, we're about to begin the lecture on Pokémon care."

Ash and Charmander looked over. As did every other trainer.

Brock stared in shock, "Whoa."

Suzie smiled, "Thank you, Soot." She looked over to the electric mouse, "You're first, Pikachu"

Pikachu nodded, jumped onto the table, and laid down.

Suzie started massaging the Mouse, "Each Pokémon needs your special care and attention. Whenever a Pokémon's been injured in battle, it'll help to give it a therapeutic massage."

"_Ash!_" Pikachu called out in pure joy, "_You have to bring us back here sometime! This woman has the hands of a goddess!_"

Ash chuckled, "_Noted._"

Vulpix jerked and looked back and forth between Ash and Pikachu, "_Huh?_"

"It's also important to know that every Pokémon has different needs." Suzie continued before moving to massage Pikachu's cheeks, "As you may already know, a pikachu's electric sacks are located in its cheeks and may became very tense after a difficult battle."

Pikachu smiled blissfully, "Chaaa!"

Everyone watched in awe.

"Good communication between Pokémon and trainer is essential. These techniques build trust and bring out a Pokémon's personality."

Brock stepped forward, "I think Suzie will agree with me that any technique is only as good as the trainer or breeder who uses it."

A few trainers -whose Pokémon had gone through the Salon Rockét treatment- looked down at their Pokémon sorrowfully. They sighed.

Clefairy jumped up to the table, "_Can I get a turn now?_"

"_Just, ten more- twen-_ Chaaa!" Pikachu smiled blissfully.

Ash chuckled, "_Come on, Pikachu. Let Clefairy have a turn. Besides, it'll help with the demonstration._"

Pikachu pouted and sat up; surprising Suzie, "_Fine._" He jumped down.

Clefairy ran over and fell back in front of Suzie, "_Ready!_"

Suzie blinked in surprise, "Um." She shook it off and smiled again, "Next, we'll be working with Clefairy here." 'apparently.' She started massaging the Fairy.

Clefairy smiled blissfully, "_Ash, Pikachu's right! We need to come here again!_"

Ash chuckled again.

After a moment, Suzie rolled over Clefairy and started rubbing her wings, "Even though a clefairy isn't actually capable of flight, their wings can become tense or even swollen after absorbing large amounts of moonlight. Massaging them regularly can also help increase their absorption rate and capacity, allowing for Clefairy to float for longer periods."

Clefairy looked up and blinked, "_Wait, I can do what?_" She looked at Ash, "_Did you know I could do that?!_"

Ash blinked in surprise, "_Well, yeah._"

Clefairy pouted, "_Why didn't you tell me sooner?!_"

Ash sweat dropped, "_I thought you already knew. You've been a clefairy for most of your life._" He cocked his head, "_I'm assuming._"

Clefairy frowned, "_I can't believe I could've tried floating around this whole ti-_" She stopped and smiled happily as Suzie struck a nerve, "Fairyyy."

After another minute, Psyduck charged into the salon and started rambling like mad. Everyone looked at him in surprise.

Ash deadpanned, "_Of course._"

Charmander looked up at him in surprise, "_Huh?_"

Soot sighed, "Apparently, it's time to save Misty."

Brock looked at her in alarm, "What?! What do you mean 'save her'?! From what?!"

Soot and Ash shared an annoyed glance.

Soot sighed again, "Just- come on."

Soot ran out the door and Ash flew after her as he held Charmander. Brock, Suzie, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Psyduck followed soon after.

.

*Salon Rockét*

Brock, Soot, Suzie holding Vulpix, Pikachu, and Clefairy ran in through the front door. Ash stood just outside the entrance with Charmander on his shoulder. He couldn't fit through the door.

"Misty!" Soot called out. She stopped and stared in shock upon seeing her tied to a chair and her face covered in makeup, "What?"

Brock glared, "It's Team Rocket again!" He looked at Misty too and stared; dumbfound, "Uhh."

**Ohirume: Sorry, but I can't even begin to describe the ******** that the Rockets put on her. You wanna know what she looks like? Find the episode or some screen shots online.**

**Actually, the screenshot thing will be a ****lot**** easier.**

Pikachu, Clefairy, Charmander, and Ash stared in shock.

"_Why does Misty look like a clown?_" Pikachu asked.

The tRio looked back at the group and flinched upon seeing Ash.

"The Porta Vista Dragonite?!" James called out in alarm.

Ash sweat dropped, "_Sort of._"

Meowth's eyes widened, "D-da twoip."

Jessie and James looked at him in shock before looking back at Ash.

Jessie sweat dropped, "Of course."

Soot shook off the confusion and glared, "Let Misty go right now!"

Jessie smirked, "Sorry, you'll have to wait your turn. We won't be finished with her makeover until she looks like a grimer."

James smiled in a weird way, "We're conducting some important beauty research."

Suzie frowned, "Beauty research? Can't you understand it's the beauty inside that counts? Every Pokémon is beautiful. We just have to help them discover it."

Jessie raised a brow, "What's she talking about?"

James smirked, "What does she know about breeding anyway? Who cares about the inside? Outside counts."

Meowth jumped up and Fury Swiped the two of them, "What do you two numbskulls know about breedin'?! Dis whole Salon Rockét idea's supposed to be a scam rememba?!"

Brock sweat dropped, "Should we-"

Soot smirked, "No. Let him finish."

Meowth jumped down and grinned, "It was a brilliant plan." He raised digit on his paw, "Part one, think up some stupid Pokémon fashions and take piles of money from da trainas." He raised a second digit, "And part two, whenever a traina brings in a rare Pokémon, get da traina distracted den steal da Pokémon on da spot. Genius isn't it?"

Soot smirked, "It could have been. If you hadn't blurted it all out in front of all of your previous and potential clients." She looked back.

The three of them followed her gaze and flinched upon seeing a massive crowd of trainers glaring at them.

Jessie gulped before smirking again, "Well, it still doesn't change the fact that we have your water clown hostage."

"What did you just call me?!" Misty yelled.

Meowth smirked and pointed, "So, how 'bout a trade? Da girl for da tw- uh, 'Dragonite'."

Pikachu and Soot glared, "_F_o_r_g_e_t _i_t_!_"

Brock pulled out a pokéball, "If you won't give her back peacefully, we'll just have to beat you in a battle!"

James laughed, "Salon Rockét is ready with our own fashion-battle platform!" He pulled out a microphone and pressed a button on it. The salon started shaking before a massive cloud of smoke covered it.

Jessie's voice came up over a loudspeaker, And now Salon Rockét presents a fashion extravaganza and Pokémon battlethon.

The smoke cleared to reveal a massive, heavily floral-patterned area with a huge staircase leading to a second, smaller staircase with Misty at the top.

Jessie and James stood at the top of the larger staircase; both cross dressing.

Jessie started the motto; sort of, "To protect the world from boring fashion."

"To dress all people with flash and passion."

"To give all Pokémon pretty faces."

"To extend our art to outer spaces."

"Jessie."

"James."

"Salon Rockét. When it comes to chic, we know what's right."

"Surrender your taste or prepare to fight."

Soot stared in shock, "What the Yvel is their budget?"

Jessie raised an arm, "Dazzle them, Ekans!"

James followed suit, "Knock 'em dead Koffing!"

Ekans and Koffing jumped out; dressed up in the same outfits from the posters.

Pikachu's eye twitched, "_You're males! Why did you let them dress you up like that?!_"

Ekans frowned, "_I kinda like it…_"

Soot sweat dropped and looked up at Ash, "You wanna take care of this?"

Ash smirked and cracked his knuckles, "_With pleasure._"

Team Rocket flinched.

Ash took Charmander off his shoulder, set him on the ground, and pet him, "_Sit tight. This'll be over fast._"

Charmander smiled, "_Alright._"

Ash took a step forward right before the symbol of his chest started beeping and flashing red.

Charmander's eyes widened, "_Uh oh._"

James blinked in surprise, "What's going on?"

Misty deadpanned, "Seriously? Now?"

Jessie looked at her in surprise, "What are you talking about?" She looked at Ash, "What's she talking about?"

Ash raised a claw and opened his mouth. Instead of saying something he flapped his wings forcefully, shot into the air, and flew past Suzie's salon. A.K.A behind it.

Suzie watched as he left and blinked in surprise, "What just happened?"

Soot sighed, "Dragonite has to go back to the lab. That thing on his chest was an alert signaling that his trainer wanted to pick him up."

Suzie frowned, "Talk about poor timing."

James blinked, ran up to Misty, and whispered, "So, what was that, really?"

Misty glared before smiling slyly, "Come closer and I'll tell you."

The idiot leaned in closer and fell for it hook, line and sinker.

After a second, James shrieked, stepped back, and rubbed his ear, "Who does that?!"

Meowth and Jessie flinched and looked at him in alarm.

"James, what's wrong?!" Meowth asked.

"She spit in my ear!"

"Go Geodude!"

"Pikachu, Clefairy, Charmander, enter the fray!"

Team Rocket looked back to see the five Pokémon and trainer glaring at them.

Jessie blinked, "Oh, right."

Brock held out an arm, "Geodude, give them a Seismic Toss!"

Geodude charged Ekans, grabbed him, and pulled him into the air. He turned around and threw the snake towards the ground.

Jessie smirked and snapped, "Ekans, recover with style!"

Ekans curled, grabbed the end of his dress, and spun like wheel.

Soot grimaced, "Pikachu, Agility! Charmander and Clefairy, propulsion shot!"

Pikachu lit up and ran to the side.

Charmander jumped, shot a Dragon Rage at the ground, and flew up high from the resulting explosion.

Clefairy smirked, "_I've got a better idea! I'll just float out of the way!_"

Soot grimaced, "Wait, Clefairy! That's not how it-"

Clefairy jumped up and spread her arms. She flopped on the floor immediately.

Ekans finally hit the ground and rolled right into Clefairy.

"_Ahh!_" She flew back and landed on her back; in front of Soot.

Soot looked down at her and sweat dropped, "Your kind levitate by absorbing and storing moonlight. To my knowledge, you've never done that."

Clefairy pouted and grumbled, "_Seriously?_"

"_Take this!_" Pikachu shouted as he fired a Thunderbolt at the Poison-types.

"Spin it off!" James shouted.

Koffing and Ekans spun in place. The electric attack had no effect.

Pikachu flinched, "_What the?_"

Soot blinked before her eyes widened in realization, "Oh, insulation."

"Koffing, cutie." James said with a smirk, "Sludge makeover!" He finished by throwing rose petals into the air.

Pikachu and Soot's eyes widened as Koffing fired a barrage of Sludge. Pikachu batted at the attack with Iron Tail. Soot shifted her eyes and let the Sludge pass through her.

Pikachu glared, "_We're not falling for that twice!_"

Clefairy sat up, "_What's going- AH!_" She got a face full of Sludge. As did Geodude and Charmander.

"_Ah! My eyes!_" Charmander cried out in alarm.

Geodude groaned and tried to rub the gunk out.

"Oh no, Geodude!" Brock called out in alarm.

Jessie frowned slightly but perked up and pointed, "Now the finale. Go!"

Koffing and Ekans charged forward … only for Ekans to trip and tear his and Koffing's outfits.

"Oh, no!" James cried out, "It's a fashion disaster!"

Soot laughed, "Hah! Serves you right for dressing them up like that!"

Meowth glared, "Get up, already! We're not done here!"

Meowth, Koffing, Ekans charged the blinded Pokémon. Pikachu stood in front of them defensively.

The trio skid to a halt when Vulpix appeared in between them and their targets.

Brock looked to his side in surprise, "Suzie?"

Suzie walked forward; glaring, "Vulpix and I will take care of them."

Soot frowned but nodded, "Alright." She looked ahead again, "Pikachu, Charmander, fall back!"

Charmander looked around in confusion, "_What good would falling do?_"

Pikachu sweat dropped and grabbed his paw, "_Come on._" He escorted the Fire-type back towards Soot.

Suzie smiled before glaring at Team Rocket, "Time to give you a lesson in breeding! If all you worry about is your Pokémon's outer beauty, its inner beauty will be lost!"

Vulpix nodded, "_That's right!_"

Jessie smirked, "Oh, please. A Pokémon is like a fashion model. All that counts is a pretty face."

"Charge!" Meowth called out as he, Ekans, and Koffing charged Vulpix.

Suzie's eyes narrowed, "Vulpix, wrap them up with Fire Spin!"

Vulpix's eyes lit up red as she fired the attack. The tornado tore through the arena, up the staircase, and picked up Jessie and James.

The scorched Team Rocket flew into the distance, "We're blasting off again!"

Everyone, except Suzie, stared in shock as the attack faded.

"That was a Fire Spin?!" Soot said; wide eyed, "Freaking Yvel."

Brock gulped, "It looked more like a Fire Cyclone."

Charmander looked up at Soot, "_Do any of Ash's forms know that?_"

Vulpix flinched and looked at Charmander in surprise, "_Huh?!_"

Brock looked back at the crowd with a smile, "Did you see that?! An overdone exterior hides inner strength! That's the Pokémon's true personality."

Soot spoke up, "And, if you're still not convinced, keep in mind that the people who did those 'makeovers' were scammers and thieves."

"Guys!"

Everyone looked back and flinched upon seeing Misty covered in soot and glaring at them.

Misty's eye twitched, "You couldn't have untied me before firing?!" She coughed up smoke.

.

*Just outside Suzie's Salon

Brock, Misty, Suzie, and all of the Pokémon made their way back towards the salon. Misty was still wearing the makeup for some reason.

Brock looked down at Soot, "So, Team Rocket already tried blinding you guys with Sludge?"

Misty nodded, "Yeah. Back in Viridian Forest."

Soot sighed, "Difference is, they succeeded. Pikachu and I were put out of commission."

Suzie raised a brow, "Really? Why didn't you just turn intangible to get the Sludge off?"

Soot stopped walking and her eyes widened. She groaned before removing her foreleg, making Suzie flinched in the process, and tossed it into the air. The limb flipped in the air, fell back down, and slapped Soot in the forehead.

Everyone stared at her in confusion.

Misty blinked, "What was that?"

Soot reattached her leg, "One of the few ways I can facepalm without Marionetter. Or even with, because dad wouldn't actually let me."

The group laughed before walking back through the store. They blinked in surprise upon seeing Ash sitting on one of the couches.

Ash looked back, "Hey guys. Dragonite had to-"

"Don't worry, dad." Soot interrupted, "I already told Suzie."

Ash blinked in surprise, "Really?" he looked out the window, at Suzie, and sighed, "Alright, then." He brought up his watch and had the dial spring up, "I guess you'll want a demonstration, then."

Suzie blinked in confusion, "Demonstration?"

Brock flinched upon realizing what he meant, "Wait, Ash! That's not what-"

Ash hit the dial. Suzie shied away as green light overtook Ash and looked again. Her eyes widened and jaw dropped upon seeing Dragonite in Ash's place.

Vulpix stared in shock and looked back at the other Pokémon. Pikachu and Charmander chuckled nervously. Psyduck stared in absolute shock.

Clefairy tilted, "_Wait, when did we tell them about the watch?_"

Ash's eyes widened, "_What?_"

Soot's eyes twitched, "I told her that Dragonite went back to his trainer. Not that you were him."

Suzie and Psyduck fainted.

Vulpix flinched and looked at the girl in alarm, "_Suzie!_"

Ash blinked, "_Oh._ _Well, crag._"

.

**Time Skip**

Suzie eventually recovered and sat down across from Ash and the others as they explained what the actual Yvel happened a minute ago. Pikachu, Clefairy and Vulpix sat on the bench again and Soot sat next to Ash. Charmander and Psyduck were returned earlier.

Suzie and Vulpix sat and listened intently as Ash explained everything. From the watch to him being unable to understand certain Pokémon.

When he got around to Soot, Suzie's eyes widened in shock.

Vulpix blinked in surprise, "_That actually explains a lot._"

"I-I-" Suzie stuttered before looking at Soot, "You're actually-" She stopped and put a hand on her forehead, "Never in my career as a breeder could I have even imagined something so- so-"

"Insane?" Soot said with a sad smile.

Suzie smiled softly at her, "I was actually going to say incredible. To meet a Pokémon that's not only raised by a human, but actually the offspring of one. It's amazing and … unbelievable."

Brock smiled sadly, "It was surprising for us too."

Misty chuckled, "Well, sort of. We'd been hanging around Ash for so long that we got a little used to all the crazy."

Suzie smiled before blinking in surprise and looking at Ash, "Wait, if you were Dragonite, then what was that beeping earlier?"

Ash smiled and brought up the watch, "That was actually a timer alert. My transformations have a fifteen-minute time limit and I need to wait another five minutes to be able to change again. I can extend the limit through a function called Lockdown mode, but that can last for one to three and a half days." He sweat dropped, "And I can't change again until time runs out."

Suzie frowned, "I can see why you left when you did."

Soot spoke up, "Hey, Suzie. We can trust you to keep this a secret, right?"

Suzie smiled softly and nodded, "Of course. I promise not tell a soul."

Ash smiled softly, "Thank you, Suzie. We appreciate it."

Suzie smiled back, "I should be the one thanking all of you. You helped me so much today. You've even helped me regain confidence in my beliefs."

Soot smiled, "We were happy to help."

Suzie looked at the Rock-type trainer, "And, Brock."

Brock straightened up, "Uh, yes?"

Suzie smiled sadly, "I'm thinking of heading out on a journey of my own and I would really appreciate it if you would let Vulpix join your team."

"W_h_a_t_?_!_" Brock and Vulpix called out in surprise. Everyone else just stared; wide eyed.

Suzie looked down at her fox, "I know this is surprising, Vulpix, but I think this will be good for you. From what I've seen, Brock's the only other trainer you've taken a liking too."

Vulpix looked at her sadly, "_W-well, I guess. But, are you sure?_"

Soot frowned and relayed the message.

Suzie smiled sadly and pet her, "I am. I really think this'll be good for you." She looked up at Brock, "I truly believe you'd do a better job of raising Vulpix than I could."

Brock glanced at Ash before looking back at the Fire-type, "What do think, Vulpix?"

Vulpix looked at him in surprise, "_Huh?_"

Brock frowned and looked at Ash, "Did I not do it right?"

Ash snickered, "No, no, it's fine. It's just not something a Pokémon expects to hear." He looked at Vulpix, "He asked you because of something I said a while ago." He smiled sadly, "About how it can feel to be forced to join a trainer."

Brock smiled and nodded, "Yeah. I wanted to try getting your opinion." He rubbed the back of his head, "I'm kind of new at it."

Soot snickered and looked at the fox, "So, what do you say?"

Vulpix blinked in surprise and looked back and forth between Brock and Suzie. She looked back at Brock and nodded, "_Alright._"

Brock smiled softly, "Thank you Vulpix. I promise I'll take good care of you."

Suzie brought out Vulpix's pokéball and handed it to Brock, "Here you go."

Brock nodded and accepted to ball, "Thank you." He pointed the ball to Vulpix, "Return."

Vulpix disappeared into the sphere.

Suzie smiled softly.

Ash and Misty smiled and shared a look.

Ash blinked in surprise, "What happened to your makeup?"

Misty's eyes widened, "Huh?!" She ran to a mirror and her eyes widened upon seeing her regular face, "What the Yvel?! Where did it go?!"

Soot tilted her head, "Maybe it got burned off in the Fire Spin?"

Ash looked at Soot with a raised brow, "But wasn't Misty still-"

Soot nudged him and shot a glance at the floor while quickly shifting her eyes back and forth. Ash glanced too and saw Misty's braids on the ground, next to a few specks of various colored powder.

"Oh." Ash said before looking at Misty, "Yeah, sorry, Misty. I guess the makeup wasn't fire resistant."

Misty pouted and crossed her arms, "I could have sworn I still had it on when I walked in. And I really liked it too."

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_Remind me to never let Misty give me a makeover._"

"Noted." Ash said.

.

.

**Ohirume: Pass, the cranberry sauce.**

**We're havin' mashed potatoes!**

**Oh, the turkey looks great.**

**Thank you for lovin' me.**

**Seishin: Rob…**

**Ohirume: Thank you bein' there.**

**Seishin: Please…**

**Ohirume: Thank you for lovin' me.**

**Seishin: Oh, Arc.**

**Ohirume: Everyone's thankin'**

**The-**

**Seishin: Rob.**

**Ohirume: -whole world's thankin' you**

**Seishin: Stop.**

**Ohirume: Thankin'-**

**Seishin: Rob, stop.**

**Ohirume: -us for thankin' you**

**Seishin: Rob.**

**Ohirume: Kill the turkey.**

**Gem: WHAT?!**

**Seishin: Hey! It was my line!**

**Gem: I don't care! Why would you kill something for Thanksgiving?!**

**Nuevo: W-what? Why do you even need to ask that?**

**Luke: *sigh* It's because none of our Pokémon worlds need to kill for meat.**

**Gem: ****That's**** where meat comes from in other worlds?!**

**Faux: Unfortunately, yes.**

**Gem: Please, don't tell you tried it.**

**Faux: We didn't really have a choice. It tastes the same but *shivers* I couldn't get the residual aura out of my head. It was haunting.**

**Gem: Oh Arceus, I think I'm gonna be sick.**

**…**

**One more thing that is completely unrelated to the story. Yu-Gi-Oh's new TCG ban list takes effect tomorrow and, as someone who's extremely annoyed at the fact that Orcust is ****everywhere**** and plays near effortlessly off most two summon combos, here's what I have to say:**

**SO LONG KNIGHTMARE MERMAID!**

**YOU -and to a lesser extent Orcust Knightmare- WERE THE ONLY REASON ORCUST WAS CONSISTENTLY SPLASHABLE AND NOW YOU'RE GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE!**

**YOU WILL NOT BE MISSED, YOU ************!**

**I do realize, however, that Orcust is not at all dead. But they can no longer be carelessly thrown into a tier 4 deck and make it tier 2.**

**That's all. See ya next chapter**


	32. Ch 28: Fighting ALPN

***sci-fi portal sound***

**Omega: *sigh* Of course.**

**Seishin: What's wrong, Megy?**

**Omega: *pinches bridge of nose* Yukiro's jumping into Trix's world aga- *eyes widen* YUKIRO?!**

**Seishin: Hi.**

**Omega: Wha- If you're here, then who just went to Trix's world?!**

**Seishin: *Looks at camera* Read and find out!**

**Ohirume: I don't own Pokémon, Ben 10, Black Clover, RWBY, or Naruto (Shippuden).**

**Omega: Oh. That's who. Wait, RWBY?**

**…**

**Ohirume: Also, yes, the chapter is a day early. I've got something going on late tomorrow night and I don't know if I'll be able to post it on time at midnight.**

.

.

**Fighting Alpine**

.

The group of Ash, Misty, Brock, Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy continued on their journey towards Fuchsia City where they would pass by and enter the P1 Grand Prix with Mankey, win, then leave him behind with that guy…

Nah, I'm kidding. They're still at Suzie's salon. Mostly because she offered this:

"Vaaayy!" Ash cried out blissfully as Suzie rubbed the circular fin around his neck.

Suzie smiled, "I'm glad you like it. I have to admit, I'm a little excited to get feedback from a human's perspective."

Ash raised a brow, "_I'm not sure it would really work like that. My mind may still be human, but-_" He stopped and flinched when Suzie pressed on his tail with her thumb, "_Ohhhh!_" He laid back down with a smile; ears drooping, "_Thaaaat's the good stuff._"

Misty, Brock, Soot, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Vulpix sat around the table by the window.

Soot snickered, "Dad sure seems to be enjoying himself."

Pikachu pouted, "_Trust me, he is._"

Vulpix sweat dropped, '_This'll take some getting used to._'

Brock laid his head on the table in a slump, "A massage from Suzie herself. Why couldn't I have been given such an honor?"

Soot looked at them and smiled sadly, "I mean, Suzie's specialty is Pokémon. I'm not sure humans are her best subject."

Brock groaned.

Misty sighed, "I guess it can't be helped."

Ash overheard and frowned. He looked down sorrowfully. He shook it off and glared in determination, '_I promise I'll figure them out. I'll get back to work as soon as possi-ssi-ssi!_' "VAAAYYYY!" '_Okay, after this._'

"Hey, can I get a turn after he's done?" Soot called out.

Suzie kept her eyes on the vaporeon and nodded, "Of course."

.

*Meanwhile, in … wherever "The Punchy Pokémon" takes place

**Gem: Celadon City**

**Ohirume: Seriously?!**

Walking down a road towards the P1 Grand Prix, was an … unusual group.

One was a human girl with long auburn hair; tied into a ponytail. She wore a green, sleeveless shirt, skinny jeans, white sandals, and had golden-brown eyes.

**Seishin: ;P Blatantly stolen from a discontinued story by Mekon. Wait, did I just use an emoticon?! … Why can't I do more?!**

**Ohirume: Did you really think I'd give you ****that**** kind of power permanently?**

**Seishin: *grumbles***

Next to her was a zoroark with hazel brown eyes, legs that resembled that of a lucario's in terms of structure, darker than average black fur, and a black fox tail that resembled one from a Kanto ninetales.

In other words, it's Faux again. Y'know, from the "Pokémon Land" Omake.

Standing on Faux's shoulder was a pikachu wearing a blue short sleeved, collared jacket with yellow lightning bolts stretching around the waist. On the back, there was a black symbol resembling a bull's head. On the bull's forehead was a blue, upside-down heart with a black bolt of lightning tearing through it.

Finally, there was an average looking lucario with a fully formed Bone Rush attached to his back.

**Seishin: Actually original. Hence why he's so bland.**

The lucario sweat dropped, "Thank you for that, Seishin."

The pikachu snickered, "Well, he's not wrong, Luke. You're pretty basic."

Luke rolled his eyes with a smirk, "Very funny, Pike. But, at least, I actually received a comment."

Faux sweat dropped, "Uh, Luke?"

The girl raised a brow, "Wait. Isn't Pike's design kind of original too?"

Pike blinked in surprise, "Is it? I thought my jacket was from Oathkeeper0317's profile pic."

**Ohirume: That was the original idea, but I misinterpreted the design. When it came time to describe the appearance for this chapter, I just … went with this. The only things I kept were the color and lightning bolts. Or, so I thought.**

**I did not look at the design closely.**

Pike tugged on the collar with a smile, "Aw, whatever. I like it like this."

**Seishin: Well, duh. Liking it is in your design. In all seriousness, Rob came up with that on the spot when he was writing this portion of the chapter.**

Faux raised a brow and looked into the sky, "Speaking of this chapter, why are we here? This is around time I- uh, Ash released Primeape, right?"

**Ohirume: Well, Mankey. But yeah. They're caught up in other stuff and I'm not too sure about Mankey being taken out of the story.**

Pike glared at the sky, "Yet, you were fine with tossing out Butterfree." He waited for a few seconds and sighed, "And now he's not answering. Typical."

Faux chuckled and pet him, "Don't worry, bro. We already know how this plays out. We just have to find that girl."

The brunette's eyes narrowed, "What girl?"

"A human girl, Laura." Faux said with a mocking glare. He walked over and slung an arm across her back, "Besides, you know you're my one and only."

Laura smiled softly, "I know. I was just messing with you." She moved closer and puckered her lips. Faux smiled and followed suit.

"Yo, lovebirds!" Pike interrupted from Faux's shoulder, "We're supposed to help what's-her-name with her dad and hitmonchan, remember?" He smirked, "Besides, I don't think this story is supposed to involve human and Pokémon romance."

Laura raised a brow, "Wouldn't I have to be human for that to make sense?"

Faux nodded, "And didn't Trix-"

"Sorry to interrupt." Luke said before pointing down the road, "But, am I to assume that's the hitmonchan we're searching for?"

The Team followed his gaze and saw the Fighting-type punching the air next to a tree.

Pike blinked, "Yup, that's him." He looked at Faux with a smirk, "So, should I do that crazy rocket punch thing?"

Faux chuckled, "Come on, Pike. You know that was just a stupid concept from the start."

Pike pouted, "Oh, come on! It'll actually make sense, this time!" He held up his paws and his electric sacks started to glow yellow.

A surge electricity traveled from his cheeks down to paws and started to take shape around them. After another second, a pair of yellow, glowing, translucent boxing gloves covered his paws; sparking every few seconds.

Pike held up the gloves, "See?! I can even make my own gloves!"

"Faster Hitmonchan! Faster!"

The group looked over to see a man walk up to Hitmonchan.

"Keep your gloves up!" He shouted, "Remember! Fighting smart hurts less than fighting stupid!"

Hitmonchan nodded with a determined glare, "_Right!_" He went back to punching the air.

Laura raised a brow, "Is that the father?"

Faux nodded, "Yup."

"Daddy!" A red-haired girl called out as she ran over to the man, "Daddy, please come home."

The man blinked in surprise "Rebecca?"

"And there's his daughter." Faux said.

Luke glanced at Pike with a smirk, "It appears your window of opportunity has closed."

Pike grumbled and shook his paws. The gloves faded into literal sparks.

Laura giggled before walking towards them, "Come on, let's get this show on the road."

The rest followed.

.

*Rebecca

"Daddy," Rebecca begged, "please quit Pokémon training and come home with me."

Her father frowned, "I won't come home until I become champion of the P1 Grand Prix."

"But, daddy-"

The man raised a hand, "I'm sorry, Rebecca, but my minds made up." He walked past her, "I'll be at the gym if you need me. Come on, Hitmonchan."

The Fighting-type followed.

Rebecca clenched a fist and started tearing up. She sat down under the tree in fetal position.

"Are you okay?"

Rebecca flinched and looked up to see a beautiful brunette looking down at her with a worried frown.

Rebecca stood up and wiped away the tears, "Y-yeah. I'm okay."

Laura's frowned deepened, "Are you sure?" She looked to her side, "Maybe there's something we can help you with."

Rebecca followed her gaze and her eyes widened upon seeing a lucario and a strange, tailed zoroark with a jacket-wearing pikachu on its shoulder, "A-are those your Pokémon?"

Laura smiled and nodded, "Yup." She gestured to the Dark-type, "This is Ash."

Faux saluted with a grin, "_Nice to meet you!_"

Laura gestured to the Electric-type, "That's Pike."

The mouse flashed a V-sign and smiled, "_What's up?_"

Laura gestured to the Fighting/Steel-type, "This is Luke."

The bipedal canine bowed respectfully, "_Greetings._"

She then gestured to herself, "And my name is Laura Neon." She held out a hand to the girl, "Now, who are you?"

Rebecca shook her hand, "My name is Rebecca." She frowned, "I know this is sudden, but can I ask you for a favor?"

Laura cocked her head, "What is it?"

Rebecca looked at Laura hopefully, "Please, I want you to defeat my father's hitmonchan!"

"_Act surprised!_" Faux whispered harshly.

Laura blinked in surprise, "Huh?"

.

*Later; Fighting Spirit Gym

Luke looked around at the exercise equipment in surprise, "_I was not aware any of our worlds had gyms like this._"

Faux chuckled, "_It caught me off guard the first time too. Usually, these kinds of places have the word 'dojo' or 'club' in their name._"

Pike glanced at Laura from Faux's shoulder, "_By the way, Brock was supposed to notice that sign on the wall and ask what the P1 was._"

Laura glanced at him and nodded slightly.

Laura looked at a wall next to her and blinked in 'surprise' upon seeing the poster, "Hey Rebecca, what's the P1 Grand Prix?"

"It's short for the Pokémon number one Grand Prix." Rebecca responded, "It's a tournament for fighting Pokémon." She looked down somberly, "Because my father wants to win the P1, he's training all the time and ignoring his family." She looked up at Laura with a soft smile, "I'm hoping that if you can defeat Hitmonchan, my dad will come to his senses and come home."

Luke sweat dropped, "_That logic seems incredibly flawed._"

Faux elbowed him, "_Shut it. It worked last time._"

Laura glanced at Faux before looking back at Rebecca with a smile, "Sure, I'd be happy to help." She looked at the lucario in the room, "What do you say, Luke?"

Luke looked at the zoroark and pikachu, "_Are the contestants strong, at all?_"

Pike nodded with smile, "_Yeah. By Pokémon standards._"

Luke sweat dropped, "_Oh._" He sighed and nodded, "_Fine. I might as well._"

Laura looked back at Rebecca with a smile, "Alright, looks like he's in."

Rebecca smiled sadly, "Thank you." She frowned, "But are sure he'll be able to win? My father's hitmonchan is very powerful and I've heard that Steel-types aren't very good against Fighting-types."

Faux, Luke, Pike, and Laura sweat dropped at that.

Laura looked at a dumbbell rack across the room and smirked, "Rebecca, how much do you think all those weights weigh, together? Three tons?"

Rebecca blinked in surprise and looked at the rack, "Um, yeah. I guess."

Laura smiled, "Cool." She looked at Luke, "Show her what you can do."

Luke smirked, "_With pleasure._" He started walking over to the dumbbell rack.

Faux, Pike, and Laura watched with sly smiles. Rebecca raised a brow.

Luke put a paw under the rack and lifted the entire thing over his head with one paw. Rebecca's jaw dropped and stared in shock.

Luke blinked in surprise and looked up, "_Huh._" He looked back at the four of them, "_I believe this is closer to two and a half tons._"

Laura smiled, "I think we're good."

.

*P1 Grand Prix Arena

Ladies and Gentlemen, An announcer said over a loudspeaker, welcome on and all to our fighting Pokémon festival, the P1 Grand Prix! The contestants are about to enter the ring!

A pokéball symbol beside the ring opened up and Rebecca's father and Hitmonchan came up on a lift.

Introducing the number one contender! The Fighting Machine! Hitmonchan and its trainer, Anthony!

A hitmonlee jumped onto the stage and landed next to Team Rocket doubling up in a trench coat for some reason.

And now the challenger! The Kicking Fiend! Hitmonlee, along with its trainer, Giant!

Jessie waved at the crowd. James started wobbling under the coat.

Jessie glared and whispered harshly, "Stand up straight! You're making me dizzy!"

"I'm tired." James whimpered, "Let's trade pla- AH!" He cried out as Jessie squeezed his head between her thighs.

**Seishin: *Zarbon moan***

**Omega: That seemed forced.**

**Seishin: It was.**

"Quit complaining!" Jessie argued.

In another corner, Laura, Faux, and Pike waved to the crowd. Luke stood next to them with his arms crossed.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, a new Pokémon trainer competing here in her P1 debut! Please welcome the lovely Laura Neon of Alto Mare!

The crowd cheered for her. Amid the cheers were a few comments that Faux's eye twitch.

Rebecca sat in the stands; hands held together, "Good luck, Laura."

Jessie glared at Laura, "Who does that girl think she is? Taking all the attention for herself?"

"Who are you talking abou-" James peeked out from the coat and immediately saw Laura. Hearts filled his eyes, "Whoa! Look at her!"

Faux glared at him and spoke through clenched teeth, "Buzz off!"

James flinched and hid in the coat again, "Jess, that black ninetales just spoke!"

Jessie heeled his chest; making him yelp, "Don't be an idiot!"

Luke sweat dropped, "_Are we just going to pretend that that isn't Team Rocket?_"

Pike shrugged, "_Pretty much._"

.

*Under the ring

Meowth's eyes widened, 'What the?! Pikachu?!'

.

*That cut was probably unnecessary

A machop stood in the ring on an opposite corner to Laura and the others.

And now for our first match! Machop is ready to battle! What Pokémon will Laura use to challenge it?!

Luke sweat dropped, "_They, __do__ see me. Right?_"

Faux patted his shoulder, "_Aw, just get in there, teach._"

Luke rolled his eyes before jumping clear over the ring and landing on his corner of the ring in a crouch. He stood back up and crossed his arms.

The ref immediately pointed at him, "Hold on a second! Non-weapon Normal and Fighting-esque moves only! Get rid of that Bone Rush or be disqualified!"

Luke deadpanned, "_Seriously?_"

Laura leaned over to Faux and mumbled, "_Was that a rule last time?_"

Faux raised a brow, "_First I'm hearing of it._"

Luke sighed, pulled the Ground-type move off his back, and broke it over his knee. The move burst out of existence.

The ref nodded, "Better."

Machop smirked, "_Not so confident without your little staff now, are you._"

Luke rolled his eyes, "_I merely prefer it in my fighting style. I can easily win this brawl without it._"

Machop's eye twitched, "_Cocky little-_" He shifted to a sly smirk, "_We'll see how confident you are after I beat you into the ground!_"

Laura frowned and mumbled, "_I'm starting to feel sorry for Machop._"

Pike smirked, "_I'm not._"

The wrestling bell went off.

"_Take this!_" Machop called out as he shot towards Luke.

The Fighting-type jumped and unleashed a barrage of jabs. Luke brought up and crossed his arms to block.

Machop starts if off with a flurry of ferocious jabs! It may be small, but it sure packs plenty of power!

The Superpower Pokémon wound up and unleashed a harsh punch. Luke blocked again and skidded backwards.

Lucario has been thrown back! It looks like the Steel-type could be in trouble!

Luke rolled his eyes.

Machop smirked, "_Not so confident, now. Are we?_"

Pike sweat dropped, "_Is 'confident' his favorite word or something?_"

Luke sighed, "_Can we just get this over with? I'm already bored._"

Machop gritted his teeth, "_That's it!_" He charged forward again, "_Let's see how confident yyou are against my Seismic-_"

He was cut-off by Luke throwing a kick into his chest and punting him.

"_Augh!_" Machop shot towards the ropes and bounced back towards Luke.

"_Aura Sphere!_" Luke called out as he formed the attack in his right paw. He intercepted the flying Machop and drove the sphere into its chest, "_Impact!_"

Machop was thrown out of the ring, over the stands, and slammed into a wall next to one of the entrances. The audience stared, speechless, at the unconscious Fighting-type planted in the wall.

U-um. The announcer stuttered before shaking it off, And Lucario takes the win in one fell swoop!

Anthony gulped; wide eyed, "We may have our work cut out for us."

Luke put his paws together and pulled them apart; forming another Bone Rush. He quickly grabbed the staff and placed it on his back.

The ref glared, "Hey! What did I just say?! Fighting and Normal moves only!"

Luke glared back, "I didn't use it in the battle, and I'll dispel it again before the next round." He jumped out of the ring and landed next to Faux and the others. He glanced at the ref again, "Besides, you do not have the jurisdiction to tell me what I may do before or after a battle. Only during." He walked towards one of the hallways leading out of the area. Pike, Faux, and Laura followed.

The audience stared in shock as they left.

D-did that Pokémon just talk?

.

*Team ALPN's dressing room

**Ohirume: Wrestling arenas have dressing rooms, right?**

**Waiting rooms?**

Faux laughed and slung an arm across the lucario's back, "Freaking Yvel, Luke! You couldn't have held back just a little?!"

Luke chuckled, "You know fair and well that I held back plenty by letting him hit me at all."

Pike smirked with a raised brow, "Well, sure. But that was still overkill. I mean, you drove him into a wall."

Luke glared mockingly with a sly smirk, "Like you haven't done that to countless other opponents."

Laura chuckled, "He's got ya there, Pike."

The quartet laughed. They were cut off by a knocking on the door.

Faux blinked in surprise and looked at Pike, "Did you order room service?"

Pike raised a brow, "This place has room service?"

The knocking continued.

"Coming!" Laura said as she walked over to the door. She opened it to find some muscular guy in a tank top.

Laura blinked in surprise, "Can I help you?"

The guy smiled confidently and held out a rose, "Of course. All you need to do is say 'yes.'"

Faux glared at the guy.

Laura raised a brow, "Are you … asking me out?"

He started flexing for some reason, "I know, it must come as shock. But, what can I say? Your beauty called to me."

Laura blinked in shock, "Okay, wow. Just, uh- no. Just- no."

The man smirked, "Perfect! I'll pick you up at-" He stopped and blinked, "What?"

Laura deadpanned, "I said 'no.' Besides, I already have a boyfriend. We're very happy together."

The guy snickered and put a hand to his chin, "Oh, is that all? Well, who says he needs to know?"

Luke and Pike's eyes widened, and they glance at Faux warily. The fox had his paw clenched into a fist as he glared daggers at the creep.

Laura's eyes narrowed, "You just keep getting better, don't you?" She said sarcastically before sighing, "Look, it's not happening. I suggest you leave now before you do something you'll regret." She reached for the door to close it.

The meathead grabbed her arm and smirked, "Don't be like that, babe. Now, let's find somewhere nice and quiet to-" He stopped and took on a shocked expression as Faux swiftly kicked him in the, uh … In between the legs … *shiver*

The man groaned and fell to the floor.

Laura smiled slyly, "Like I said." She held Faux passionately; he put in arms around her waist, "Happy." They moved closer before Laura slammed door in the downed man's face.

.

**Seishin: Hey, readers! We're cutting to the final round like in the anime. Originally, we were going to cut back over the Trix and others at the salon. But Rob's an uncreative idiot who can't even write something as simple as a happy goodbye.**

**Ohirume: HEY!**

**Seishin: FIGMENT!**

**Omega: In honor of the chapter's title, we present: Fighting Gold! English version by Jonathan Young.**

**Ohirume: The lyrics will be right here, but we suggest looking up the actual song on YouTube. Seriously, it is awesome.**

**Seishin: Plus, JoYo has done every other JoJo opening … except for Bloody Stream (OP2), Chase (OP6), and Traitor's Requiem (OP9). So far.**

**Ohirume: Still, he's one of the only people to make End Of The World (OP4) sound good in English. Check him out!**

**.**

**We've been getting crushed beneath the pressure,**

**Will of fate is heavier than ever,**

**It has made a hostage of all our dreams…**

**Never can escape, and never running…**

**And we still are desperately struggling…**

**Ever now, persistent I will be!**

**… And all the shards of our hope,**

**Still, ever close…**

**Lost in the rubble beneath…**

**This hope, I swear to find…**

**With my two hands, in time!**

**Swear, I'll be changing The World,**

**YOU WILL SEEEEEE!**

**…**

**FIGHTING GOLD!**

**You'll only find it in those…**

**Believe in what is deep inside,**

**I promise you will shine!**

**BREAK THE MOLD!**

**Until your fire dies!**

**Against the gods toni-ight!**

**Determined we will Fi-ight!**

**Ye, who have indomitable souls!**

**FIGHTING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLD!**

**Seishin: BACK TO THE CHAP!**

**Omega: It's-**

.

"_Impact!_" Luke called out as he drove an Aura Sphere into Machamp's jaw with an uppercut.

"Chaaaamp!" The pure Fighting-type cried out as he flew out of the ring and slammed into the ground; eyes in swirls.

And with another come-from-behind knockout, Laura's lucario advances to the final round!

"Lu-car-ri-o! Lu-car-ri-o!" The crowd cheered.

Luke formed his Bone Rush again, attached it to his back, and jumped out of the ring again. He landed in between Faux and Laura.

Laura smiled at him, "Looks like you're a fan favorite."

Luke looked around and smirked, "_Huh. It's kinda nice._"

Now, the Fighting Spirit Gym's very own Hitmonchan, the number two contender at this tournament,

Anthony sweat dropped, 'Really? Number two?'

takes on the legendary kicking fiend Hitmonlee for a chance at the championship!

The wrestling bell went off.

Hitmonchan shot forward and threw a punch. Hitmonlee followed suit and threw a kick.

The pair meet at the center in a stalemate.

"Got to be smart! Got to be strong! Got to keep moving!" Anthony shouted to his Fighting-type.

Hitmonchan nodded, "_Right!_"

Hitmonlee unleashed a flurry of kicks. Hitmonchan weaved around the kicks effortlessly.

Jessie stared in shock, "Hitmonlee's not landing any kicks."

Meowth's voice came up over a handheld radio, We've got to slow Hitmonchan down! And a little glue oughta do it!

A small puddle of glue seeped onto the stage from below. Hitmonchan stepped in it.

"_What the?!_" Hitmonchan cried out in alarm. He tried pulling his leg free.

Hitmonlee capitalized and barraged the other tyrogue evolution.

Hitmonchan's in trouble! Hitmonlee's Mega Kick is getting the best of them.

"Hitmonchan!" Anthony cried out in alarm.

.

*Meanwhile in the stands

Luke blinked in surprise, "_Why do I smell glue?_"

Pike's eyes widened in realization before he deadpanned, "_Oh, right. Meowth's under the ring._"

Laura flinched and whispered harshly, "_What?! Shouldn't we do something then?!_"

Faux shook his head, "_Actually, no. Hitmonlee wins this round._" He sweat dropped, "_And now I know why._"

Luke stared at Faux in shock, "_What?! Then why did I have to enter?!_"

Pike smirked, "_Because Primeape was supposed to win and he's not here._" The mouse's eyes widened, "_Wait, doesn't something really dangerous happen right about-_"

"Finish it, Hitmonlee!" Jessie called out.

Hitmonlee complied and launched at Hitmonchan with Mega Kick.

"Stop it!" Rebecca shouted as she ran down to the ring.

Faux's eyes widened, "Oh, right. One of us should-"

"DIBS!" Pike called out as he jumped out of the stands.

.

*Ring

Rebecca jumped out in between Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan, "Don't hurt my father's Pokémon!"

Anthony's eyes widened, "Rebecca!" He ran over to intercept the kick.

"_SPARK FORGE! MAGNHILD!_"

Everyone's eyes widened as Pike appeared in front of Hitmonlee wielding a massive mechanical yellow hammer; translucent and sparking like the gloves. He swung at Hitmonlee's outstretched foot. They met in a stalemate.

Hitmonlee's eyes widened in shock, "_Wh-what the Yvel?!_"

Pike smirked, "_Boop._" He pressed a trigger on the handle and an explosion went off at the face of the hammer.

Hitmonlee was flung backwards and crashed against the rope.

The ref stared in shock; unsure of what to say.

Anthony stared at the Electric-type in pure shock. He snapped out of it and quickly turned around, "Rebecca, are you hur-"

"Daddy!" Rebecca called out as she hugged him.

Anthony smiled sadly and hugged her back, "It's okay, Rebecca." He took the towel off his back and threw it into the ring, "I give up."

The bell went off again.

Anthony throws in the towel! Hitmonlee is the winner!

Pike spun with the hammer, hit the ground with it, and pressed the trigger again. The resulting explosion propelled Pike high into the air. He dispelled the hammer and fell back into the stands. Specifically, right into Faux's mane.

Pike popped out of the zoroark's mane and smiled, "_How was that?_"

Luke deadpanned, "_Flashy and revealing. I thought we were trying to keep a low profile._"

Faux smirked with a raised brow, "_Really? Did we decide that before or after spoke Human?_" He looked up, "_Or Rasenganed a hariyama through the roof?_"

Luke glanced up at the roof. There was a tarp outside covering massive hole.

Luke chuckled, "_Touché_" He looked down at Rebecca and Anthony, "_So, what about them?_"

Faux followed his gaze, "_If I remember correctly, he's apologizing about worrying her and her mother. Everything should be okay with them, now._"

Laura smiled softly and mumbled, "_Good._" She looked at Luke, "So, you still up for the final match?"

Luke shrugged with a smirk, "_Yeah. Why not? This has been kind of a fun workout._" He looked back at the ring and his eyes widened, "_Why did Team Rocket lose the trench coat?_"

Pike raised a brow, "_Uh, good question. Last time, it was because we figured them out._"

.

**Time Skip**

And now for the final confrontation! Lucario, a newcomer who's battled to this last round with seemingly minimal effort, faces the ferocious footwork of Hitmonlee, the kicking fiend! Get ready, fans, for a match you'll never forget!

Hitmonlee glared at Luke, "_You must think you're some big shot. Taking down all of the real fighters like it's no big deal._"

Luke raised a brow, "_Doesn't that, alone, make me a 'big shot,' as you put it?_"

The bell went off.

Hitmonlee shot forward and unleashed a flurry of kicks. Luke dodged every kick effortlessly as he weaved around the attacks.

"Nice work, Luke!" Laura cheered from outside of the ring, "Tire him out!"

Anthony frowned and looked at Laura, "Are you sure about that? He's not gonna get anywhere by just dodging."

Laura nodded, "Trust us. Luke's stamina is way above what you'd expect."

"What are you doing?!" Jessie shouted.

"Kick it! Kick it!" James followed.

Pike smirked, "_And that's my queue._"

Faux blinked and looked at him in surprise, "_What?_"

"_You'll see._" Pike said as he jumped down from the fox's shoulder and ran under the ring.

Faux blinked in surprise before shrugging. He went back to watching the fight.

.

*Under the ring

Pike looked around curiously, "Alright, now where did he put that bomb?" He closed his eyes. After a second, his cheeks started sparking.

He opened his eyes and looked over to see a small metal box attached to the underside of the ring.

The mouse smirked, "There you are."

Pike walked over to the device and looked over it before sweat dropping, "Geez. You are a lot less complex than I remember." He sighed and held out a paw, "Alright, let's get this over with." His cheeks glowed yellow and solid electric screwdriver -flathead- appeared in his right paw.

"Hold it right dere, rodent!"

Pike flinched and looked over to see Meowth glaring at him. He looked closer and saw the remote in the Scratch Cat's paw.

The mouse blinked in surprise, "What are you doing under here?"

Meowth glared and pointed, "I'm here for answas! What's da Yvel's goin' on here?! Who's dat twoipette?! Where's da Phantom?! And why are you wearin' dat stupid jacket?!"

Pike sweat dropped, "I think you have me confused with someone else."

Meowth glare deepened, "Yeah, right! Do ya really expect me ta believe dat dere's two pikachus dat look and sound exactly alike?!"

Pike sighed, "Even if I do look like this other guy, I'm pretty sure I can prove I'm not him." He raised a digit on his right paw, "For one, I've been speaking human this whole time."

Meowth flinched and his eyes widened.

"Second," The mouse turned around and removed his jacket, "this thing."

Meowth's eyes widened in horror at the sight of the massive scar stretching from mouse's right shoulder to left hip.

Pike smirked and pulled his jacket back up, "Frightening, isn't it?" He turned to face Meowth again, "I got that after being killed by a cursed mosquito. Not. Fun."

Pike pointed a finger gun at Meowth, "Third." His cheeks lit up again and a yellow, glowing Glock pistol appeared in his outstretched paw; making Meowth flinch again, "My semblance: Spark Forge. It allows me to create whatever I want out of solid electricity. I just need to know how it works" He smirked, "and remember to make the ammo."

He turned the gun towards one of the ring's legs and fired without a bang. Meowth looked at the leg and his eyes widened again at seeing a solid electric bullet lodged in it.

Pike snapped. The bullet and gun disappeared into sparks.

"And fourth." Pike said as he pointed to the bomb, "I'm smart enough that I've been rewiring this thing, without looking, during our entire conversation. All I had to do was look over it once."

Meowth looked at the explosive and saw Pike's flathead messing with it; suspended in mid-air.

Meowth grimaced and pressed the button on his remote. Nothing happened.

Pike snickered, "Forget it." He held out a paw, "Your detonator's not gonna work." His cheeks flash yet again and a solid electric hand detonator appeared in his paw. He put a 'thumb' over it, "But this one will."

Meowth dropped the remote and tripped backwards, "Wh-what da Yvel are you?"

The Electric-type dispelled the detonator and smirked slyly, "Sorry. I guess I should have introduced myself." He bowed, "Pike Neuron June. Team ALPN technician and weapons expert." He held out his left paw as the bomb fell into it and carried it over to Meowth. He placed it on the ground in front of the cat, "Now, you're gonna take this to your friends and I'll have the pleasure of blasting you all sky high. Literally."

Meowth nodded shakily, "O-okay." Trembling, he picked up the explosive and walked out from under the ring.

Pike snickered, "_Too easy._" He walked out another side.

.

*In the ring

Luke continued dodging Hitmonlee's kicks. The pure Fighting-type was moving much slower than before and panting.

Anthony stared in shock, "Unreal. Hitmonlee's already low on breath Lucario hasn't even broken a sweat."

Laura smiled, "Told ya."

Pike reappeared from under the ring and jumped onto Faux's shoulder.

Faux looked at him, "_So, what happened under there?_"

Pike shrugged with a smile, "_Nothing much._" He looked into the ring, "_Hey, Luke! You can stop stalling now!_"

Laura and Faux looked at Pike in surprise.

Luke smirked, "_Finally._" He ducked under another kick, got into a handstand, and denotated an Aura Sphere in his hind paw. He spun like a top and leg-swept Hitmonlee.

As Hitmonlee fell to the floor, Luke got back to his hind paws, and drove an Aura Sphere into his chest, "_Impact!_"

Hitmonlee was slammed into the ground and laid their; swirl eyed.

The wrestling bell rang.

And it's all over! Once again, Laura Neon's incredibly powerful lucario steals the win in one powerful shot! Lucario is the new P1 Pokémon Grand Prix Champion!

Laura ran into the ring and pulled Luke into a hug, "Alright! Luke, you won!"

Faux ran over too and slung an arm across his back, "_Nice job, big guy._"

"_You were awesome!_" Pike cheered.

Luke sweat dropped, "_I barely did anything._"

.

*Team Rocket

"Oh, come on!" Jessie cried out as she banged on the edge of the ring.

James laid his head on the ropes, "We even made it to the finals. How could lose again?"

Meowth walked out for under the ring in a daze; clutching the explosive.

Jessie noticed and immediately glared at him, "Meowth, what went wrong?!"

James glared too, "Why are you holding out secret weapon?!"

Meowth glanced towards the ring and saw Pike grinning at him; holding the detonator.

Meowth gulped, "You guys don't wanna know. Just … brace yourselves."

James blinked in surprise, "Brace for what?"

Pike pressed the detonator.

Team Rocket screamed as the device shocked them. Then it exploded.

.

*About a mile away from the Grand Prix

Ash rubbed the back of his neck with a smile, "Wow. Suzie really knows her stuff. I'm not sure I've ever felt this loose."

Soot smiled blissfully, "No kidding."

Misty sweat dropped, "Glad you guys enjoyed it."

Brock was still pouting.

Ash glanced back and frowned.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Everyone flinched and looked right as the tRio disappeared with a 'ding.'

Misty stared in shock as they disappeared, "Was that Team Rocket?"

Ash blinked, "Uh, yeah."

Brock scratched the side of his head, "Did they actually blast themselves off?"

Soot cocked her head, "I mean, it wouldn't be the first time."

Ash frowned, "Still, we should check it out. Make sure everyone's okay."

Everyone else nodded and ran down the road.

.

**Time Skip**

Anthony and Rebecca stood along the main road to see off Team ALPN. Pike was, for some reason, standing on Luke's shoulder.

Anthony frowned, "Are you sure you won't take me up on my offer?"

Laura shook her head, "Sorry. But Luke's an important part of our family. We couldn't bear to part with him."

Anthony sighed before smiling sadly, "Alright. I guess I can respect that."

Rebecca walked up and held out a hand, "Thank you, Laura. For everything."

Laura smiled and shook her hand, "We were happy to help. It was nice meeting you guys."

Anthony nodded, "Good luck on your journey."

Laura smiled happily, "Thank you, sir." She turned to leave and looked at Faux, "Come on, Faux. I'll race you to Celadon." She ran into the distance.

Faux smirked, "_You're on!_" He ran after her.

Luke chuckled, "_Children._" He ran too.

Pike raised a brow, "_Isn't Laura over seven-hundred?_"

Luke sweat dropped, "_Pike, I'm a thousand._"

Anthony and Rebecca waved as they left.

The group of Ash, Misty, Brock, Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy stared at the pair in confusion.

Pikachu blinked, "_Somehow, I feel like we missed something._"

.

*Faux, Luke, Pike, Laura

Luke held up the P1 belt with a smile; Bone Rush back on his back, "I have to admit. This thing is pretty nice."

Faux smirked, "Yeah. And I can't believe they actually engraved it for you."

Pike rubbed the back of his head, "Actually, that was me."

Laura looked at Pike in surprise, "Really?" She looked at the belt. In the center of the pokéball symbol, it read 'Luke Aaron Rio.' "That explains why your full name is on it." She smiled and walked closer to Faux, "So, third time's the charm?"

Faux smiled, "Sure. But, how about I slip into something a little more comfortable."

The zoroark became covered in a black and red inferno. It faded to reveal a human boy with black hair and the same eyes Faux had; wearing a blue jacket, black undershirt, green gloves, and jeans. He looked at her with a kind smile.

Laura smiled softly, "Aww. The form, we met in."

Faux pulled her closer, "Thought it'd help void the whole Pokémon X Human misconception."

Laura giggled, "Oh, Ash."

The pair leaned in closer to share a kiss.

"Awwwww. Justified Altoshipping."

The four of them flinched and turned to see Yukiro poking his head through a grid patterned hole in the air and smiling softly.

Faux's disguise shattered and he glared at Yukiro, "Oh, come on! You couldn't have given us just a few more seconds?!"

"Nyope." Yukiro responded with a smirk. His hand poked out of the portal and motioned for them to come, "Come on, the chapter's about to end." He disappeared into the portal.

Faux's eye twitched. He sighed in annoyance and held a paw out to Laura with a smile, "Shall we, my lovely dragoness?"

Laura smiled and held his paw, "Lets shall, my brave vulpine."

The pair walked through the portal.

Luke and Pike shared a glance and shrugged before following.

The portal started to close behind them.

"**O**h** w**a**i**t**!**"

Yukiro poked his head back through the portal again.

He smirked, "Hey, readers! We're doing the next comment response on Halloween. So, if you have questions, now's the time." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Normally, we'd put this in the post-chat, but we're really excited about this one and wanted to make sure people actually read this message." He waved happily, "Sorry for wasting chapter space!"

He disappeared into the portal again and it closed.

.

.

**Seishin: I hope you all enjoyed "Fighting Alpine." A chapter entirely about Team ALPN taking over "The Punchy Pokémon."**

**Luke: Yes. I think they figured that out after the first scene change.**

**…**

**And now, a special surprise. To close off this chapter, here's a very special Omake that I couldn't fit into the chapter but really wanted to do.**

**So, I now present: Faux vs Luke!**

.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, we have a special surprise!

The crowd started to whisper and murmur in confusion.

Luke blinked in surprise and looked at Faux, "_Did this happen last time?_"

Faux frowned, "_Uh … no._"

A wealthy and anonymous investor has requested an exciting, three-minute exhibition match between Ms. Neon's lucario, apparently named Luke, and her zoroark, Fox! *whispers* What? It is? Apologies everyone! Apparently, the zoroark's name is pronounced Faux!

Rebecca blinked in surprise and looked at Laura, "I thought you said your zoroark's name was Ash."

Laura chuckled nervously, "He, uh, has a few aliases."

Anyway, our investor promises a massive donation towards next year's P1 and a local charity! So, let's give it up for … *whispers* Am I reading this right? Wow. *clears throat* Please give it up for Doctor Nogla Pipinpadaloxicopolis Trembly the … thirty-ninth.

Everyone stared at the speakers in shock.

Anthony blinked, "I, uh … what?"

Faux, Luke, Pike, and Laura shared a look and nodded, "_Yuk_i_ro._"

He also requests that a, and I quote, 'Battle Barrier' be put up for the safety of everyone present! And apparently for the building.

The audience grew nervous and looked at the canine and vulpine apprehensively. Luke glanced around and sighed. Faux waved and chuckled nervously; ears drooping.

One last thing. I'm apparently supposed to say this: Faux, you are not permitted to use any Transmutions or Evolutions! *mutters* whatever that means. And, I am not wearing any underwear! … Wait, what?! No! That was on the cards!

The audience started laughing.

Ugh. If Ms. Neon would please activate this barrier thing, we can start the match.

Rebecca looked at Laura in surprise, "You know what that is?"

Laura nodded with a smile, "Yeah. We use them all the time back home." She reached into Faux's mane and, after a few seconds of feeling around, pulled out a small, black cube with a glowing blue button on top.

Anthony raised a brow, "You keep it in your zoroark's mane?"

Faux and Laura glanced at each other.

"Uh, yeah." Laura said. She pressed the button on the top and a holographic screen appeared over the box.

Everyone looked in shock and awe.

Laura started messing with the screen and spoke to herself, "Alright. Barrier level: maximum. Account for audience stands, exits, referee stand, and announcer box. Reinforce terrain. Selective soundproofing." She looked up, "Account for rafters." She pointed the cube towards the ground, "Scan for trainer zone! Rectangular Area: six-feet-by-eight-feet! Height: ten-feet!" Numerous blue beams shot out and made a holographic rectangle in front of her.

Laura smiled, "That should do it." She looked back to see Anthony, Rebecca, and Hitmonchan staring at her in shock.

She chuckled, "I programmed enough room in the trainer area if you want to watch from here. You just have to step in the box."

Rebecca snapped out of it, "U-um, sure."

The three of them walked over to the lit-up area. Laura joined them and Pike jumped onto her shoulder.

Laura looked at the combatants, "You guys, ready?"

Faux nodded with a smirk, "Yvel, yeah! This is gonna be awesome!"

Luke sweat dropped, "Faux, he said it would only be three minutes."

Faux pouted, "Well, sure. But that's almost as long as our usual sparing time."

Luke rolled his eyes and held out a paw, "We'll handle the barrier."

Laura nodded and lobbed him the box, "Good luck you two."

Luke caught it, the pair nodded and jumped high into the air.

Anthony looked at Laura in surprise, "Your lucario and zoroark can talk?"

Pike smirked, "Eh, you get used to it."

The two humans present looked at the mouse in shock.

.

*Ring

Luke and Faux landed in the ring in crouch and stood back up with determined smirks.

Luke held up the cube, "Ready?"

Faux clenched a fist, "Oh, yeah."

Luke smiled and tossed the cube into the air, "Battle Barrier! Engage!"

The cube opened up and a series of Protect-like screens appeared over the audience and around the ref's stand. A box made of the same screens appeared around Laura, Pike, Anthony, Rebecca, and Hitmonchan.

Everyone looked around in awe.

Woah. Get ready everyone! 'Cause our special exhibition match is about to begin!

The ref shook off his shock and raised an arm, "Three minutes on the clock!"

An electronic timer lit up over the ref.

"Are both sides ready?!"

Luke pulled the Bone Rush off his back and took up a stance with it. Faux crouched down into a fighting stance.

"READY!" They both shouted.

The ref blinked in surprise, "Woah." He shook it off again and raised his hand again before bringing it down forcefully, "Then, BEGIN!" The timer started counting down.

Faux disappeared from everyone's sight in a blur.

Everyone's eyes widened.

And zoroark has disappeared instant- huh? What?! But that's my whole- *groans* fine. Apparently, part of the instructions is that I have to unplug my microphone for the duration of the battle!

Luke smirked, 'Thank you, Seishin.' He closed his eyes and held the staff upright; aura sensors up.

After a second, Luke's eye shot open, "Link Attack! Metal Rush!" A Metal Claw blade immediately jutted out of the upper right and lower left ends of the Bone Rush; imitating a double headed scythe.

Before anyone could even gasp, Luke spun with the scythe and sliced through an Aura Sphere that was soaring towards him. It was followed by a massive swarm of spheres from all directions.

Luke spun the scythe like a baton and sliced through every Aura Sphere in a fluid series of pinpoint slashes.

The audience stared in shock.

"Wh-what the Yvel?!"

"How is it even doing that?"

After the last sphere was destroyed, Faux shot out of the shadows and dived towards Luke.

Luke turned to face the approaching Dark-type, retracted the upper blade, and aimed the tip of the now single bladed scythe behind him, "Link-in! Aura Sphere!"

A compressed Aura Sphere appeared and detonated at the tip of the scythe; propelling Luke towards Faux.

Luke swung the scythe upwards and tore Faux in half; straight up the middle.

**Seishin: *Zarbon moan***

**Omega: Stop it!**

Everyone in the audience, except Pike and Laura, gasped in horror. That turned to confusion when Faux disappeared in a flash of purple sparks.

"Aw, man!" Everyone flinched and looked up to see Faux standing on the ceiling, upside down, with his tail wrapped around a beam and a second tail protruding from behind him.

Faux pouted and crossed his arms, "How could you tell that wasn't me?"

Luke chuckled, dispelled the blade from his staff, and looked up at him, "You forget that I taught you about aura. You can pump as much as want into your copies, but it's still not going to fool me."

The fox sighed, "Fine." He smiled slyly, "But I can still outnumber you."

Right as Faux said this, seven identical copies jumped out of the shadows and landed in the ring; one tail each.

The referee stared in shock before snapping out of it and pointing, "Hold on a second! This battle is only supposed to be one versus one!"

Luke glared at the man, "They're matter illusion copies. Their existence may seem unfair, but it does not violate any rules."

The ref blinked in surprise, "Matter what?"

"Link Attack! Aerial Sphere!" One of the copies called out as it thrusted an Aerial Ace reinforced Aura Sphere towards Luke, "Impact!"

"Metal Rush." Luke said as another blade popped out from the bottom of the staff and skewered the approaching copy. It burst into purple sparks like the first.

Faux sighed as a third tail materialized behind him, "Weak." He put a paw to his mouth, "Hey! All at once!"

"Go to Yvel you son of a glitch!"

Faux's eyes narrowed and he snapped his claws. The copy exploded and a fourth tail appeared on the real Faux. The other copies gulped.

Faux crossed his arms, "Anyone else feeling rebellious?"

"Nope!"

"We're good!"

The remaining five Fauxs charged Luke.

Luke looked at them and smirked, "Alright, then. Link Attack! Aura Rush!"

The Bone Rush snapped in half. Luke quickly caught second half right before both halves split again; this time connected by a string of Aura.

Anthony's eyes widened, "Are those nunchucks?!"

Laura gave an unsure expression, "Well, you're half right."

Luke spun the weapons and batted away at the copies; sending four of them backwards. The lucario then twirled and kicked the last fake before throwing the nunchuck at it like a disk.

The faux Faux's eyes widened at the sight of the weapon pointing at its face. It deadpanned, "Crag."

Another compressed Aura Sphere shot from the tip of the nunchuck and destroyed the illusionary clone; putting a fifth tail on Faux.

Rebecca's eyes widened, "They can shoot?!"

Pike snickered, "Yeah. Gunchucks."

Luke spun the remaining gunchuck around and shot at another copy that had crashed against the ropes.

The clone looked up, grimaced, and waved its paws, "Wait! Please! At least let me finish my one li-" It was hit and burst out of existence.

He turned to shoot another only for a one of the copies to come from behind and lock him into a Full Nelson; making him drop the divided Bone Rush.

The copy smirked, "Gotcha!" It looked at its doppelganger, "Seven, NOW!"

Seven blinked in surprise, "I thought I was four."

The Full Nelson copy glared, "Just do the thing!"

Seven/Four sighed, "Fine." He held a paw to the ground, "Link Attack! Thunder Daze!" Its claw became shrouded in energy from a combination Night daze and Thunderbolt. It charged forward, "IMPACT!"

Luke smirked, "Nice try. Link Attack! Aura Metal Rush!"

The four split Bone Rush pieces lost their Aura strings, sprouted blades, and started detonating Aura Spheres. The all shot around; ricocheting off the stand barriers.

"OW!" Four/Seven called out as it stopped in its tracks, "What just-" It looked back to see all of the Metal Rush swords digging into its back. It blinked in surprise, "Ah. That explains it." It waved to the crowd with a smirk, "Goodnight everybody!" The weirdly numbered copy burst, and the swords fell to the ground.

Full Nelson blinked in surprise, "Gonna be honest, I forgot you could do that."

Luke chuckled and held out a paw, "Well, you wouldn't be the first. Metal Rush." Another Bone Rush appeared in Luke's paw and a Metal Claw blade shot out and skewered Nelson's head.

The second to last copy deadpanned, "Really?" It exploded.

The last fake sat up and held its head. It looked up and its eyes widened when it saw Luke aiming his staff at its face.

Luke smirked, "Any last words?"

The copy deadpanned, "Moist."

**Seishin: *Zarbon moan***

**Omega: That's it. Getting a Shotgun.**

**Seishin: I'm sure he's joking.**

Luke frowned, "Thank you for making this easy." He shot from the tip of the staff and destroyed the clone.

Faux dropped down from the ceiling and land in the ring; nine tails flowing behind him.

Luke gave him a disappointed look, "Did the last one really have to say that?"

Faux chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry. But you know I don't get a very big say in their personalities."

Luke looked up thoughtfully and shrugged, "Fair enough." He tossed the Bone Rush into the air, "Aura Metal Rush!"

The Bone Rush split into four pieces and sprouted blades from the tips. The four other swords shot up to join them.

Luke sprang into the air and backflipped through the swords; catching them in, uh … let's just say various ways.

Luke landed back in the ring while wielding seven of the blades; none of which in his paws. While standing on one foot, he held one with his left knee, one pressed up to his stomach, one under his left armpit, one in each elbow, and one on either of his shoulders pointing in opposite directions.

"Stinging Eight Sword Style!" Luke said before he caught the eighth sword in his mouth.

Every Pokémon and human present -except, again, Faux, Pike, and Laura- stared in either confusion, shock, or awe. Also, someone's bisharp fainted.

Faux smirked, "Sweet."

Luke front flipped towards Faux.

.

*Laura, Pike, Rebecca, Anthony, and Hitmonchan

The group watched in shock and awe as Faux and Luke parried each other's attacks. Well, three of them.

Laura smiled, "Huh. Looks like Luke's finally getting serious."

The humans and Fighting-type flinched and looked at her in shock.

Pike chuckled, "Maybe. But Ash is still gonna trash that old mutt."

An Aura Sphere exploded against their barrier; making Rebecca, Anthony, and Hitmonchan flinch.

Pike smirked, "Hah, nice try, geezer!"

Laura sweat dropped, "Pike, you realize that was just a normal Aura Sphere, right? If he was really trying the barrier would have shattered instantly."

The other three looked at her in shock yet again.

Pike put his paws behind his head, "Maybe." He pointed at the group with them, "But he'd never do that with them in here. Waaaay too lethal."

Rebecca gulped, 'What have I gotten myself into?'

Laura smirked, "Insanity, Rebecca. Pure insanity."

"HUH?!" Rebecca cried out as she looked at her; wide eyed.

Laura looked back and blinked in surprise, "Oh, you didn't say that out loud, did you?" She chuckled nervously, "Sorry, I should have mentioned that I'm a Psychic. Sometimes, I pick up on surface thoughts without realizing."

Pike smiled brightly and pointed at the ring, "Hey, they're at the climax!"

**Seishin: Uah Ha- *****BANG*******

**Omega: I warned you.**

**Seishin: Did you seriously have to shoot me in the head?!**

**Omega: The fact that you're still talking should be answer enough.**

.

*Back in the ring

Faux held out a paw, "Finishing Move!" His claws started glowing blue from Aerial Ace as an Aura Sphere appeared on top of a Night Daze. The whole thing started crackling with Thunderbolt, "Auranic Breaker!"

Luke pointed his staff forward, "Finishing Move!" Another Metal Claw blade shot out of the tip of the Bone Rush. The staff then became covered in black and purple Dark Pulse rings before the whole thing became encased in aura from Aura Sphere, "Auranic Javelin!"

The pair broke into a sprint with their attacks pointing at each other. They stomped and thrust forward, "IMPA-"

A buzzer went off and the pair stopped dead in their tracks; wide eyed. They looked at the timer to see it at 0:00. The audience just stared; slack jawed.

Faux pouted, dispelled his move, and crossed his arms, "Aw, man. And I had just gotten warmed up."

Luke released the upgrades on his staff and reattached it to his back, "It's probably for the best." He held up a paw, "Barrier down!" The black cube closed and fell into Luke's paw. All of the barriers faded.

Pike pouted, "Awww. It was just getting good."

I-I- said the announcer as they plugged their mic back in, I have … no words.

Faux reached into his mane. He pulled out and held up an orange, circular stone, "Hey, Laura, I think it's about time we head out."

Laura looked around and saw a few people exiting the stands. Laura raised a brow and her eyes flashed blue.

Laura flinched, "Agreed."

Pike jumped off her shoulder before the pair jumped into the ring and landed next to Faux and Luke.

Faux flicking the stone towards Pike, "All yours, bro."

Pike caught it and looked up at Faux with a raised brow, "Do you really think this is necessary?"

Faux shrugged, "Nah. But it's been a while."

Pike chuckled, "Alright, fine. So, which are we doing? Vultranuc, Saberaichu, or Drailuong?"

Faux smirked and raised a claw, "I was thinking Denkichu Shine Mode."

Luke, Pike, and Laura looked at him in surprise.

Luke blinked in surprise, "Isn't that overkill?"

Faux shrugged again, "Maybe." He pointed ahead, "But, do any of us really want to face them alone?"

They looked where he pointed and could already see people climbing into the ring.

Pike gulped, "Good point." He held up the stone, "Thunder Conduit!" The gem started glowing radiantly. Everyone approaching them stopped and covered their eyes.

Faux held up a paw, "Dark Heart!"

Luke raised a paw too, "Iron Will!"

Laura raised a hand, "Dragon Soul!"

The stone lit up violently and covered the quartet. When the light faded, everyone looked again and found what looked kind of like an evolved version of raichu.

The main differences were the more noticeable claws on its paws, three pronged ears, three additional tails -where the bolts connected at the crevasse instead of the tip-, four small red electric sacks surrounding the larger yellow ones, scruffy white fur traveling up its chest, and the short golden fur that surrounded the rest of its body. The orange gem could be seen on its forehead.

The large mouse smirked, "Fusion Evolution." It said in a voice that sounded like Faux, Luke, Pike, and Laura all at once, "Denkichu Shine Mode."

**Seishin: Original design belongs to Twime777 of DeviantArt.**

**Extra-tailed golden version was made by someone else on DeviantArt, but we couldn't find it again.**

**Sorry.**

Nobody knew how to respond.

Denkichu waved at them happily, "Well, it's been fun, everyone. But, it's about time we give the story back to Trix." Their eyes lit up blue.

They vanished on the spot.

**Ohirume: Hope you enjoyed that. Also, everything that happened in this Omake is canon … in the sense that the chapter could have legitimately included all of this.**


	33. Halloween special - not chapter

**Ohirume: Count 1 and 2.**

**It tolls for you.**

**Seishin: Be-gin to stir you.**

**Little spooky monsters.**

**Yugo: On this day,**

**They let us play.**

**Ohirume: And now you know so**

**Ohirume, Yugo, Seishin: Into town we go!**

**Ohirume: 'Cause it's Happy Happy Halloween.**

**We're gonna prank and play so DING and DONG.**

**Seishin: Here maybe there and TRICK OR TREAT.**

**Gimme all your candy THNX PLS!**

**Yugo: 'Cause it's Happy Happy Halloween.**

**We're gonna light a pumpkin, raise the dead.**

**Ohirume: Even tired Jack'll dance**

**Til the morning comes again!**

**Seishin: 'Cause it's Happy Happy Halloween.**

**Ghostly veggies dancing LA LA LA!**

**Yugo: Door to door we'll TRICK OR TREAT.**

**Chocolate is all that I need!**

**Ohirume: 'Cause it's Happy Happy Halloween.**

**So welcome to the Other Side!**

**Omega: Even tired Jack'll sing**

**So Hey Let's trick or treat.**

**Seishin: OMEGA?! YOU ACTUALLY JOINED IN?!**

**Omega: I may be a killjoy, but even I enjoy good music.**

**Ohirume: Happy Halloween everyone!**

.

From buterflypuss (chapter 28):

XD i like to show support to authors even when i dont have anything specific to comment on/about, but im lazy, why write chapter when chap gets the point across?

**Seishin: HAH! Eat it, Omega!**

**Omega: Grammar is important!**

**Ohirume: *sigh* I feel like the biggest hypocrite alive for typing that.**

**Seishin: *snickers* Well, B.F.P., thank you for that. I do hope, however, that you continue those little comments. *sly grin* They give me some new opportunities to mess with Omega.**

**Omega: *annoyed sigh* Great. *perks up* How about next time we mess with Rob?**

**Ohirume: WHAT?!**

**Seishin: Oooooooo *GIR flail/scream from the episode "Megadoomer"***

**Omega: I-Is that a yes?**

**Seishin: Yup.**

**Ohirume: *gulps* uh oh.**

.

From Johnathen Youngs (chapter 28):

Story is good and very interesting uh question IF you pair ash with someone who will it be

**Ohirume: I … don't know. Yet.**

**Illavera: What about the thing with Pidgeotto?**

**Gem: Don't be ridiculous! It's obviously Pika-**

**Ohirume: This isn't a Pikashipping story, Gem!**

**…**

**Seishin: *sly grin* Well, Soot had to come from somewhere.**

**Omega: Yes. And that 'somewhere' is six feet under.**

**Seishin: Must you ruin everything?**

**Omega: At least I'm not Adam.**

**Seishin: I know you're not. Adam is actually enjoyable.**

**Ohirume: Love that show.**

.

From buterflypuss (chapter 29):

Good chap

**Ohirume: *gulps* Um, okay. Here we go. Thank yo-**

**Omega: SEN'I SŌSHITSU!**

***Shredding and cutting sounds***

**Ohirume: YIPE! *covers self* Okay, you got me. N-now were done, ri-**

**Seishin: ROAD ROLLER DA!**

**Ohirume: AHHHH!**

.

From buterflypuss (chapter 30):

Good chap

**Ohirume: *muffled screaming while tied up, gagged, and hanging upside down***

**Omega: Hah.**

**Seishin: So, torture dance?**

**Faux: Heck yeah!**

**Seishin: *turns on CD player***

**Vocal percussion on a whole 'notha level!**

**Coming from my mind!**

**Vocal percussion on a whole 'notha level!**

**Coming from my mind!**

**Haaaaaaa…**

**We're Golden Wind.**

**Kono me amareri maroreri merare maro.**

**Haaaaaaa haaaa-ah…**

**We're Golden Wind.**

**Kono me amareri maroreri merare maro.**

**It's like a burning sunrise.**

**Ahi Makareru makare pun pun kete.**

**It's like a burning sunset.**

**Ahi Makareru makare pun pun kete.**

**It's like a burning sunrise.**

**Ahi Makareru makare pun pun kete.**

**It's like a burning sunset.**

**Ahi Makareru makare pun pun kete.**

**Seishin: And, obviously, this is yet another JoJo reference.**

**Ohirume: *pulls down gag and looks to side* Sorry if I use these too often. It's not easy to think when you a have constant headaches.**

**Seishin: Aww. You're welcome, Rob.**

**Ohirume: *sigh***

.

From buterflypuss (chapter 31):

Good chap

**…**

**Gem: Hey, where's Rob?**

**Seishin: *British monotone* He's in The Hole.**

**Gem: What are you- Oh My Arc!**

**The Hole: (Dramatic sting)**

**Gem: What is that?!**

**Seishin: *British monotone* It's a Hole.**

**The Hole: (Dramatic sting)**

**Gem: Okay, sure. But where did it come from? Where does it go?**

**Seishin: *panicked British monotone* Dunno. Ask The Orb.**

**Gem: The what?**

**The Orb: (Screeching)**

**Gem: AHHH! What is that?!**

**Seishin: *deadpanned* **

**Gem: Okay, right. The Orb. Why is it here?**

**The Orb: (Screeching)**

**Seishin: *panicked British monotone* It turned Omega into a cake.**

**Cake Omega: *screaming***

**Gem: *wide eyed* What?**

**Seishin: *British monotone* Yeah. Look.**

***pop***

**Omega: *heavy breathing* THAT THING IS DEAD!**

***pop***

**Cake Omega: Oh come on!**

**Gem: Is there a way to stop it?!**

**The Orb: (Screeching)**

**Seishin: *panicked British monotone* Stop The Orb? Don't you see? The Orb is our lives now. To destroy The Orb would be to destroy our very purpose. So, if we wish to live long, meaningful lives, The Orb must not be-**

**Pearl: Gem Build. Spear arrow.**

**The Orb: (Scree-) (pop)**

**Pearl: There I shot it.**

**Gem: Thanks Pearl. *relieved sigh* Glad that's over with.**

**Seishin: *British monotone* Maybe. But, Rob's still in The Hole.**

**Hole: (Dramatic sting)**

**Gem: *sweat drop* O-oh, right. *deep breath* I guess I'll get him. *jumps***

**Seishin: *watches Gem fall into The Hole***

**Hole: (Dramatic sting)**

**Ohirume: *walks into room* Where's Gem? I thought I heard him.**

**Seishin: *British monotone* Went in The Hole to look for you.**

**Ohirume: What?**

**Hole: (Dramatic sting)**

**Ohirume: Oh, Tomska reference. Neat. … You gonna get him out of them at some point?**

**Seishin: *GIR voice* I. Don't. Know. *sticks tongue out***

**Cake Omega: Fix me already!**

**Ohirume: *British* Did Omega insult a wizard?**

**Seishin: *panicked British monotone* No. It was The Orb.**

**Crickets: *chirping* (What? The Orb is dead.)**

**Ohirume: Ooo, triple reference. Wanna give him a hat?**

**Seishin: No. Better. Horse Mask.**

**Ohirume: *gasp* A quadruple non-ASDF Tomska reference?! Are you insane?!**

**Seishin: Completely!**

**Cake Omega: FIX ME!**

**Ohirume: *wearing horse mask/thumbs up* I love it!**

**Seishin: *Double thumbs up* *weird voice from Time Trouble* Ayy.**

**Hole: (Dramatic sting)**

**Orchestra: HAM!**

**Nuevo: What the **** did I just walk into?!**

.

From EmperorWolfgang (chapter 31):

So am I the only one wondering when Vilgax is going to show up?

**Seishin: Probably. 'Cause cyborg Cthulhu ain't showin' up. Didn't you read the prologue?**

**Ohirume: Yukiro, I haven't written that yet.**

**Seishin: WHAT?! Then why do I already know it?!**

**Ohirume: Because you're a figment of my imagination and I have the entire thing up here, *puts finger to temple***

**Omega: If you know how it goes, then why haven't you written it?**

**Ohirume: Okay, maybe 'entire' wasn't the right word. I mainly just have the concept for how the Omnitrix got to the Pokémon world. Put simply, it was all Orcustrated *snicker* by one driving force.**

**Omega: *rolls eyes* Let me guess, that force was you.**

**Seishin: Nerp! Well, kind of. It was actually-**

**Ohirume: Woah! Spoilers.**

**To answer your question, Emperor, the Pokémon world in this story and Ben 10 world Ash's Omnitrix came from are not the same dimension.**

**I've always been a fanatic of the pseudo-psychotic concept that is the truly infinite multi-verse. And, well … that's probably enough of an answer.**

.

From buterflypuss (chapter 32):

Decent chap

**Ohirume: Thank you … wait, decent?**

**Omega: *snickers* Guess they weren't too fond of Team ALPN taking over.**

**Faux: *pouts* Aw man.**

**Pike: *chuckles nervously* I guess we were a bit over the top.**

**Luke: *raised brow* In what way?**

**Seishin: Every way, Luke. Every way.**

**Luke: Could you be more specific?**

**Omega: *deadpan* Specific? *sigh* Fine. Well, we have a tailed zoroark who can make shadow clones, an overpowered lucario who can do a -for some reason- plus one of Killer B's sword style and Sun Wukong's gunchucks, a jacketed, gun toting pikachu who has a ****semblance**** that's basically a stupider version Velvet Scarlatina's weapon, and some girl who's dating the zoroark and is apparently not human. And to make it crazier, YOU ALL ******* FUSED!**

**Gem: But that was the best part!**

**Omega: Quiet, Rocks! In conclusion: Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to the Mind-**

**Ohirume: OKAY, that's enough out of you. We're trying to keep this K rated, remember?**

**Omega: Fair enough. Still, it doesn't change the fact that you essentially threw four overpowered freaks-**

**Faux, Pike, Luke, and Laura: HEY!**

**Omega: -into a still developing story with no context what-so-ever.**

**Ohirume: *sigh* Yeah, you may have a point. Sorry.**

**Faux: Hold on a second, Omega! You and I went to Trix's world, remember?! We trashed Pokémon Land!**

**Omega: Maybe, but we didn't take over the whole **** chapter. Just some stupid Omake.**

**Ohirume: *pouts* stupid?**

.

Lycoan wolf entity (chapter 32):

I have to know, I figured out that Heatblast is Overheat, Diamondhead is Stone Edge, and obviously XLR8 is Quick Attack. But who the heck is Frenzy Plant?! Wildvine?! Swampfire?! I MUST KNOW!

**Seishin: Sorry, wolfy. No spoilers. ;P**

**Ohirume: But you are on the right track. We're still working on when Frenzy Plant will make his appearance. If you have suggestions about which 'episode' it should happen in, I'd be happy to hear them.**

**But, I am sorry to say, it can't be the Gringey City episode. It's too far in development.**

**…**

**Omega: You forgot Calm Mind. A.K.A. Grey Matter**

**Seishin: Stop antagonizing the readers, Omega!**

**Omega: *soft chuckle* Haven't heard that in a while.**

.

.

**Ohirume: Spooky Scary Skeletons,**

**We sing your happy song.**

**But these lyrics aren't the same,**

**I think there's something wrong.**

**Omega: No doubt.**

**Seishin: Spooky Scary Skeletons,**

**Grow stronger as you sing.**

**But no one can deny the beat**

**On the night of Halloween.**

**Omega: Well, you're not wrong.**

**Yugo: We're so sorry skeletons,**

**We know you wanna groove.**

**But without our skin or eyes,**

**We'd end up just like you.**

**Omega: Okay?**

**Ohirume: When Spooky Scary Skeletons**

**Are knocking at your door,**

**Better just to run and hide**

**Than to feed them anymore.**

**Omega: Say what now?!**

**Seishin: Fleshy human animals,**

**You wake us every year.**

**Laughing at the dead below.**

**Well, here's something to fear.**

**Omega: This got dark.**

**Yugo: Spooky Scary Skeletons**

**Are nowhere to be seen**

**You feel a scratching from behind,**

**But you couldn't even scream.**

**Omega: WHAT?!**

**Ohirume: Spooky Scary Skeletons**

**Send shivers down your spine.**

**Returning to the grave again,**

**Ohirume, Seishin, and Yugo: They. Made. A. Friend. To-night.**

**Omega: D-did the skeleton's kill someone?**

**Seishin: Spooky Scary Skeletons! Extended version (second half) by JubyPhonic.**

**Yugo: Now, on to the deleted scenes.**

**Omega: Seriously! What the **** just happened?!**

.

.

Fashion – Misty argues with Ash about salon Rockét

Why: Meh

Where: after Ash comments about Salon Rockét to Suzie

.

Ash frowned, "I know what you mean." He looked at the tRio's salon through the window, "Owners aside, their methods add on tons of useless accessories that would actually hinder a Pokémon's ability to battle. Not even Performers take the outfits that far."

Misty glared, "Oh, come on, Ash. Don't be a hypocrite. You accessorize your Pokémon, too." She pointed at the Fairy Pokémon, "I've seen you help Clefairy with her bow."

Ash frowned, "Well, sure. But that's only because Clefairy wants to wear it. She likes it and it doesn't hinder her in anyway."

Suzie blinked in surprise and looked at Clefairy. The Fairy-type looked back and smiled.

.

Fighting ALPN - Team ALPN's scrapped meeting w/ Rebecca

Why: Also, meh.

Where: It's all in the title / Anthony was there to meet them too

.

"Is everything alright?"

Rebecca turned around to see a beautiful girl accompanied by three Pokémon.

Rebecca's father looked too, and his eyes widened slightly upon seeing Faux, "Is that your Pokémon, miss?"

Laura smiled and nodded, "That's right. My name is Laura Neon." She gestured to the other, "And these three are Pike, Luke, and Ash."

"Pi pika / _Hi there_." Pike said as he flashed a V-sign.

"Lucar / _greetings._" Luke said as he bowed.

Faux saluted with a grin, "Zoro Zorark! / _Nice ta meet ya!_"

.

.

**Ohirume: Now for any families never giving candy:**

**Seishin: Throw the toilet paper, laughing, wrapping everything.**

**Yugo: Lighting up the night sky, lanterns burning alive.**

**Omega: All we want I candy,**

**Ohirume, Seishin, Yugo, Omega: So Let's Party Tonight!**

**Ohirume: See because it's Happy Halloween.**

**Rock Around The Clock With TIC and TOCK.**

**Seishin: Here maybe there and a TRICK OR TREAT**

**See pumpkin pie in my dreams!**

**Yugo: 'Cause it's Happy Happy Halloween.**

**We're gonna go all night, so wake the dead.**

**Omega: Even tired Jack'll wait,**

**'Til the morning comes again.**

**Ohirume: See it's Happy Happy Halloween**

**…**

**Seishin: 'Cause it's Happy Happy Halloween**

**…**

**Yugo: 'Cause it's Happy Happy Halloween**

**…**

**Omega: Now it's Happy Happy Halloween**

**Ohirume and Seishin: So come on, Let's Trick or Treat.**

**Yugo and Omega: Rolling out, red candy bleeds.**

**ALL!: SO TONIGHT, DON'T FALL ASLEEP!**

**Seishin: Once again, Lyrics by JubyPhonic!**

**…**

**Omega: So, we've done the Heat Haze Days, Happy Halloween, and Spooky Scary Skeletons using Jubyphonic's lyrics. What the **** Rob?! Do you have a crush or something?!**

**Ohirume: N-no! I just … like her music.**

**Seishin: Aww, Roby-boy's embarrassed.**

**Ohirume: SHUT IT! Happy Halloween everyone and enjoy Trick-or-Treating or … whatever your plans are.**

**Seishin: And remember!**

**Omega: … remember what?**

**Seishin: *shrugs* I forgot.**


	34. Ch 29: Muk

**Omega: Welp, it's the powerplant chapter. Are we taking Ricardo753's suggestion about Trix evolving his mouse form?**

**Ohirume: Pikachu. Also, 'fraid not. But we are doing something developmental.**

**Omega: … Are you going to say what?**

**Seishin: Nerp! *sticks tongue out***

**Ohirume: *chuckles* You'll see after a few scene changes.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Dreary Murky Gringey City**

.

Ash and his friends finally made it to a forest and set up camp for the night. Much to Clefairy's excitement.

Ash smiled at her, "_You ready?_"

Clefairy smiled brightly and clenched a fist, "_Yeah! Let's do this!_"

Ash chuckled though the zipper mouth. He turned towards a tree and spread his arms, "_Let's get started, then._" He started to glow with a sparkling light.

Misty and all of the Pokémon sat at and around the table and watched. Brock was cooking.

Vulpix looked at Pikachu, "_So, your trainer's really teaching her a new move?_"

Pikachu smiled and nodded, "_Yeah. He's a surprisingly good move tutor._" He pointed a thumb at himself, "_For example, he taught me Iron Tail._"

Onix looked over with a smile, "_Me too._"

Geodude smirked, "_And he's been working with me on Hidden Power._" He looked up thoughtfully, "_I just wish I knew what type it was._"

Soot blinked in surprise and looked at him, "Wait, you don't know? Dad said it was Ghost-type."

Geodude blinked, "_Really? Remind me not to use it against Normal-types, then._"

Krabby spoke up, "_Speaking of-_"

Vulpix looked at Ash and cocked her head, "_Is there anything he could teach me?_"

Mankey glared at her, "_Whatever it is, your gonna have to wait. He still owes me Fire Punch._"

Vulpix blinked in surprise, "_Which of his forms know that?_"

Charmander smiled, "_Dragonite._"

Squirtle smirked, "_Yeah! And that form knows Aqua Tail too!_"

Soot nodded, "And Dragon Rage and Hurricane."

Pidgeotto jerked and looked at Soot in shock, "_Hurricane?!_"

Horsea looked over from the pool, "_And his vaporeon form is teaching us Ice Beam._"

Vulpix raised a brow, "_So, there's dragonite, banette, and vaporeon. Can he turn into anything else?_"

Pikachu smiled, "_Well, there's Pikachu._"

Soot smirked, "Mightyena."

Pidgeotto blushed, "_Braviary._"

Bulbasaur smirked, "_Also butterfree, clefairy, and the five who-knows-whats._"

Vulpix blinked in surprise, "_The what now?_"

Soot snickered, "The watch has a few forms that aren't Pokémon and are very … unique. They tend to freak beings out."

Vulpix smirked with a raised brow, "_It can't be __that__ weird._"

Soot smirked, "One of them is named Overheat. He looks like a human made of hardened magma with a head engulfed in flames."

Vulpix's eyes widened, "_Uh-_"

Pikachu nodded, "_Another of them is Stone Edge. He also looks human but is a lot bigger and completely made of jagged, green crystal._"

Mankey sweat dropped, '_Yikes._'

Bulbasaur went next, "_And then there's Quick Attack. He looks like a black and blue, striped heliolisk without the frills and can outrun sound._"

Soot frowned, "He's not exactly that fast. Quick Attack's tried breaking the sound barrier before, but his top speed, last time we checked, was around five-hundred and thirty-"

"_Okay! I get it! They're weird!_" Vulpix blurted out before sighing, "_Sorry I asked._" She smiled softly, "_Still, the two of you must be pretty lucky to have a meema like that._"

The Pokémon all looked at her in confusion.

Soot raised a brow, "The two of us?"

Vulpix looked at her and pointed to Charmander, "_Isn't he your sibling?_"

Charmander flinched and waved his hands, "_N-no! It's not like that!_" He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "_He's just my trainer._"

Vulpix blinked in surprise, "_Really?_"

Charmander nodded, "_Those Pokémon and trainers in the salon just assumed that he was my meema._" He chuckled nervously, "_They wouldn't really let us explain._"

Vulpix shook her head, "_It's not that. It's the way you look up to his dragonite form. Like how a hatchling would look at their meema. He really seemed to care for you like that, too._"

The Lizard blinked in surprise and looked at Ash, "_I … never realized._"

Soot looked at Vulpix with a raised brow, "How do you see that so easily?"

Vulpix smiled, "_Don't forget that my original trainer was a famous breeder. I may not be a genius, but I picked up on a lot._"

Soot chuckled, "Fair enough."

Misty sighed in annoyance, "Yup."

.

*Three Omnitrix time-outs and re-transformations later

"_Dazzling Gleam!_" Clefairy shouted with her arms spread. She lit up in a sphere of rainbow light. She held out her hands towards the tree and glared, "_Fire!_" Clefairy kept her arms out and tried to fire the attack. But, after a few seconds, the light faded around her.

Clefairy pouted, "_Oh, come on! I thought I had it!_"

Ash frowned and put a hand to his chin, "_I don't get it. Your form was on point. It should've worked. Unless…_" His eyes widened, "_Clefairy! Form the move again! But, this time, run at the tree like you're tackling it!_"

Clefairy looked at him in surprise, "_What? What would that do?_"

Ash smiled and nodded, "_Trust me on this._"

Clefairy frowned, "_If you're sure._" She turned to face the tree again and held her arms out to the side, "_Dazzling Gleam!_"

The light shined around her again. This time, Clefairy broke into a sprint, jumped, and headbutted the tree. An explosion went off and Clefairy was flung backwards.

Pikachu's eyes widened, "_Clefairy!_" He ran over with Agility and propped her up, "_Are you okay?_"

Clefairy shook vigorously and blinked, "_Uh, yeah. I think so._" She rubbed her forehead, "_It didn't really hurt._" She looked at the tree and her eyes widened, "_Whoa!_"

Pikachu followed her gaze and stared in shock. The tree had a large crater in the side of it; just over the size of Clefairy.

"_Wh-what the?_" Clefairy said in shock.

Ash smiled and walked up, "_That's what was wrong. Your Dazzling Gleam is Impact style._"

Clefairy and Pikachu looked at him in surprise, "_Impact style?_"

Ash nodded, "_It means that your version can't fire off like mine and that you have to use it head-on. But it's actually a lot more versatile._" He raised a finger, "_For one, your version involves shrouding yourself in Fairy-typed energy. So, you can use it a shield to weaken a lot of attacks._" He sweat dropped, "_But, maybe not Steel or Poison-type moves._" He perked up, "_Also, despite how it sounds, Impact style will still deal special damage. It can act as a pretty good fake-out against less experienced opponents._"

Clefairy blinked in surprise, "_So, I didn't do anything wrong?_"

Ash shook his head; still smiling, "_Not at all. We were just focusing on the wrong style._" He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head, "_If anything, it's my fault for assuming what style it would be._"

Clefairy looked at her paws in awe, "_Woah._" She smiled brightly and jumped for joy, "_Alright! I did it!_"

Pikachu smiled, "_Congratulations, Clefairy._"

Ash smiled, "_Nice work. Practice on your own for a while._" He hit the symbol on his chest; switching to Dragonite.

He looked back, "_Alright, Mankey. Let's get to work on Fire Punch._"

Mankey clenched a fist with a determined glare, "_Finally!_"

.

*Around the same as before later

**Omega: … what?**

**Ohirume: Same as the previous time skip**

**Omega: You couldn't have just copied it?**

**Seishin: ;P Less fun. **

"_Fire Punch!_" Mankey and Ash called out as they threw the attacks at each other. They met in a stalemate.

After a few seconds, Ash got the upper hand and launched Mankey backwards. The Pig Monkey crash landed on the ground.

Mankey sat up and crossed his arms, "_Crag. You beat me again._"

The dragon smiled proudly and crossed his arms, "_Hey, come on. You lasted longer than last time._"

Soot walked over and nodded, "Yeah. You should be proud. You've made a lot of progress."

Mankey's eyes narrowed confidently before he jumped back to his feet and took up a fighting stance, "_Well then, how about another go?!_"

Ash chuckled and got into a fighting stance, "_Alright. If you're sur-_" He stopped when he heard beeping. He looked down and saw the symbol on his chest flashing red.

Mankey deadpanned, "_Seriously? Again?_"

A red flash overtook Ash and faded to reveal him in human form.

Ash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Sorry. Guess we'll have to take a break."

Soot smirked, "Besides, it smells like lunch is ready."

Ash nodded and started walking over to the table, "Sounds good. We could use some food."

Mankey grumbled and followed, "_Fine. But I want that rematch as soon as we're done._"

.

*The next day

Pikachu stirred awake and yawned. He rubbed one of his eyes with a smile, "_Morning Ash._"

No response.

Pikachu blinked in surprise and looked over to see his trainer still sleeping, "_Ash?_" He looked up into the sky, '_He's usually up by now._'

Soot yawned; catching Pikachu's attention. She started stretching, "Morning dad."

"_He's not up yet._" Pikachu responded.

Soot blinked in surprise and looked over, "Wait, what?" She looked into the sky, "But it's already past 7:00."

Pikachu frowned, "_You don't think he's sick, do you?_"

Soot walked closer and put a paw on his head, "No. His temperature is still too high."

Pikachu blinked in surprise, "_Huh?_" He remembered and deadpanned, "_Oh right. Power Integration._"

Soot snickered before she started shoving Ash, "Dad, wake up."

Ash grumbled and rolled over, "Don't _wanna._"

Soot's eyes narrowed, "Dad, seriously. You overslept." She grinned wickedly, "Do you want me to get Squirtle?"

Ash groaned and sat up, "Fine. _I'm up._ Happy?"

Pikachu's eyes widened in shock, "_Wha-_"

Soot deadpanned, "Oh. This again."

Pikachu flinched and looked at her in shock, "_This has happened before?!_"

Ash raised a brow, "_What_ are you _guys_ talking about?"

Soot rolled her eyes, "Dad, feel your ears."

Ash raised a brow but complied, "I _don't_ see what-" He stopped, and his eyes widened in shock. He started rubbing his ears; finding them elongated, pointed, and … furry. He looked at the pair in shock, "I _have_ pikachu ears, _don't_ I?"

Pikachu nodded; dazed, "_Wha- How- How did this happen?!_"

Ash raised a finger, "_Hold_ that thought." He lit up white and disappeared; kicking up a gust of wind.

Brock and Misty jerked awake from the sudden gust.

Pikachu stared in shock, "_Did he just use Agility? As a __human__?_"

Soot sweat dropped, "Yup. Odds are, he ran to the river to see else was added on."

Pikachu flinched and looked at her in shock, "_ELSE?!_"

Brock and Misty ran over.

"Soot, what was that?!" Misty asked in alarm.

Brock looked around, "Where's Ash?"

Soot chuckled nervously, "That actually was Dad."

Misty blinked in surprise, "Really?" She looked in the direction he went, "That seemed a lot faster than forty-miles an hour."

"There's a … reason for that." Soot responded.

Brock raised a brow, "What do you-"

Ash sped back into the clearing in a white flash. Everyone else looked over. Brock and Misty's jaw dropped in shock.

Ash didn't notice them yet and rubbed the back of his head, "Well, it _seems_ pretty tame _this_ time_._ Aside _from_ the ears, _my_ upper torso is _covered_ in yellow fur. So, at _least_ we don't _have_ to worry _about_ hiding a tail _this-_" He looked over and flinched upon seeing Brock and Misty, "_O-oh._ Hey guys."

Brock and Misty just stared; slack jawed.

Clefairy stirred away and grumbled, "_What's with all the noi-_" She noticed Ash and flinched, "_Whoa!_"

.

**Small Time Skip**

After a few minutes, everyone settled down a bit, brought out their Pokémon, and sat at and around the table. Everyone, except Soot, was still looking at Ash in shock.

"So … the watch just does this sometimes?" Misty asked; unable to take her eyes off his ears.

Ash chuckled nervously, "Well … _more_ or less."

"What?" Brock asked in surprise.

Ash looked at him in confusion, "Hm?"

Brock sweat dropped, "You just said 'Chu or less.' What does that mean?"

Ash's eyes widened in realization, "Oh. That's _right._" He cleared his throat and spoke slower, "I mean, that's right. Also, I meant to say more or less."

Soot snickered, "That's part of the glitch. Unless he's careful, he frequently slips into Pokémon language."

Misty and Brock sweat dropped, 'Of course.'

"So," Misty started, "What actually causes this?"

Ash and Soot shared a smirking look before Soot responded, "Something awesome."

Bulbasaur sweat dropped, "_Could you be more specific?_"

Ash looked back at him and smiled sadly, "Right. _Sorry._"

Pidgeotto's eyes widened, "_Wait, what? Did you just understand him?_"

Ash around looked at his Pokémon and smiled, "Yeah, _that's_ part of _the_ glitch. There _isn't_ a limit on my _translation_ during this."

Charmander blinked in surprise, "_Really?_"

Ash smirked, "_Really._"

Soot smiled sadly, "But don't get too excited. This'll all wear off by tomorrow."

Mankey rolled his eyes, "_Yeah. Yeah. Whatever. Can we get back to work on Fire Punch soon?_"

Ash smiled sadly and his ears drooped, "I'm _afraid_ not. I can't _transform_ while this glitch _is_ in effect."

Mankey groaned and crossed his arms, "_Perfect._"

"Uh, Ash?" Misty said.

Ash and Soot looked back to see Misty looked back with an annoyed expression. Brock was sweat dropping.

Misty's eye twitched, "You do realize how little of that we understood, right?"

Ash cleared his throat and smiled sadly, "Sorry. I was saying that my translation ability doesn't have a limit during this glitch and that I can't transform."

Brock raised a brow, "I'm not sure whether to call an upgrade or a downgrade."

Ash smiled, "Well, there is one other upside. Last time this happened, I woke up with mightyena ears and a tail. When I woke up the next day, they were gone and" he shifted to a sly smirk, "the watch had Quick Attack."

Everyone's eyes widened in shock; except Ash and Soot, "_W_H_AT?!_"

Brock stared in shock, "Y-you mean-"

Soot grinned, "Yup. This glitch means, dad's getting a new non-Pokémon form."

Misty smiled brightly, "Cool!"

Brock raised a brow, "Wait, then what's with the ears? I don't remember this happening when you scanned butterfree."

Soot shrugged, "We're a bit iffy on the logic but we know it has to do with Power Integration. Also, this only happens with the non-Pokémon forms."

.

*Breakfast

After the announcement of the new form, everyone got a little too excited and started speculating. They managed to settle down enough for breakfast … and then went right back to speculating as they ate. It got on Soot's nerves pretty fast.

Misty smiled brightly, "Maybe it'll be made out of water and can control the water around."

Soot sweat dropped, "How would that work? Even the most aquatic Water-types have some kind of internal or external structure to keep together."

Misty raised a finger, "What about Ice, then? Like an opposite to Overheat."

"So, a skinny Regice." Soot responded; deadpanned.

Brock went next, "What if it was made of rock instead?"

Onix smiled, "_Yeah, like Regirock._"

Soot responded, "If it is that, it'd be pretty redundant. He already has Stone Edge."

Pikachu smiled, "_What if it's made out of electricity and can control stuff magnetically._"

Soot looked at him; still deadpanned, "That sounds like an electric version of Misty's water monster."

Squirtle grinned, "_I'll bet it's a fifty-foot-tall monster loaded with all kind of sword and cannons. Something with no weaknesses!_" He grinned wickedly, "_With something like that on our side, nothing will stand I our way!_"

Ash and the Pokémon all looked at him warily.

'How do I e_v_e_n_ respond to t_h_a_t_?' Ash and Soot thought.

"_Oh! Oh! I have an idea!_" Clefairy called out, "_What if it's big blue human-looking thing with Bug-type wings. It can breathe Ice and walk through stuff like Soot can._"

Ash and the Pokémon all stared at her in surprise.

Soot blinked, "Um … wow."

"How did _you_ come up _with_ that?" Ash asked in surprise.

Clefairy shrugged, "_I dunno._"

Brock looked over, "What did she say?"

Soot sweat dropped, "Put simply, a giant Ghost, Bug, and Ice-type."

Misty blinked in surprise, "Huh." She looked at Ash, "So, what do you think Ash?"

Ash shrugged with a soft smile and spoke slowly, "I'm not sure. I'm actually a little anxious."

Everyone, except Soot, looked at him in surprise.

Brock raised a brow, "What do you mean? I thought you'd be excited."

Ash nodded, "I am." He smiled sadly, "But don't forget that this is a non-Pokémon form. There's a chance that it'll have some kind of over the top personality glitch or even be too powerful to control right away." He looked down sorrowfully; ears drooping, "I don't want to end up hurting anyone."

Everyone looked at Ash in concern.

Except for Soot who rolled her eyes, "Dad, you said the same thing about Quick Attack."

Ash looked back at her amd rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Okay _sure,_ but-"

"But nothing." Soot interrupted; deadpanned. She smiled softly, "Dad it'll be fine. And, if you're right, we still have the backup plan, remember?"

Misty blinked in surprise, "What backup plan?"

Soot smirked wickedly and shifted her eyes to their inherent state, "This!" She charged towards Ash.

Ash flinched and waved his hands, "Wait, Soot, don't-" He was cut off when Soot jumped and disappeared into his chest. The boy slumped forward.

The Pokémon all flinched, "_WOAH!_"

Brock stood up in alarm, "What the Yvel?!"

Misty stared in shock, "Ash, what was that?! What happened to Soot?!"

"What do you guys mean?" Soot's voice asked.

Everyone jumped in surprise.

Ash looked back at Brock and Misty and smirked wickedly; eyes mirroring Soot's in their inherent state, "I'm right here."

Misty and Brock's jaws dropped.

Soot snickered, "Oh, come on. It's not that-" She stopped, frowned, and started trembling.

After a second, Soot fell out of Ash's back and crashed on the ground. Ash laid on the table.

Soot stood up shakily, "ugh." Her cheeks swelled up and she ran over to a bush.

Ash sat back up and held his head, "I tried _to_ warn her."

Brock looked at Ash in shock, "What just happened?"

"Soot can possess beings." Ash responded.

Misty flinched, "Seriously?! How are we only just hearing about this?!"

Everyone flinched when they heard Soot vomiting.

Ash sighed, "That's why. If she tries to hold a possession for more than five seconds she starts throwing up." He glared in the direction she went and shouted, "And that's _exactly_ why I don't _like_ her using _it_!"

"Not the time, Dad!" Soot shouted back. She threw up again, "Oh, crag. Why?"

Ash groaned and looked around, "Essentially, the backup plan is for her to possess me and change me into something I can control."

"Uh, right." Brock said before looking in Soot's direction, "Is she gonna be okay?"

"BLEEEGH!"

Everyone grimaced.

Ash sweat dropped, "Yeah. But, uh, don't be surprised if I end up carrying her later."

.

**Time Skip**

Ash and his friends continued on their journey towards the Fuchsia City Gym.

Misty smirked slyly, "Y'know, when you said you'd probably end up carrying Soot, I expected it to be in her pokéball. Not this."

Ash had his arms wrapped around Soot as she was slung over his right shoulder … in a position similar to someone holding an infant to burp.

Pikachu had to lay on Ash's head for the time being; not that either of them minded.

Soot shot Misty a sideways glare, "Yeah, laugh at the dog who just puked her guts out."

Brock chuckled, "Well, you kind of brought this on yourself."

Ash rubbed her back, "Just relax, sweetie." He smiled slyly and held her tighter, "Also, consider _this_ punishment for possessing me _without_ permission."

Soot groaned.

Brock chuckled before looking at Ash with a worried expression, "Hey Ash. Are sure shouldn't wait until tomorrow to head into town? Because, y'know…" He set his sights on Ash's ears.

Ash chuckled, "Don't worry Brock, it'll be fine. If anyone asks, I'll just say it was a poor decision involving a costume party and super glue."

Misty smirked with a raised brow, "You have a cover story for pretty much anything, don't you?"

Ash rubbed Soot's back, "More or less. After a while, we just got pretty good at hiding stuff involving the watch."

Soot snickered, "Lucky, we try to limit the lies to that. Like everything we've told you guys that contradicts what we've been saying since Porta Vista."

Misty sweat dropped, "Good to know."

.

**Time Skip**

The group made their way through the desolate, heavily polluted, factory-filled Gringey City. Ash had to put on the doctor mask again and Soot managed to recover enough to walk on her own and void her sense of smell again.

Pikachu took back his place on Ash's shoulder. Although his ears and tail were drooping, and his face was flushed red.

Misty looked around with a frown, "Geez. Look at this place. Lots of factories but no people."

Brock looked over the map, "Apparently, we're in Gringey City."

Soot sweat dropped, "Fitting name."

Ash sighed, "It's not exactly a happy place. It used to be pretty busy until all these factories came in. The pollution ruined everything."

Misty looked at Ash in surprise, "Did we pass a statue without noticing again?"

Ash chuckled, "Not this time. I just make sure to research as many native Gyms as I can."

Clefairy looked at him in surprise, "_This place has a Gym?_"

Ash frowned; hidden by the mask, "It used to have a Poison-type Gym. But the pollution became such an issue that it went out of business."

Misty flinched, "Wait what?! Since when can Gyms go out of business?!"

Ash sighed, "Since it didn't have any challengers for an entire year."

Brock gulped, "Yikes."

Soot spoke up, "All in favor of getting through here as quick as possible?"

Misty raised a hand, "Aye."

Brock raised a hand, "Aye."

Clefairy raised a brow in confusion, "_Eye?_"

"Whoa!" Ash cried out as he caught the falling mouse.

Everyone looked at him in alarm. Brock and Misty flinched when Pikachu unleashed a Thunderbolt while the trainer held him.

Ash ignored the shock, "Pikachu, _what's_ going on?!"

"_Are you okay?!_" Clefairy cried out worriedly.

Pikachu just panted as he was flushed red. His cheeks sparked every few seconds.

Misty grew worried, "You don't think it's all the pollution, do you?"

Ash squinted, "No. But it definitely isn't helping." He put a hand on the Electric-type's forehead, "High fever and sparking electric sacs can indicate a cold." He looked at the others, "Still, we should get him to a Pokémon Center, just in case."

Brock and Misty nodded, "Right."

Soot sweat dropped, 'So much for getting through here fast.' She sighed, "Let's hurry."

They broke into a sprint.

.

*Later; Pokémon Center

Ash ran up to the counter, "Nurse Joy! We need your help!"

Joy walked into the room; yawning, "Do you kids have any idea what time it is? Don't you know that you should be asleep by-" She stopped and blinked in surprise upon seeing Ash, "Isn't it a bit early for Halloween?"

Ash sweat dropped, "It was a poor decision involving a costume party and super glue, alright? I'm still waiting on the solvent." Ash sighed, "Look, my pikachu is sick." He down at the mouse worriedly, "It looks like a cold, but I can't be certain."

The nurse yawned again and glanced at the mouse right as his cheeks sparked again, "Yeah. Looks like a cold alright."

Ash sweat dropped, "Could you do a little more than just look at him?"

Joy yawned yet again, "Look, you were right the first time." She pointed at Pikachu, "Sparking cheeks are an early cold symptom in electric rodents." She reached under the desk, pulled out a pair of rubber gloves, put them on, and held out her hands, "Just leave him here overnight and I'm sure he'll be fine by morning."

Ash nodded, "Sure." He held out Pikachu to her.

Pikachu grabbed Ash's hand and looked up at him sadly, "_No. P-please. I don't want you to le-_"

"Pikachu." Ash interrupted as he pulled down his mask, smiled softly, and pet him, "I promise you'll be fine. I'll be right here until you're better."

Pikachu stared at him somberly but nodded. He let go.

Nurse Joy smiled softly, "I promise to take care of him." She walked to the back with the mouse in her arms.

Misty sweat dropped, "Is it me, or does she seem like an oddball compared to the other Nurse Joys?"

Ash shrugged, "She's definitely a lot more straightforward."

Soot grinned, "Which, for a Nurse Joy, is pretty odd."

Clefairy frowned, "_I hope Pikachu will be okay._"

Ash smiled sadly and pet her, "I'm sure _he'll_ be fine, Clefairy."

Brock looked at Ash with a frown, "Speaking of, are you alright Ash?"

Ash looked back in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Misty raised a brow, "You were … Thunderbolted at pointblank."

Clefairy blinked in surprise, "_Huh?_" She looked at Ash in surprise, "_When did that happen?_"

Ash chuckled and looked at her, "It was after I caught Pikachu." He cleared his throat, "That and the other seventeen involuntary shocks on the run over here."

Brock and Misty's eyes widened in shock, "WHAT?!"

Clefairy flinched at the outburst.

Soot shushed them before whispering harshly, "Guys, quiet! There are probably sick Pokémon here!"

"Sorry." Brock whispered, "But Ash, seriously! That much electricity can do some serious damage! Why aren't you more worried?!"

Ash smirked and raised a hand, "This is why. Thunder shock." His arm started to crackle with electricity.

Brock, Misty, and Clefairy's eyes widened in shock.

"What the actual Yvel?" Misty asked; still shocked.

Brock jerked, "Electric conductivity!" He smiled brightly, "From Power Integration, right?!"

Ash chuckled, "You're right for the most part." He dispelled the sparks, "Normally, I just absorb electricity and have to discharge it after a literal second." He pointed at his ears "I'm pretty sure the glitch makes me a lot more like an Electric-type."

Soot smiled, "Although, glitch or not, he's insulated in a way that prevents electricity from conducting through him to others."

Ash nodded, "Right." He petted Clefairy without looking, "Which is why clefairy didn't feel it."

Clefairy blinked in surprise, '_I didn't even notice._'

Soot smirked, "In other words, grab and get behind dad when we're about to be shocked."

Ash shrugged, "She's not wrong."

Misty snickered, "Got it."

Brock crossed his arms, "That definitely keeps you from being hurt by electricity." Brock raised a brow, "But, will you have to worry about absorbing too much? I'm not sure how electrical overload would affect a human."

Soot chuckled, "That depends on your definition of 'human'."

Ash rolled his eyes with a soft smile, "Very funny, Soot." He looked back at Brock and Misty and smiled sadly, "I have to admit that that has crossed my mind. Normally, that wouldn't be an issue but, due to the glitch, I'll probably need to be careful for a while." He held up his hand again covered it in electricity again, "But now I know I can handle over a hundred and twenty-thousand volts without consequence."

Brock and Misty's eyes widened, 'Yikes.'

Clefairy looked at Soot, "_Is that a lot?_"

Soot shrugged with an unsure expression, "Sort of. By human standards at least."

Without warning, the lights went out in the Center.

Brock, Misty, Clefairy, and even Soot looked at Ash in shock.

Ash shot a quick glance at the sparks on his arm and shook his head, "That wasn't me."

"OH NO!" Joy cried out.

Soot frowned, "That can't be good."

Ash shook off the electricity, and everyone ran to the back.

.

*Back of Center

"Nurse Joy!" Ash called out, "What's going-" He stopped and stared in shock at the room filled with injured Pokémon. All of them were in padded chambers with glass domes.

Misty looked around with a frown, "What happened to these Pokémon?"

"They're in intensive care units." Soot responded; wide eyed, "Without power, there's no chance of them-"

"Please." Nurse Joy interrupted in a fearful tone; not looking back, "Please. Don't say it."

Ash looked at Joy, "You have a backup generator or something, right?!"

The nurse looked down somberly, "I'm afraid not. All of our energy comes from the power plant."

Brock clenched a fist, "Then that's where we should check."

Misty looked at Joy, "Where is it?"

The nurse looked back at them, "It's very hard to miss. It's a large building with smokestacks. Some reach high enough to be seen from almost anywhere in the city."

Ash nodded, "Thank you." He pulled his mask back up, "We'll be back soon."

Ash, Brock, Misty, and Soot turned to leave.

"_A-Ash, wait!_" Pikachu cried out.

Ash stopped and looked back in surprise, "Pikachu?"

Pikachu looked at him sorrowfully, "_Don't leave me, please. I don't want you to leave me behind._"

Clefairy looked at him sorrowfully, "_Pikachu._"

Soot relayed the message; mostly for the sake of Brock, Misty, and Joy. Nurse Joy looked at Soot in surprise.

Ash's eyes widened and he ran over to him. He pulled the mask back down and put a hand on his head, "Pikachu, you know I'd never do that. I promise we'll be back as soon as-"

Pikachu grabbed the hand and held it tight, "_Don't leave me behind, please._"

Soot frowned and translated again.

Ash frowned, 'He _isn't_ thinking straight.' He smiled sadly, "Alright."

Ash looked up at the nurse, "Nurse Joy, I know this sounds strange, but would you mind if I took Pikachu with me? I promise to keep out of any battles."

Nurse Joy nodded with a soft smile, "I'm not sure I'd be able to keep him here if I tried." She handed the mouse back to him.

Ash held Pikachu tightly to his chest; ignoring the constant shocks, "You're not leaving this spot, buddy."

Clefairy looked down at him, "_And I'll be right here too._"

Pikachu smiled weakly and cuddled him, "_Thank you, Ash._"

Ash smiled softly and looked back at the nurse, "I'll bring him back once the power's on."

Ash pulled his mask back up and ran out with the others.

Joy watched as they left with a somber expression, "Good luck."

.

*Outside Power Plant

Everyone looked up at the structure with determined glares.

"This is the place." Soot said.

"Let's check inside." Misty followed.

The group walked through the main entrance. The entire place was as dark as it was outside.

"Hello?!" Brock called out, "Is anybody in here?!"

No response.

Ash frowned under his mask, "This isn't right. We should look around."

The group walked deeper into the area and looked around warily.

Brock frowned, "Something's really weird. Why isn't anybody working here?"

Misty walked over to a map and squinted, "Crag, it's too dark. Does anyone have a-" She flinched when a flickering light appeared from behind her. She turned around to see Ash holding his hand out; sparking again.

Pikachu stared in awe, "_Woah._"

Ash glanced down at him with a kind expression and looked back at Misty, "Is that better?"

Misty blinked in surprise and looked back at the map, "Actually, yeah." She looked over the map again before pointing down a hallway, "It looks like the central control room's down that way."

Soot nodded, "Alright."

Everyone continued down the darkened hallway. Ash kept his arm lit up to light the way.

Misty looked around warily before she flinched and started shivering, "Something's following us."

Everyone else looked back in alarm. Ash held out his arm to light the path they came from.

Brock raised a brow, "I don't see anything."

Ash blinked in surprise, "And I didn't hear any footsteps or slithering."

Misty's eyes narrowed, "I'm telling you, there's something back there." She frowned and started looking around, "I just got this weird feeling all of a sudden." She looked back at Ash, flinched, and pointed at him with a scared expression, "Ash! Above you!"

Brock looked over and flinched upon seeing something floating over the boy.

Ash looked up in alarm and blinked in surprise, "A magnemite?"

"Huh?" Brock and Misty said in surprise.

Ash held up his hand to reveal the Magnet Pokémon staring down at him. Or, more specifically, at Pikachu.

"Oh." Misty said before her eyes widened in realization, "Wait a second! Could Magnemite have caused the blackout?!"

Soot raised a brow, "On their own? Doubtful. It would take at least a twenty-year-old magnezone to single-handedly shut down a place this big."

Brock frowned, "But then, what's it doing here?"

Magnemite floated downward and closer to Pikachu.

The mouse grew nervous, "_Um, hi?_"

Magnemite didn't respond and started orbiting Ash; staring intently at Pikachu whenever it circled back around.

Clefairy stared in confusion, "_Uhhhh. What's going on?_"

Brock smiled, "I think Magnemite likes you Ash."

Soot watched the half-Steel-type closely, "They seem a lot more focused on Pikachu."

Pikachu pulled himself closer to Ash's chest with a frightened expression, "_Well, make them stop. It's freaking me out._"

Magnemite stopped in front of Pikachu right as his cheeks sparked again. The Magnet Pokémon glowed red as they stared at him.

Misty looked over and raised a brow, "Is Magnemite blushing?" She looked at Soot in confusion, "Do magnemite even have blood?"

Soot shook her head, "It's actually their internal core heating up. The reason isn't any different, though."

Misty looked at Magnemite; brow still raised, "So, Magnemite has a crush on Pikachu?"

Clefairy and Pikachu jerked, "_Huh?!_"

Brock frowned, "I'm not so sure. If it were an animal Pokémon, I could understand. But how can a Mineral Pokémon, like magnemite, fall in love with an electric rodent?"

Soot sweat dropped, "It especially doesn't help that magnemite are genderless."

"Still," Ash followed, "it's not unheard of for a genderless Pokémon to become attracted to a male. Or anything for that matter."

Pikachu frowned, "_Yeah, sure. But can someone stop them now?_" He pulled closer to Ash again, "_Please._"

Clefairy glared at Magnemite, "_Hey! Leave him alone already! Can't you see he's not feeling well?!_"

Magnemite flinched and floated off down the hallway.

Ash petted the Fairy-type, "Good one." He pulled down his mask and smiled at the mouse, "It's okay, buddy. They're gone n-" He stopped and grimaced before covering nose, "Oh, Crag! What the Yvel is that?!" He pulled his mask back up.

Brock looked at him in surprise and sniffed the air before frowning, "Now that you mention it, something does kind of stink."

Misty grimaced, "Yeah, I smell it too."

Soot raised a brow and shifted her eyes back to normal. She immediately grimaced, "Oh dear Arceus!" She shifted her eyes back to inherent before they widened in realization, "Wait a second, that's a Poison-type's scent!"

Misty frowned and pinched her nose, "What kind of Poison-type smell this bad?"

Ash's eyes widened, "Grimer."

A loud clang rang out from behind them. Everyone looked back in shock as a hoard of the Sludge Pokémon started dropping down from a ceiling vent.

Pikachu grimaced and covered his nose, "_Ugh. They stink._"

Brock glanced at the mouse, "We shouldn't insult them. It could hurt their pride or make them mad."

Soot raised a brow, "Why would a Pokémon made of pollutive material care about smelling bad?"

Ash blinked in surprise and looked at Brock, "Wait, how did you know what Pikachu said?"

Brock smiled brightly, "I actually got it right? I just saw him covering his nose and guessed."

"Who cares!" Misty shouted, "Whatever Pikachu said, I'm sure he's right! These things stink!"

"_What was that?!_"

Everyone looked over as a muk appeared from the behind the wall of grimer; towering over the lesser evolutions.

Muk glared, "_Who said we stink?!_"

Soot blinked in surprise, "I stand corrected."

Misty pinched her nose, "It smells even worse than before."

Muk's eye twitched, "_You…_"

Brock gulped, "So, I take it we should run?"

Muk pointed at them with a glare, "_Get them!_"

Soot and Ash nodded, "Yup."

The group broke into a sprint.

"Okay, so maybe insulting them wasn't my best move." Misty cried out as she ran.

"In your defense," Ash responded while he was lighting the way ahead, "I'm a little surprised they took it as an insult. Some Pokémon, like the grimer, trubbish, and stunky lines, actually take pride in their-"

"Not the time, dad!" Soot shouted.

Ash turned a corner and quickly noticed two men in jumpsuits. Before they noticed him, he dispelled the sparks on his arm.

Ash skidded to halt, "Whoa!"

The others looked over to see the men.

One of them shined a flashlight at them and stared in shock, "What are you doing here?"

Brock waved, "Hi. I'm Brock, this is Misty, that's Soo-"

"Save that for later!" Misty shouted, "We have to get out of here."

Soot looked back and grimaced as the grimer rounded the corner, "Crag!"

"Aah!" One of the men shouted in alarm, "The grimer are here too!"

They turned and ran back down the hallway.

"Back to the control room!" The other man shouted.

"Hey! Wait for us!" Ash shouted as he and the others chased after them.

They ran through the door and slammed it shut. Brock leaned against the door to barricade it.

Ash sighed in relief, "That was close." He looked back at the men to see them starring at him in confusion. Ash sweat dropped; deadpanned, "I messed up on a costume, alright?"

Misty glared at the men, "What's going here?! This blackout is threatening all of the Pokémon in the Pokémon Center. If you don't fix this, they're all going to-"

"Misty." Ash interrupted; causing her to look back, "I'm sure they're trying to fix the problem." Ash looked at the workers, "But you can't because of those grimer. Right?"

One of the workers blinked in surprise, "That's right." He shook it off, "There's a horde of grimer clogging the sea water intake pipe. The generator can't run unless we bring the water to a boil."

Clefairy's eyes narrowed, "_Then let's drive them off!_"

Soot frowned, "I'm afraid that's easier said than done. We would need to get past the other grimer and Muk first."

The men looked at Soot in surprise. One of them spoke up and pointed at her, "Did that Pokémon just-"

"AHH!" Brock shouted.

Everyone looked back in surprise.

"The grimer are ramming the door!" Brock called out in alarm, "I can't hold it!"

Ash grimaced, "Crag!" He looked around and noticed an old desk propped up against a wall. Ash looked at the men and pointed at the desk, "Could we use that as a barricade?"

One of them frowned, "Well, sure. But-"

Ash nodded, "Good." He ran over to it and grabbed onto the bottom.

Misty started to run over, "I can help-" She stopped and stared in surprise when Ash lifted it effortlessly, "Never mind."

The workers' jaws dropped.

Ash looked at the desk in surprise, 'Huh. It's lighter than I expected.'

One of the men stared in shock, "H-how are you doing that? That desk weighs over a hundred and twenty pounds."

Ash blinked in surprise, "Huh?"

Misty looked at Ash; deadpanned, "Seriously, Ash? You can bench press that much and never told us?"

Ash sweat dropped, "I didn't know either. I thought my limit was only ninety pounds."

"Only?" Misty asked; still deadpanned.

Ash chuckled nervously, "Right." He looked at the door, "Brock, move!"

Brock looked over and flinched upon seeing the desk. He moved out of the way and Ash threw the piece of furniture in front of the door.

Misty smiled and clenched a fist, "Alright!"

Her smile faded and she flinched when the door was slammed into again.

Soot frowned, "Unfortunately, it won't hold for long."

One of the men gulped, "What do we do?"

Ash's eyes narrowed, "When they break through, one of us needs to catch Muk."

Everyone, expect Soot, looked at him in surprise, "Hu_h_?!"

Soot nodded, "He's right. Wild muk and grimer are gang-oriented with the strongest muk standing on top. If we beat him, it'll be easier to drive the others off."

Clefairy jumped down and glared at the door, "_Okay! I'll give it all I've got!_"

Soot frowned, "Not a good idea, Clefairy. You're weak to Poison-types."

Pikachu's eyes narrowed, "_I-I'll fight them off, then._" He started struggling in Ash's arms.

Ash held him tighter and glared, "Not happening! You're still sick!"

The workers looked at Ash in confusion.

Ash don't notice and continued, "I'm sorry Pikachu, but you can't push yourself." He looked back at the door and his eyes narrowed, "The only Pokémon I have that can fight a Poison-type is Bulbasaur. But he can't take on this many."

Brock looked at him, "What about Geodude and Zubat? They both have a resistance."

Misty nodded, "And Starmie and Psyduck have an advantage."

Soot frowned, "It'll help. But we're still heavily outnumbered."

Ash put a hand to his chin, "Still, if we can organize some plan of attack, then-"

He was cut-off when the door burst open and the grimer started pouring in like mad.

Ash grimaced, "Crag! We're out of time!" He held out a pokéball, "You guys ready?!"

Brock and Misty each pulled out two pokéballs and nodded, "Yeah!"

Soot crouched down and glared at the small army.

Ash reeled back, "Bulbasaur!"

Brock followed suit, "Geodude! Zubat!"

As did Misty, "Starmie! Psyduck!"

"Enter the fr-"

They were cut off by another ventilation grate clanging behind them.

Everyone flinched and looked back in shock; expecting to see more grimer coming from behind. Shock became confusion when Magnemite and a horde of magneton started pouring out of the vent.

Misty blinked in surprise, "Magnemite?"

Brock smiled, "And magneton. They must be friends of theirs!"

"Makes sense." Ash looked back at the group of Magnet Pokémon, "Are you really here to help?"

"_Thunder Shock!_" "_Thunder Wave!_" "_Discharge!_" "_Spark!_" They all called out as they unleashed their collective attacks.

The grimer all grimaced and cried out as the electricity swept over them.

"_BEAT IT!_" One the of grimer cried out.

The Poison-types all ran out of the room in a frenzy. The magneton all followed and chased them down the various hallways.

Ash blinked in surprise, "I'll take that as a yes."

The lights flickered back on.

Misty smiled brightly, "Alright!"

"The power's back on!" Brock cheered.

The workers started typing away on the control panels.

"The turbine's moving again!" One of them cheered.

"The magneton must have scared off all the grimer!" The other called out.

Clefairy smiled and pumped a fist, "_Yay!_"

Pikachu weakly raised a paw in triumph, "_woo._"

Soot looked ahead; eyes narrowed, "Hold on! We're not out of the woods yet!"

Everyone looked back to see Muk glaring at them, "_You're not getting rid of me that easily._"

Ash pulled down his mask and smirked, "We'll _see_ about that." He threw a pokéball, "Bulbasaur, it's your move!"

Bulbasaur emerged and glared at Muk.

Ash held out an arm, "Bulbasaur, Hidden Power!"

Bulbasaur complied and fired the blue sphere at Muk. The ball hit Muk directly in the chest. Everyone's eyes widened in shock as the ball bounced right off him and took out a light.

Muk smirked, "_Nice try._"

Bulbasaur grimaced, "_What the?!_"

Brock flinched, "What just happened?!"

Ash stared in shock, "Impact repulsion. It's an insanely advanced and powerful technique that only semi-solid Pokémon can achieve. Anything physical or projectile based will just bounce off him without doing any damage."

Muk stopped glaring and blinked in surprise, '_Smart kid._'

Misty looked at Ash, "Okay. So, what does that mean for us?"

Muk smirked, "_It means I'm out of your lea-_"

"It means we need non-projectile, energy-based attacks." Soot responded before glancing at Magnemite with a smirk, "Namely electricity."

Magnemite floated out in front and started sparking.

Muk frowned and his eyes widened.

Magnemite stopped sparking and turned around to face the pure electric-type in Ash's arms. He started floating closer.

Pikachu glared, "_Seriously?! This is not the time for whatever kind of-_"

He was cut off by magnemite floating over and touching one of his magnets to Pikachu's cheek.

Pikachu glanced at them in shock, "_Ash, please tell me this isn't the equivalent of a kiss to them._"

Clefairy flinched; blushing heavily.

Ash sweat dropped, "_No._ It's definitely _not._"

Magnemite lit up with electricity again.

Pikachu flinched and started shivering, "_Whooaa._"

Ash flinched as well when he felt his built-up electricity travel from him to Pikachu. He glanced at the magnet Pokémon in shock, 'He's _absorbing_ our _electricity?_'

Magnemite started shining brighter and brighter with every passing second.

Muk deadpanned, "_Crag._"

Magnemite unleashed a colossal Thunderbolt onto Muk. The Poison-type cried out as the electricity swept over him.

After a few more seconds, electricity stopped and Muk flattened in exhaustion.

Ash pulled out a held out a pokéball, "This _ends_ now." He threw it at Muk, "POKÉBALL! GO!"

The ball hit Muk square in the head and absorbed him immediately. It fell to the ground and started beeping as it swayed. Everyone watched in anticipation.

The ball stopped swaying and became silent.

Ash sighed in relief, "Thank _Arceus_ that's over." He held out a pokéball, "Good work, Bulbasaur. Return."

The Seed Pokémon disappeared in the red beam.

Ash looked down at the mouse in his arms, "Pikachu, how do you feel?"

Pikachu blinked in surprise and put a paw to his cheeks, "_Now that you mention it: A lot better._" He looked at Magnemite with a smile, "_I don't what you did, but thanks._"

Magnemite blinked and turned away. They started floating around curiously.

Pikachu blinked in surprise, "_Huh?_"

Soot looked at Magnemite with a raised brow, "Didn't you have a crush on him earlier?"

"_That is not the case._"

Ash and the Pokémon all looked over to see one of the magneton float back through the doorway. Brock and Misty noticed and followed their gaze. The powerplant workers were still busy at the control panels; not having paid attention since the power came back on.

Magnemite overheard and hovered over to Magneton immediately. Their magnets shifted slightly.

Magneton chucked, "_The truth is, my hatchling here is incapable of vocal speech. However, we have found an alternative though the use of electro-magnetic waves._" They set their sights on Pikachu, "_Which your friend there was emitting erratically._"

Ash blinked and face palmed, "Freaking, _Yvel_ that's right! If an _animal_ Electric-type _builds_ up too _much_ of charge, _they_ can become _magnetized_ and experience _symptoms_ similar to a _cold!_ How could _I_ have not _realized_ it sooner?!"

Clefairy looked over and blinked, "_So, Magnemite __doesn't__ have a crush on Pikachu._"

Magneton shook in disagreement, "_Doubtful. As far as I can tell, they haven't decided on a preferred gender. Or if they ever plan to._"

Pikachu sighed in relief. He then blinked in surprise and looked at Magneton, "_Wait, hatchling? I thought your kind were genderless._"

Magneton sweat dropped, "_Well, yes. However, genderless Pokémon __are__ capable of reproduction._"

Soot raised a brow, "Sure. But don't you need a ditto for that?"

Magneton deadpanned, "_I am__ a ditto._" They glanced at magnemite, "_Come on hatchling._"

Ditto flew out of the room. Magnemite followed soon after.

Ash blinked in surprise, "Huh."

Misty sweat dropped, "Um, Soot?"

Soot looked back and sighed before starting, "So magneton-"

.

**Time Skip**

After the fiasco in Gringey City, Ash and his friends got back on the road to Fuchsia. Before getting too far away, they found a clearing in the forest.

Muk raised a brow, "_So, what's all this about? Are we training or something?_"

Ash smiled and shook his head, "No. Or _not_ yet, depending _on_ your answer. _There's_ something I _wanted_ to take care _of_ first."

Muk's eyes widened, "_Can you understand me?_"

Ash nodded, "_Yeah._ But _just_ for a few _more_ hours."

Muk raised a brow, "_What?_"

Soot snickered, "You'll find out later. Anyway, we wanted to ask if you were okay with joining us or if you wanted go back to your gang."

Muk's eyes widened, "_Huh?_"

Ash nodded, "I _mean_, yeah. I thought _it_ only seemed _fair._ Seeing as I _caught_ you without _permission._"

Muk stared at Ash in shock, "_Permission?_" He looked at Soot while pointing at Ash, "_What the Yvel's wrong with him?_"

Pikachu's, Clefairy's, and Soot's eyes narrowed. Ash blinked in surprise. Brock and Misty noticed all of this and took a step back.

Pikachu's cheeks started sparking, "_Care to rephrase that?_"

Muk flinched and raised his hands defensively, "_Sorry. But, seriously. The kid just caught me -a muk with freaking Impact Repulsion- and is __asking__ if I want to be set free?! I can't be the only one questioning this._"

Soot was about to argue until see considered all of that. Pikachu and Clefairy blinked in surprise and shared a look.

Soot shrugged, "Okay, fair enough."

Ash crossed his arms and mumbled, "It's _not_ that _weird._"

Clefairy giggled and patted her trainer's head.

Soot looked back at Muk with a smile, "Thing is, dad is pretty much the furthest thing from your standard trainer. Out of the nine Pokémon he's caught, seven were without a battle and the other two were a consensual challenge."

Muk blinked in surprise, "_Uh … Wow._"

Ash rolled his eyes, "Come on. _It_ can't be _that_ weird."

Muk deadpanned, "_It can be, and it is._" The Sludge Pokémon shrugged, "_And, to answer your question, I'll stay with you._"

Ash blinked in surprise, "_Really?_ I kind _of_ thought you'd _want_ to go _back_ to your _gang_. Seeing as _you_ were their _boss._"

Muk shrugged, "_Nah, it'll be fine. When the boss is caught, another muk or the next-to-evolve grimer takes the position. Heck, I'm like the fifth boss to be caught this year alone._"

Ash chuckled, "_Fair_ enough." He looked back at his friends and relayed the message.

Misty smiled and held out a hand, "Alright. Welcome to the team."

Muk glared at her, "_Don't think you're off the hook, human. I haven't forgotten about that little stink comment earlier._"

Soot snickered and translated.

Misty pulled her hand back and chuckled nervously, "Uh, yeah. Sorry about that."

Muk smirked. Muk jerked and looked at Soot in surprise, "_Wait, did you just speak human, or can they understand us too?_"

"First one." Soot responded.

.

*Later that day

The watch's glitch finally wore off and the group set up the table for lunch. After everything was set up and prepared, Ash got work on finding the new ali- uh, new Non-Pokémon form … Yeah.

Brock, Misty, and all the Pokémon watched in anticipation as Ash moved the dial.

"No. No. No. N- Wait! Found it!" Ash held up the watch to everyone and smiled, "Here it is."

Everyone looked over. The silhouette depicted a creature with a large upper torso, small ears at the top of its head, and clawed hands and feet. Its arms were bulky from the elbow down with what appeared to be bolts poking out the back. It also appeared to have a short, reptilian tail.

"So, that's it, huh?" Brock asked in interest.

Soot nodded with a smirk, "Looks like it."

Misty blinked, "It looks strong." She looked at Ash, "So, how does this usually work? You just turn into it and see what it's like?"

Ash shrugged with a smirk, "Pretty much. We also try to figure out potential weaknesses and the personality glitch."

"And then he names it after a move." Soot continued with a sly smirk.

Ash chuckled, "That too."

Muk leaned closer to Squirtle, "_So, what's goin' on here?_"

Squirtle grinned, "_Something awesome._"

Muk deadpanned, "_Right._" He looked around, "_Anyone have an actually answer?_"

Bulbasaur chuckled, "_I almost hate to agree with Squirtle._"

"_Hey!_" the Water-type blurted out.

"_But he has a point this time._" The Grass-type continued before looking back ahead, "_You're not gonna want to miss this._"

Ash looked at the canine, "You ready, Soot?"

She shifted her eyes and crouched down; looking ready to pounce, "Ready."

Ash took a deep breath, hit the watch, and became engulfed in green light. Everyone either shied away or squinted.

When it faded, everyone looked back and their eyes widened in shock and awe.

.

.

**Mizuro: Th- that's it? We're not even gonna find out who it is?!**

**Seishin: Cliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii*heavy breathing*iiiiiiffhanger!**

**Ohirume: Sorry. Tune in next time to see what the form actually is.**

**Seishin: And bonus points to whoever can figure out the form from the silhouette alone!**

**Omega: Okay, you said that last time with your ball-thing.**

**Faux: Pokéball.**

**Omega: Whatever. What are these "points" for?**

**Seishin: … *belch***

**Omega: *deadpans* Really?**

**…**

**The name of the new form has already been decided. You're free to guess, though.**


	35. Ch 30: Diglett

**Omega: *looks at title* Okay, then. *shouting* Guys! Rob's drunk!**

**Ohirume: You know fair and well that I don't drink!**

**…**

**Faux: Wait, diglett are moles. Not groundhogs.**

**Ohirume: Give it a rest! I wanted to make it "Diggin' Digletts Done Dirt Cheap" but I already did that reference!**

**Seishin: *smirking* Yeah, and he did ****not**** do it well.**

**Omega: Couldn't you have saved the D4C thing until now?**

**Ohirume: *pouts* I didn't plan ahead.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Groundhog Day, Except The Groundhogs Are Diglett And Uh … That's Pretty Much It. This Has Nothing To Do With The Movie.**

.

Muk blinked in surprise, "_Gotta admit. When I saw myself getting a trainer, I didn't expect this._"

Pikachu snickered, "_Not sure anyone could expect Ash._"

The rest of the Pokémon stared in awe at Ash's newest form. Except psyduck … who fainted again.

Standing before them was a ten-foot-tall black and yellow creature with a massive upper torso and giant, bulky arms. It had a grey tail stretching to the ground, three-toed, grey, clawed feet, and four-fingered, grey, clawed hands. The arms each had a giant metal piston jutting from the elbows and an opening on top of the them; revealing what appeared to be springs. The head resembled a medieval helmet with a slanted 'V' making up the face and two small, grey ears poking on the top. The watch's symbol laid directly in the middle of its chest.

"Woah." Misty muttered; awestruck.

"It's huge." Brock said in awe.

Soot smiled and called out, "Hey dad! How does it feel?!"

Ash continued looking over himself; ignoring them.

Soot frowned, "Dad?"

Ash perked up and looked over at them; expression unclear on the helmet-like face. Brock and Misty frowned.

Soot's eyes narrowed and crouched down, "Dad? You still in there?"

Ash blinked in surprise, "I … am … Soot." He said in a deep voice. He tilted his head, "Why … do … you … ask?"

Soot sighed in relief and sat down with a smile, "Good. He's still himself."

Misty raised a brow, "But why is he talking so slowly?"

Ash blinked again, "Slowly? … I … am … not … talking … slowly."

Soot smirked, "Aww. So, that's the glitch. Slow talker."

Brock sweat dropped, "No kidding."

Mankey ran up to Ash and looked up him; bright eyed, "_Dear Arceus. Ash, you're huge!_" He took up a fighting stance with a determined glared, "_I don't care if you can't teach me anything like this! We are sparring __now__!_"

Ash titled his head, "What … did … you … say?"

Mankey blinked in surprise, "_Wait. Can you not understand me?_"

"_Yeah. That's something we probably should have mentioned earlier._" Pikachu said; catching all of the Pokémon's attention. The mouse sweat dropped, "_Ash can't understand __any__ kind of Pokémon language when he's in one of these forms._"

"_What?!_" All of the Pokémon, except Soot and Clefairy, blurted out.

Clefairy pouted and crossed her arms, "_It's really not fun._"

Soot snickered, "Hey, don't worry. It all comes back when he switches again, remember? But, first thing's first." She looked back at Ash, "Alright dad, let's figure this thing out."

Ash nodded and took a knee; cracking the ground under his leg.

Soot blinked in surprise, "Definitely a heavy weight." She walked closer and put a paw on his left arm. Her eyes widened slightly, "It's metallic."

Brock and Misty overheard and ran over. They each put a hand on the arm.

Misty's eyes widened in awe, "You're right."

"It's almost like a Steel-type." Brock commented.

"Pikachuuuuu!"

Ash cried out in pain as the electricity swept over him. He fell back and crashed on the ground. Everyone felt it. It even scared off most of the Flying-types in the surrounding trees.

Everyone looked at Pikachu in shock.

Pikachu stared at Ash in shock before looking at the human-speakers, "_You said Steel-type! I thought it wouldn't hurt him that much._"

Soot's eye twitched, "Pikachu, this isn't a Pokémon! Having a metallic body doesn't mean the same being a Steel-type for this thing! … apparently."

"_Well, how was I supposed to know?!_" Pikachu shouted.

Soot sighed and looked back at Ash, "At least now we know this thing is weak to electricity."

.

*Skip

Ash recovered shortly and the group moved onto a much easier and probably obvious test. Strength.

Soot looked around at the trees before settling on one and nodding, "Perfect." She looked at Ash and smiled, "Over here, dad. This one's uninhabited."

Ash nodded, "… Alright." He walked over to it as Soot ran past him and back to the group.

He grabbed hold of the tree and yanked it out of the ground in one quick motion. As well as a giant patch of earth with roots sticking out.

Brock and Misty's jaws dropped.

Soot's eyes widened, "Yikes."

Squirtle's eyes lit up in awe, "_Awesome!_"

Pidgeotto stared in shock, "_You can say that again._"

Ash looked at the tree in shock, 'It's … so … light.' He shook his head and looked over his arm; noticing the piston sticking out of the elbow.

Ash raised a brow, "… Hmm." After a few seconds of trying, he managed to slam the piston into place. Only for his hand to spring forward and launch the tree into the sky.

Misty stared in shock as the tree disappeared, "Freaking Yvel."

Brock raised a brow, "Where do you think that went?"

Soot frowned, "Wherever it went, let's just hope it doesn't hit someone."

.

*Team Rocket

The tRio was flying thought the air in the balloon; playing cards to pass the time.

Meowth looked at Jessie, "Got any sevens?"

Jessie grumbled and handed him a card.

Meowth smirked and took it, "You're up Jess."

**Omega: That's not how you play Go Fish.**

**Seishin: MAH HAH!**

Jessie looked at her cards than back at Meowth, "Any threes?"

Meowth smirked, "Go fish."

Jessie's eye twitched and she snatched a card from the deck. Her eye's narrowed upon seeing the card, "Seriously?!" She angrily put the card in her hand and crossed her arms, "Take your turn already, James."

James looked at Meowth, "Got any-" He flinched, and his eyes widened, "TREE!"

Meowth sweat dropped, "Like I told Jessie, no. Go fish."

James jumped to his feet and pointed into the distance, "No! There's a-"

He was cut off when said tree crashed into their basket. It tore the basket from the balloon and carried them into the distance.

"WE DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING YET!"

They disappeared with a ding.

.

*Ash and others

Pikachu's ears twitched and he turned around with a confused expression, "_huh?_"

Ash looked at his hand in shock, "Freaking … Arceus." He flinched when his clawed hands retracted into his arm and a large drill sprung out.

Bulbasaur's eyes widened, "_Is that a drill?!_"

Ash's drill-hand started spinning without warning, "Wo-o-oah!" The behemoth flailed his arm in an attempt to turn off the drill. Instead, the piston on his other arm started banging wildly; causing his corresponding hand to move like a jackhammer.

"Oh … come … on!" Ash groaned. The vibrations from his arms gradually travel down his body and shake the ground around him.

Everyone started to fumble from the vibrations.

Misty fell back, "Wah!"

Soot grimaced, "Dad! Hands above your head! Now!"

Ash complied and the shaking died down some.

Soot nodded, "Okay, good. Now, just change back. Nice and slowly."

Ash nodded, moved the drill hand downward, and managed to just barely tap the symbol on his chest. He lit up green and reemerged as himself.

Ash immediately ran over to his friends with a worried expression, "Are you guys okay?!"

Misty sat up and held her head, "I'll live."

Brock nodded, "I'm okay. Stuff like this happened a lot when Onix was learning Dig."

Onix flinched and would have blushed if it was possible for his species.

Ash sighed in relief, "Thank goodness." He held out a hand to Misty and helped her up, "I'm sorry about that. I guess I need a little more practice with Hammer Arm."

Misty smirked as she stood back up, "Maybe a bit." She blinked in surprise, "Wait, Hammer Arm?"

Soot looked up thoughtfully, "Now that you mention it, that did look and sound like a jackhammer."

Ash nodded, "That, and I thought it seemed more appropriate than Bullet Punch. Or Earthquake."

.

**Time Skip**

The group of Soot, Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and Clefairy made their way towards the mountains. Their final stretch on their route to the Fuchsia Gym. Now they just had to find it.

Brock's eye twitched as he looked over a map of the local area.

Misty noticed and looked over, "Everything alright, Brock?"

Ash smiled sadly, "You can't find the Fuchsia Gym, can you?"

Brock grumbled and shoved the map into Ash's hands, "Just take it."

Ash took the map, looked over it, and smiled, "Actually, we're right on track."

Pikachu looked at the map and raised a brow, "_Huh?_"

Brock looked at him in surprise, "Really? But I can't find it on the map at all."

Soot nodded with a grin, "Exactly. Because the Fuchsia's exact location isn't on any maps."

Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and Clefairy jerked and looked at her in shock, "Wh_at_?!"

Ash nodded, "Yeah." He raised a finger and smiled, "The Fuchsia Gym is one of the most secluded and well-hidden Gym's in Kanto. Part of the challenge is just finding it." He held up the map, "The only thing they ever print is that it's over one of these mountains. And they never say which one."

Misty's eyes widened, "So we have to check over all five mountains?!"

"Seven actually." Ash responded; still smiling. He pointed to the center of the map, "This smaller mountain in the middle is still a possibility." He then pointed to the corner of the map, "And this one cuts off on the map."

Misty's eyes narrowed, "That isn't any better."

Clefairy pouted, "_That's not fair!_"

Soot snickered, "Guys, we don't actually have to check all of them on foot."

Ash nodded, "Right." He held up the watch, "Dragonite, Braviary, Butterfree, Quick Attack, and Overheat. All forms that can scan a mountain in a matter of minutes. Three of which without raising alarm if they're seen."

Misty blinked, "Oh. Right."

Brock rubbed the back of his head, "I guess we don't have to worry, then."

Ash smiled, "Exactly." He looked over the map again, "Still, I won't be able to scout the whole area in a day. So, we should find a place to set up camp for a while." He pointed ahead, "There's a road up ahead. We should be able to-"

He was cut off by a massive explosion shaking the area.

Brock, Misty, and the shoulder-riding Pokémon fumbled for a moment. They managed to keep their balance in the end.

Ash blinked in surprise, "Whoa."

Misty looked ahead in shock, "What the Yvel was that?!"

Soot tilted her head, "A wild electrode?"

Brock looked ahead with a determined glare, "Whatever it was, we should make sure no-one's hurt."

Everyone nodded and broke into a sprint down the road.

Once they were out of earshot -mostly- a large tree crash landed right where the group was.

A trembling hand popped out of the leaves and Jessie pulled herself out; breathing heavily. James climbed out soon after and threw up.

Meowth stood up in a daze and raised a paw, "Go Fish." He fell back and lost consciousness.

Soot smirked, 'Well. That answers that.'

Ash sweat dropped, 'Great. Now I owe Team Rocket an apology.'

.

*Road

Everyone skidded to a halt and their eyes widened in surprise. Driving down the road, towards a construction site, was a large convoy trucks carrying tarped cargo and pipes, and a cement mixer.

Ash blinked in surprise, "What the-"

He was cut off when the ground collapsed under one of the trucks; causing it to tip over and crash into another truck. This kickstarted a massive domino effect where every truck ended up crashing into each other.

Misty flinched, "Oh, crag!"

They noticed someone wearing a hardhat exit one of the trucks and fall to his knees.

Brock ran ahead, "Come on!"

Everyone else followed.

Ash got to the bottom first and ran over to the man, "Hey, are you al-"

"I can't take it anymore!" The man shouted in anger as he hit the ground; not noticing the group, "Why can't those freaking diglett just leave us alone?!"

Soot blinked in surprise, "Diglett?" She looked around and noticed a handful of the Mole Pokémon popping in and out of the ground playfully.

Misty followed her gaze and smiled, "Aw. How cute."

The man ran up to her and shouted, "CUTE?!"

Everyone flinched.

The man continued, "Thanks to them, we can't finish building that dam!"

**Faux: Woah!**

**Omega: Wrong 'dam', Fox-thing. Check the spelling.**

The construction worker fell to his knees again, "With the way things are going now, we'll never be able to complete the Great Giva Dam."

Ash blinked in surprise and looked at construction site in the distance, "You mean that thing?"

Everyone looked over right as an explosion knocked a boulder to the ground.

Brock raised a brow, "Wait, so all that blasting is part of building a dam?"

The man stood back up; hunched over in a slump, "Yes, it's part of building a dam." He started scratching his head furiously; despite the hardhat, "But those diglett keep messing with our progress and cutting off our supply routes!" He sighed, "We've resorted to creating a special division for developing strategies to fight off the diglett. We called in any able Pokémon trainers in the area, people with real Pokémon know-how, to help get rid of them."

Ash looked back at him and his eyes narrowed, "What do mean by 'get rid of them'?"

The man blinked and looked at Ash in surprise, "Huh?"

Brock glared at the man, "You're not trying to exterminate them, are you?"

"WHAT?!" He blurted out, "Of course not! What the Yvel kind of monster do you think I am?! I was just talking about catching or relocating them or something!"

Everyone stopped glaring and shared a look.

Ash raised a finger, "Give us a minute."

The group took a few steps back and huddled up.

Misty spoke up, "Okay, anyone else getting Nastina flashbacks, here?"

Brock nodded, "I know what you mean. I'm not sure we should help him."

Ash frowned, "Something doesn't add up, though. Diglett are a relatively peaceful species. They wouldn't retaliate like this unless it was for a really good reason."

Soot nodded, "And, in all fairness, a dam is a pretty justified construction project. Given his reaction, it looked like he was just fed up with not being to get his work done."

Misty raised a brow, "So, what do we do?"

Ash looked at the diglett in the distance, "I'm thinking we should get their side of the story. We might be able to find a compromise."

Pikachu smiled, "_On it!_" He jumped down and ran over to them.

"_Hey, wait for me!_" Clefairy called out as she jumped down and followed.

A few minutes later, they ran back and jumped onto Ash's shoulders. They started explaining everything.

Ash and Soot's eyes widened slightly.

Ash put a hand to his chin, "Makes sense."

"What did they say?" Brock asked.

Soot looked up at them, "It turns out that dam is actually threatening to flood the nearby forest. It'll become uninhabitable."

Ash followed, "Yeah, and the construction crew doesn't even realize it."

Misty smiled and clenched a fist, "Okay then. Let's tell him and clear all of this up."

Ash smiled and nodded, "It's worth a shot."

The group made their way back over to him.

Ash spoke up, "Sorry about that. But there's something you need to know."

The man raised a hand, "One thing first. I forgot to mention that we're compensating all volunteers with a free six-night, seven-day stay at the famous Giva Hot Springs Resort."

Misty and Soot's eyes widened at the news. Brock took on a shocked expression.

Pikachu and Clefairy each raised a brow, '_Hot Springs Resort?_'

Ash smiled sadly, "That's very generous, but-"

He was cut off by Misty slapping a hand over his mouth, "Give us just another minute."

She dragged Ash a few feet away. Brock and Soot followed.

Ash pulled away Misty's hand and looked at her with a raised brow, "Okay, what was that about?"

Misty smiled innocently, "I just was thinking, maybe we could volunteer."

Ash's eyes widened, "What?"

Misty nodded, "Yeah. He's not really planning to hurt the diglett."

Ash's eyes narrowed, "You just want that time off at the Hot Springs, don't you?"

Misty chuckled nervously, "Well, that would be a perk."

Soot smiled, "Plus, we do need a place to stay until we find the Gym."

Ash frowned, "You too, Soot? Do you even realize how dishonest this is?"

Soot deadpanned, "Dad, there are bound to be other trainers who are only coming for the Resort deal."

"But, what about the diglett?" Ash responded; still frowning, "If we agree to help, we're agreeing to help drive an entire species away from their home just for trying to protect it. So are all of the other trainers on their way here."

"_Actually, I'm not sure about that._" Pikachu jumped in, "_Even before we went over to talk to them, my conscience -I think- has been saying not to attack the diglett._"

Clefairy nodded, "_Me too._"

Soot blinked in surprise, "Wait, really? Why haven't I gotten that?"

Pikachu raised a brow, "_Uh, I'm not sure. It's just our instincts._"

Soot deadpanned, "Ah. That's why. My instincts have gotten pretty dull over the years."

Misty and Brock looked at Ash in confusion.

Ash noticed, "Their instincts have been telling them not to attack the diglett."

"Oh." Brock said before smiling, "That probably also means that most, if not all, of the other trainers' Pokémon will feel the same. So, the diglett won't be in danger."

Clefairy pouted and crossed her arms, "_I don't like it._"

"Thank you!" Ash blurted out.

Pikachu looked at the three human-talkers in disappointment, "_What's so special about this Hot Spring thing anyway?_"

Soot smiled, "Put simply, it's like a really hot bath loaded with minerals. But truthfully," She shifted to a blissful, dreamy smile, "it's an amazing stress and pain reliever. The piping hot waters leave you feeling loose, fresh, and rejuvenated. They can even cure certain skin problems. There are some springs in the world that are so inclusive that Fire and Rock-types can enjoy them."

Pikachu and Clefairy's eyes widened and they shared a look.

Pikachu smiled, "_On second thought, I'm in._"

Clefairy smiled too, "_Yeah! I'm sure no one will hurt the diglett_"

Ash stared at his Pokémon and friends in shock before pinching the bridge of his nose, "Son of a glitch."

Soot smiled, "And that's a disappointed 'fine, I'll go along with it' from dad." She ran back towards the man, "Let's go tell him the good news."

"_Woo!_" Pikachu and Clefairy cheered.

Brock and Misty smiled and followed her soon after.

Ash groaned, 'I cannot believe we're doing this.' He followed the others back over to the man.

Misty smiled and saluted, "We'd be happy to help, sir!"

He raised a brow, "Wait, so you're not a part of the first squad of trainers we called in?"

Brock scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Well, no but-"

His eyes narrowed, "Then how can I know that you really know what you're doing here?"

Ash smirked. That broke when-

"Well," Soot said with a smirk; making the man look at her in shock, "My name is Soot Ketchum." She gestured to her father, "And this, here, is my dad. Ashton Satoshi Ketchum."

Ash looked at Soot in shock.

The man blinked in surprise, "Ketchum?" After a second, he jerked and looked at Ash in awe, "Wait a second! You're that prodigy who founded Inheritance!"

Ash glared, "I'm not a-" He took a deep breath before speaking monotonously, "Yes, I'm that Ash Ketchum."

The man clenched a fist with a bright smile, "That's perfect! You must know hundreds of ways to drive away those pesky Ground-types!"

Ash's eyes twitched with a crooked smile, "Yeah … a few."

A screeching wheel caught everyone attention. They turned to see a familiar brown-haired boy in a red convertible -this time being driven by a female chauffeur- with his six female fans/cheerleaders in the back of the car.

Ash deadpanned, "And the day just keeps getting better."

Gary stood up in his car with a smirk, "The first Pokémon trainers have arrived! The rest are in these buses." He finished by gesturing to the four large vehicles behind him.

Soot growled, "Gary."

Clefairy's eyes narrowed, "_Not him again!_"

Pikachu hissed at the boy.

Gary flinched from the angry noises and looked over to find Ash and the others. He took back his usual cocky smirk, "Well, if it isn't Ashy-boy. Don't you know that only the best were invited?" He gestured to himself, "Like Pallet Town's number one, Gary Oak." He pointed at Ash, "We won't be needing Pallet's fourth-place loser."

Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy's glares intensified.

Ash deadpanned, 'Real mature.'

Misty sweat dropped, "He's about as annoying as I remember."

"More like 'detestable.'" Brock followed with his arms crossed; also sweat dropping.

Gary smirked, "So, Ash, caught any good Pokémon lately?"

Ash nodded with a bored expression, "Yeah. I currently have ten."

Gary laughed heartily, "Only ten?!" He smirked slyly, "I happen to have collected over fourty-five."

Soot's eye twitched, 'Collected?!'

Gary glanced at Clefairy's bow, "I guess you've been a little too preoccupied with accessories."

Clefairy glared, "_Hey!_"

Gary smirked again, "I mean, what's the point of some dumb little b-"

Ash flashed Intimidate. Gary, Brock, and Misty flinched. The girls and the construction worker jerked and felt a shiver run down their spine. And, although unseen, everyone in the buses flinched and started looking around in confusion and shock.

Ash glared at Gary, "First, Clefairy wears the bow because she likes it. I'm not taking that away from her." His glare deepened, "Second, you can say whatever you want about me, but don't insult my Pokémon."

Gary gulped, "G-got it."

The construction worker blinked in surprise, "Um. Alright, then." He gestured down the road, "If you'll please follow this road to the construction site, we can get this job done and all of you can be on your way to the Resort."

Gary saluted, "Can do sir!" He jumped into the car. He looked at the chauffeur and spoke through clenched teeth, "drive!" The car took off down the road.

The worker got onto one of the buses and they left soon after.

Brock looked at the others and smiled, "We should head over their too."

"Yeah," Ash said in a cheerfully sarcastic tone, "let's go rip-off an exhausted man who's just trying to get his job done."

Soot smirked, "Sound's good to me."

Ash glared at Soot, "I really thought I raised you better than this."

Soot snickered, "Oh please. You know that only works when grandma does it."

.

*Construction site

"We greatly appreciate all of you talented Pokémon trainers interrupting your training to come here and help us get rid of the diglett!" The worker said through a megaphone.

Ash glanced around the area with a frown, 'This many people showed up?' He gulped.

A picture of a crossed out diglett dropped down behind the man, "Pokémon trainers," He pointed up to it, "here you see diglett! The greatest parasitic bug Pokémon of the century!"

"Just a minute." Gary called out from the crowd, "Technically, diglett is not a bug Pokémon. As a matter of fact, the term Mole Pokémon would be more appropriate. With a height of eight inches and a weight of two pounds, they're hardly candidates to be called the greatest anything of this century."

Brock and Misty looked at Ash.

He shrugged, "In terms of the statistics, he's right." He glared at the Oak boy, "Can't say the same about him downplaying the species like that, though."

The construction worker frowned, "Individually, the diglett may seem weak. But, together, they can cause massive destruction." He noticed something beyond the crowd and grimaced, "It's the diglett! The diglett are here!"

Everyone looked back to see a trail of upturned earth travel towards the buses. They all flinched when the ground collapsed under one of them and half buried the vehicle.

Gary ran to the front of the crowd, "I'll take care of this!"

His fans started … doing the Can Can(?) and sang, "Gary doesn't dig the diglett! Oh no! Gary doesn't dig the diglett! Let's go!"

**Mizuro: *shivers* That is, by far, the cringiest thing I've ever heard.**

**Seishin: *snickers* Oh, the irony.**

Gary pulled out a pokéball, "Now everyone will be able to see the top Pokémon trainer in action." He threw the ball, "Go, Nidorino!"

Gary smirked as the ball opened. His smirk went away as the energy from the pokéball retracted and the ball closed.

Gary's eyes widened in shock, "What the Yvel?!"

Ash smirked slyly.

Misty blinked in surprise, "I didn't even know that could happen."

Soot blinked too, "Same. I actually thought they would just come out and ignore him."

The upturned earth popped the pokéball up and carried it back to Gary. A diglett sprang up in front of Gary with the capsule on their head.

Gary blinked in surprise before crouching down to retrieve Nidorino, "Um, thanks?"

"Diglett." The Mole Pokémon said happily before retreating into the ground.

Gary looked at the ball in confusion, 'What was that?' He put the ball away and pulled out another one, "Fine, then. I'll just bring out my best Pokémon." He threw the new ball, "Go, Wartortle!"

Ash grimaced, 'Crag! His starter!'

The ball fell to the ground and opened … and then closed almost as soon as it opened.

"Oh, come on!" Gary shouted in annoyance.

Ash sighed in relief, 'Thank Arceus.'

Gary glared and pulled out his remaining four pokéballs, "Alright! I'll just use every Pokémon I have!" He threw them rapidly, "Growlithe! Kadabra! Graveler! Scyther! Go!"

"Please, somebody stop them!" The worker shouted through the megaphone, "Stop the diglett!"

Every other trainer -minus Ash, Brock, and Misty- followed Gary and started throwing as many pokéballs as they had.

"Go, Zubat!" "Haunter, go!" "Bellsprout, go!" "Magikarp, go!" "Come on out, Vileplume" "Dugtrio, let's go!" "Eevee, I need you!"

After about a minute, the unopened pokéballs were piled up in the middle of the area. The diglett started divvying out the capsules back to their trainers with surprising accuracy.

Misty blinked in surprise, "Wow. Not a single Pokémon came out."

"Just goes to show how influential Pokémon instincts can be." Brock commented.

Soot pouted, "Lucky."

The construction worker stared in shock, "H-how is this possible? Why aren't any of the Pokémon helping us?" He looked at Ash and spoke through the megaphone again, "You there! Prodigy, Ketchum boy! Use that Pokémon know-how and help us here!"

Ash flinched at the words and his eye started twitching.

A lot of the crowd looked at Ash in surprise, "Wait, a prodigy? Really?" "Ketchum?" "Where have I heard that name before?"

Gary stared in shock for a second before he broke into laughter, "O-oh man, that's rich! Ash?! A prodigy?!"

His fan club started giggling.

Gary pointed at Ash with a cocky smirk, "He just got lucky is all. I'm betting that not a single one of his Pokémon will come out!" He did a 'come at me' taunt, "So, come on, Ashy-boy. Let's see how well your Pokémon listen to you."

Ash sighed in annoyance, "Fine." He removed seven of the pokéballs from his belt.

Gary noticed and blinked, "Wait, why did you bring ou-"

Ash tossed the balls into the air lazily, "Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Krabby, Mankey, Muk. Come on out."

Everyone's eyes widened in shock as the pokéballs burst open and the seven mentioned Pokémon appeared in a flash.

"It actually worked?" "I can't believe it." "Maybe he really is a prodigy."

Gary's jaw dropped in shock.

A diglett popped out of the ground and took on a worried expression.

The worker smiled brightly, "Hah! Perfect! Now get to attacking those diglett!"

Ash gave the man a thumbs up, "Understood, sir!" He leaned a little closer to Pikachu and whispered, "Whatever I say, make sure they don't listen."

Pikachu almost broke into laughter and nodded, "_C-can do._" He and Clefairy jumped down and ran over to their teammates. The quickly started explaining the situation.

When they got to the part Ash telling them to ignore his commands, Charmander's eyes widened in shock, "_Wait, what?_"

Gary ran over to Ash and glared, "Now hold on a second!" He pointed at the group of Pokémon, "Why on earth do you have nine Pokémon with you?! The legal carrying limit is only supposed to be six!"

Soot's sweat dropped, "Uh, Gary."

Gary glanced at her before glaring at Ash again, "Like I said, why do you have ten Pokémon with you?!"

Ash sweat dropped, "Ask your grandfather. He increased my limit to ten without telling me." He reached behind his back, "And if you don't believe me," He pulled out, opened, and held out his Pokédex, "see for yourself."

Gary looked at the screen and his jaw dropped in shock again.

Ash closed the dex and put it away, "Let's get this over with." He looked at his team, "Alright, guys! Listen up! We need to drive off the diglett by any means necessary! Are you ready?!"

Pikachu held back his laughter and pretend to yawn. He stretched and laid on his back. Clefairy giggled and joined him.

Ash smirked briefly before blinking in 'confusion', "Uh, Pikachu? Clefairy?" He looked around at the rest of them, "Anyone?" He nudged his head in the direction of the relaxing pair.

Bulbasaur blinked in surprise, "_Wow. They were serious._" He yawned, walked over to the pair, and laid down too.

Squirtle looked at Krabby and pointed at a nearby boulder, "_Target practice?_"

The River Crab shrugged, "_Alright._"

The Water-types made their way over to the boulder.

Mankey looked at Muk with a raised brow, "_So you can shrug off __any__ attack, huh?_"

Muk gave an unsure expression, "_Not all of them. Just the physical and projectile stuff._"

Mankey's eyes narrowed slyly, "_So moves like Fire Punch, Karate Chop, and Pursuit would just bounce off?_"

Muk sighed, "_I already know where this is going and fine. You can use me as a punching bag. Besides, we have to do something that makes it look like we're not listening._"

Mankey cracked his knuckles, "_Sweet._" He made a fist and reeled back.

"_Hold on a second._" Muk said with a raised hand. He pointed towards Squirtle and Krabby, "_We should probably do it farther away like them, so we don't hit any diglett in the crossfire._"

Mankey rolled his eyes, "_Fine._"

The pair walked/slithered towards the Water-types.

Pidgeotto sweat dropped, "_I, uh- I guess I'll go rest in a tree for now._" She took off and flew over to a tree.

Ash faked a deadpan, "Great." He noticed Charmander looking around nervously and frowned, 'I was afraid of this.' He looked at the lizard 'hopefully', "Charmander, you'll help right?"

Charmander flinched and looked at the diglett with a frown, "_I- I gue-_"

"_Psst. Charmander._" Clefairy called out in a whisper, "_Don't listen, remember?_"

Charmander frowned, "_But, Ash said-_"

Bulbasaur jumped in; eyes closed, "_He's saying that because he has too. He wants us to leave the diglett alone without anyone knowing. What better way to do that than by secretly telling us to not listen to him asking us to listen to him._"

Charmander tilted his head in confusion, "_Huh?_"

Pikachu smirked, "_Just come relax with us. If you're worried about making Ash mad, don't be. He really wants us to do this._"

Charmander frowned and glanced at Ash. The trainer gave a small smile and nodded slightly.

Charmander nodded back and took a deep breath before joining Pikachu, Clefairy, and Bulbasaur.

Ash rubbed the back in his head, "Aw man. No one will listen."

Soot smirked, "Bummer." She walked over to resting quartet and curled up around them.

Misty and Brock stared at the unfolding scene in surprise and walked over to Ash.

Misty leaned closer and whispered, "You planned that. Right?"

Ash smirked and whispered, "Bingo."

Brock sweat dropped, "Still, it's weird to actually see them ignoring you."

Ash shrugged, "Had to be done."

Gary snapped out of his shock and grinned, "Hah! None of Ashy-boy's Pokémon are listening to him. Not even his little Phantom pup."

Misty smirked slyly, "At least Ash's Pokémon actually came out."

Soot glared at Gary, "And will you stop calling a pup, already?! I'm five! I'm old enough to be a mother!"

Ash jerked and looked at Soot in surprise.

Soot deadpanned, "Oh, please. That's how old you were when I was born."

The construction worker stared in shock, 'E-even a prodigy can't get his Pokémon to help.' His eye started to twitch before threw the megaphone to the ground in rage, "I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" He pulled out a wooden mallet, "You won't get away with this you little bugs!" He jumped down, ran over to a small group of diglett, and started trying to hit them with the mallet, "Go away! Go away!"

Everyone watched him; sweat dropping.

"Should we stop him?" Brock asked.

Gary shook his head, "That won't be necessary. Diglett can retreat back into the ground at one-hundred and eighty-six thousand, two-hundred eighty-two miles per second."

Misty raised a brow, "And that translates to what?"

"Light speed" Ash stated.

**Mizuro: Those moles can Time Travel?!**

**Gem: What? What do moving at Light Speed and Time Traveling have to do with each other?**

**Nuevo: … Okay, was that a Gem thing, or a Pokémon thing?**

**Faux: Pokémon. Organic beings traveling at the speed of light and traveling through time are both separate and backed by biology.**

**Gem: What did he mean Gem th-**

**Mizuro: How does that even make sense?!**

**Faux: Well how do beings in your world Time Travel?**

**Mizuro: *blank stare* I- I-**

**Omega: Stand down, Mizuro. **

**To answer your question, Faux, we don't. In our world, Time Travel is a theoretical and fictional concept.**

**Faux: Geez. The more I hear about your world, the less I envy it.**

**Illavera: Hey! Our world isn't that bad! What else could your world possibly have that ours doesn't?!**

**Seishin: Proven religion.**

**Illavera: … Yeah, I'm out.**

Gary sighed, "Well, that's it. I'm gone. Since no one's Pokémon will battle, there's no reason for any trainers to be here unless they want to watch this arcade game." He finished; gesturing towards the man flailing and failing to whack the diglett.

Misty raised a brow, "You're not staying for the Resort?"

Gary smirked, "Of course not. I have to continue my journey to become a Pokémon master." He ran over to his convertible, jumped in, and waved to the crowd, "See ya later! Come on, fans, let's ride!"

"Bye bye!" The cheerleaders called out in unison before getting in the car.

It sped off down road and Gary called out, "Good luck!"

Brock looked at Ash and Misty with a smirk, "So, Hot Spring?"

Misty smiled brightly, "Yeah!"

Ash groaned, "No shame."

.

*Giva Hot Springs Resort; night

Ash, Brock, Misty, and most of their Pokémon were lounging around happily in the Spring. The odd ones out were Charmander, Geodude, Onix, Muk, and … Psyduck.

Onix and Geodude turned down the how water for obvious reasons and decided to stay in their pokéballs.

**Omega: How is that obvious?**

**Faux: Because they're Rock-types.**

**Mizuro: I don't get it.**

**Gem: Rock-types are weak to water.**

**Seishin: And before you ask why that makes sense, rocks don't float.**

**Nuevo: Pumice.**

**Seishin: … Tushy.**

**Ohirume: You mean "touché."**

**Seishin: Sure, but tushy's funnier.**

**Omega: *deadpans* It really isn't.**

Charmander was weary about his life flame but still decided to sit on the side to enjoy the warmth.

Muk laid next to the lizard.

Last was Psyduck who they had only just let out. Everyone's eyes widened in shock upon seeing him flail violently.

"I- how-" Misty stuttered upon seeing her Water-type fail to swim.

Soot stared in shock, "What kind of Water-type can't swim?"

Ash swam over, lifted the Water-type out of the water, and set him down next to his Fire-type.

Charmander looked at Psyduck with a worried expression, "_Are you okay?_"

Psyduck just started holding his head again.

Pikachu raised a brow, "_Okay?_"

Clefairy smiled blissfully in the water, "_Whatever. This Spring thing feels great._"

Squirtle floated on his back, "_I never want to leave._"

Krabby looked down at the water warily, "_It feels kind of weird to me._"

Soot looked over at Muk and Charmander, "Are you guys sure you don't want to join in? The water's plenty hot for a Fire-type."

"_She's right._" Vulpix called out.

Soot continued, "And, Muk, Poison-types don't normally have a problem with water."

Charmander rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "_I'm okay. I'm not sure I want to risk it._" He perked up, "_Besides, the steam feels really good from here._"

Muk shook in disagreement, "_It's not my typing that I'm worried about. It's the fact that I'd rather stay at this level of consistency and I doubt any of you want the water to turn purple._" He sweat dropped, "_Sludge and purifying water don't mix too well. For anyone._"

**Gem: Wait, what? How does that-**

**Ohirume: We're not doing this again!**

Soot chucked nervously, "Fair enough."

Ash laid back in the water with an annoyed expression; grumbling.

Brock looked over at him, "What's wrong, Ash? Are you not enjoying the Hot Spring?"

Ash sighed, "No. The water feels great." He glared at his friends, "It's the matter of how we got in here that's bugging me."

Misty smiled and waved a hand, "Oh, come on, Ash. Everything turned out fine. None of the diglett got hurt and you guys got that bus out of the ground."

Ash's eyes narrowed, "What about the guy running around with a mallet?"

Brock took on a surprise expression, "Wait, he's still doing that?"

Ash nodded and he pointed behind himself; into the distance, "Yeah. I can still here the banging."

Brock and Misty frowned and shared a look.

Soot sighed, "Dad, just relax for now. We can tell him what's going on in the morning."

Ash groaned, "Fine." He brought up the watch from the water, "But I'm getting into something more fitting." He settled on a silhouette and looked around before hitting the watch.

He lit up in a green flash. It faded to reveal Ash in vaporeon form.

"_WOAH!_"

The Pokémon all flinched and looked over to see a diglett staring at Ash in shock. Brock and Misty followed their gaze.

Ash sighed in relief, "_Oh, thank Arceus._"

Clefairy pouted, "_Don't scare us like that!_"

Diglett blinked in shock, "_I- What just-_" They stared at Ash again, "_You were human a second ago!_"

Ash sweat dropped, "_Uh, yeah. I know._"

"_You get used to it._" Squirtle called out as he went back to floating.

Pikachu looked at the Ground-type, "_Did you want to tell us something?_"

Diglett nodded with a worried expression, "_Yeah. There's something you need to know about. It's why none of the other Pokémon came out._"

Soot smiled, "Oh yeah, the forest. You were protecting your home."

Diglett blinked in surprise, "_Wait, what? You knew?_"

Ash nodded, "_Yeah. That's actually why none of my team here was listening to me. I told them to ignore me._"

Charmander looked at Ash with a frown, "_Speaking of. You __promise__ we're not in trouble that?_"

Ash looked back with a soft smile, "_Promise. I'm actually proud of you all for going along with such a difficult order._"

Pidgeotto raised a brow, "_How is ignoring you a difficult order?_"

Soot snickered, "Because it's a paradox. Something that makes itself not make sense. Like some saying 'All Pokémon are equal but some are more equal than others' or 'Does a set of all that sets contain itself?'"

Mankey held his head, "_I think you just gave me a headache._"

"_Hold on a second!_" Diglett blurted out, "_If you've known what's been going on for that long, why didn't you say anything to that human with the hard hat?! Or whatever humans call it._"

Ash chuckled, "_It actually is called a hardhat._" He frowned, "_As for why I didn't say anything,_" He turned to glare at his friends and hatchling.

Soot chuckled nervously, "Sorry. We got a little greedy when we heard about the Hot Spring."

Misty and Brock caught on at this point.

Misty rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "Yeah. Sorry about that."

Brock frowned and slumped in embarrassment, "Not our proudest moment."

Diglett stared at the humans in shock, "_Uhhh-_"

Bulbasaur spoke up, "_The mightyena speaks human._"

The Mole sweat dropped, "_Oh._" They looked at Ash again, "_So, do you think you could tell the hardhat human, now? He's been trying to hit us since before sunset and we're starting to feel sorry for him._"

Ash smiled, "_With pleasure._" He pawed at the symbol on his chest and switched back to human; startling the Kantonian Ground-type a bit. He looked around with a sly smirk, "Alright, guys. The scam's over. We're clearing all of this up. Now."

"_A_w_w._"

Ash rolled his eyes, "Seriously, this has gone on long enough. We'll come back later if he doesn't revoke the reward over this."

"_F_i_ne._"

.

*Construction site

Soot, Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Diglett stared blankly at the man still running around trying to whack the other diglett. The other Pokémon had already been returned.

"I'll get you! I'll get you!" The man cried out frantically between heavy breaths.

Diglett sweat dropped, "_Sad, isn't it?_"

Soot frowned, "No kidding."

Brock walked up and held out a hand, "Um, sir?"

He didn't seem to hear him, "I'll get you! I'll get you!"

Ash walked ahead, "Let me try something."

Misty was about ask what he meant before she flinched from Ash's Intimidate. She and Brock quickly covered their eyes to lessen the effect.

The construction worker flinched and stopped dead in his tracks. Upon seeing this, Ash cut off his ability.

The man looked around frantically, "Wha-what the?"

Ash walked up and tapped up on the back, "Excuse me."

"AH!" The man cried out. He spun around and held up his mallet again. He stopped and blinked in surprise upon seeing Ash, "Oh. It's you." He quickly hid the mallet behind his back and chuckled nervously, "I'm sorry about that."

Ash raised a hand with a smile, "It's alright." He shifted to a frown, "But there's something you need to see."

Soot walked up, "It's about the diglett and why they've been messing with the dam."

The worker raised a brow.

.

*Forest Garden

Ash and his friends looked at the forest below in awe. The worker stared in shock.

"Wow." Misty said, "It's like a giant garden."

Brock smiled, "Yeah. The dugtrio plow the ground and the diglett plant trees."

"_It's not just this mountain,_" Diglett said, "_It's all of the ones in this area. Our kind have been working here for generations._"

"_Woah._" Clefairy said in awe.

Soot smiled and translated.

The construction worker dropped his mallet in shock; catching everyone else's attention.

"All this time." He said sorrowfully, "You've only been protecting your home. From us."

Ash frowned, "Not just their home. These mountains are inhabited by countless other species. None of which have the ability to survive if the dam floods the forest."

The worker looked down sorrowfully. He reached back and pulled out a handheld radio.

"Yes, it's me." He said into the device, "We're shutting down the project."

What?!, came a voice from the radio, But sir-

"No buts." He argued, "Something has come up, we cannot build the dam. Especially not here." He turned off the machine and sighed, "It's over."

Ash smiled softly, "Thank you." He frowned, "But I am sorry about all of this."

The man smiled sadly, "It is alright. Besides, I think I have learned an important lesson here."

"Your lesson is just beginning."

Everyone who recognized the voice flinched and looked over to see Jessie and James standing on a tree branch with the moon behind them. The man looked over and stared in confusion.

Jessie smirked, "To protect the world from devastation."

James followed suit, "To unite all peoples within our nation." And queue the switch off.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

The pair jumped down from the tree and struck a pose,

"Jessie!"

"James!"

Meowth jumped in from out of nowhere, "Dey know da rest."

The two humans fumbled.

Soot sweat dropped, "Freaking Yvel."

Ash pinched the bridge of his nose, "Look, can we not do this now? There's been a lot going on today and we're really not in the mood for this."

Jessie waved a finger, "But we're in a good enough mood for everyone."

James smirked and pulled out a pokéball, "Besides, we have a special surprise."

Jessie pulled out a pokéball too and tossed it into the air, "Our new-"

James tossed his up too, "Pokémon!"

Arbok and Weezing appeared in front of the tRio.

Misty blinked in surprise, "Oh."

Brock scratched the side of his head with an unsure expression, "Uh, congrats. I guess."

James smiled happily, "Thank you."

Jessie glared and pointed at the group, "But flattery won't get you anywhere!"

Ash pulled out two pokéballs, "Didn't think so." He tossed them into the air, "Mankey, Muk! Enter the fray!"

The Pig Monkey and Sludge Pokémon appeared in a flash.

Mankey immediately glared at the tRio, "_You again!_"

Muk raised a brow, "_Huh?_"

James blinked in surprise, "Is that the mankey I kicked?"

Meowth deadpanned, "Of couise if joined da twoip."

Jessie pointed forward with a glare, "Arbok, Poison String that slime ball!"

James followed suit, "Weezing, Tackle the monkey!"

Muk blinked in surprise, "_I'm sorry, what?_"

The Cobra Pokémon and Poison Gas Pokémon complied and fired his attack/charged forward.

Ash rolled his eyes and raised a hand, "Mankey, intercept Weezing with Fire Punch."

Mankey glare and lit up his fist with the flaming move. He shot forward and hit the Poison-type directly in the larger face. He was flung backwards and crashed to the ground with a burning fist-print on said face.

Muk just sat there and took the Poison-type attack. The needles bounced off him and fell to the ground.

Muk stared at the needles in shock before looking back at Ash, "_They do know that wouldn't work even if I didn't have Impact Repulsion, right?_"

Soot snickered, "They aren't what you would call 'intelligent.'"

"HEY!" Jessie, James, and Meowth shouted.

Ash sighed and pointed, "Muk, Mud Bomb on Arbok."

"Arbok, use Acid!" Jessie called out in response

Muk's eyes narrowed as he formed a ball of mud in his hand. He threw it Arbok. Arbok followed suit and spat a stream of purple acid at the oncoming attack. They crashed and cancelled each other out.

"Now Dig!" Jessie shouted.

"Weezing, follow him!" James called out.

Arbok burrow underground and Weezing chased after him.

Ash's eyes narrowed, 'Crag. We haven't worked on that yet.' "Mankey, get on Muk's back and charge a Karate Chop! Muk, be ready with Body Slam!"

Mankey chuckled, "_Sorry. Trainer's orders._" He jumped up, landed on Muk's back, and held out a glowing hand.

Muk sweat dropped but spread his arms slightly.

Everyone waited in silence for the Poison-types to reemerge.

After a second, Ash and Soot's eyes widened slightly.

Soot looked at the ground in confusion, 'What the-'

Ash's eyes narrowed, "hm." He closed his eyes and listened carefully. He started to hear a kind-of song.

"Diglett, dig, diglett, dig." "Trio, trio, trio." "Diglett, dig, diglett, dig." "Trio, trio, trio." "Diglett, dig, diglett, dig."

"Trio, trio, trio." Jessie and James said out of nowhere. They blinked in surprise, "Huh?"

Everyone flinched when they heard a fight from the hole. After a second, Arbok and Weezing shot out of the hole covered in bruises.

Meowth's eyes widened in shock, "What da?!"

Mankey blinked in surprise, "_Huh?_"

James frowned, "I have a bad feeling about this."

Jessie gulped, "Me too."

A hoard of diglett and dugtrio started popping out of the ground. Everyone's eyes widened in shock when literal tidal wave of earth swept away the Rockets. They screamed like crazy as the wave crashed into the dam and destroyed effortlessly.

"It looks like Team Rocket's busted up again!"

Misty stared in shock, "Wow. So, they were going easy on you up until now."

The man gulped, "I suppose it's a good thing I called of the project when I did."

Ash looked at him, "Although, you were right about one thing. Together they can cause massive destruction."

Soot looked up at the man with a smirk, "One Yvel of a lesson, huh?"

The worker sweat dropped, "That and don't hire people to scout the local area unless they really know what they're doing." His eyes narrowed, "Once word gets out about this, no one will ever hire that careless fool again."

Brock sweat dropped, "No doubt."

The worker yawned, "I think I've had enough excitement for one day." He started walking back towards the construction site and waved without looking back, "Enjoy you're stay at the Resort."

Ash blinked in surprise and looked at the leaving man, "Wait, we can still stay?"

He stopped and looked back at them in confusion, "Of course, you can. Why would you think otherwise?"

Soot raised a brow, "We kind of assumed that since we ended up shutting down the whole project. I thought the owner would be upset about this."

The man rubbed the back of his head, "I admit, I am a little disappointed." He straightened up with a smile, "But I am a man of my word. You all volunteered to try and help, so you're free to stay at my Resort."

Everyone's eyes widened at his words.

"Wait a second!" Brock called as he pointed at the man, "You mean you're Mr. Giva?!"

"Of course, I am." Mr. Giva said with a raised brow, "How else could I have the authority to give all of you trainers a free stay and shut down the project?" He turned and left without another word.

Everyone still present shared a shocked look.

Muk looked up at Mankey, "_Can you get off me now?_"

.

.

**Omega: Wait a second, how is there Talpaedan DNA in the Omnitrix?**

**Seishin: What do you mean?**

**Omega: It's not supposed to have any Andromeda species catalogued. Tennyson didn't get them until he scanned the living specimens.**

**Seishin: But Humungousaur and Rath are in the reboot.**

**Omega: Wha- What does that have to do with any of this?! The Vaxasarian and Appoplexian species may not have shown up until Alien Force, but they are still from the Milky Way!**

**Seishin: Oh. Well, I guess everything adds up then.**

**Omega: NO, IT D-**

***static***


	36. Ch 31: Fuchsia

**Omega: Alright, time for another Gym. *looks at Faux and Gem* So, what crazy or embarrassing thing happened here that Trix will obviously dodge?**

**Faux: *eye twitch* Celadon was the only place, alright?**

**Gem: *blinks in surprise* What? Didn't we get pinned to a wall by shuriken?**

**Faux: GEM!**

**Omega: *snickers* Oh man. I wish I could've seen that.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**The Gym Hidden in Fuchsia**

.

Ash soared high in the air in braviary form and scanned the current mountain range for the Fuchsia Gym. It had been five days since he and his friends took some time off at the Giva Hot Springs Resort and Ash was down to the last mountain.

Needless to say, he was not happy that is took until the last one to find it. He also asked Pidgeotto to come along for a second set of eyes.

The Valiant Pokémon grumbled as he scrutinized the dense forest below, '_Freaking Yvel. It just had to be the smallest mountain, didn't it?_' He shifted to a thoughtful frown, '_Though, in hindsight, it kind of makes sense. Not a lot of people would think to check the least significant mountain so early._'

He glanced back at the other Normal/Flying-type, "_Do you see anything?_"

Pidgeotto jerked and looked at the ground with a heavy blush, "_N-no. Nothing yet._"

Ash frowned and pulled back to soar next to her, "_Hey, is everything alright? You've been blushing ever since we left the Resort._"

The Bird Pokémon flinched slightly but kept her eyes towards the ground, "_I-it's nothing. Really. I'm fine._"

Ash's frown deepened and he flew ahead and in front of Pidgeotto; startling her. Pidgeotto stopped in her tracks- uh, flight path I guess and looked to the side.

Ash looked at her sorrowfully, "_Pidgeotto, what's going on?_"

"_What do you mean?_" Pidgeotto asked; still looking away.

"_Pidgeotto. Please look at me._"

Pidgeotto flinched again and she looked up to face him. Her eyes widened in slight awe upon seeing the larger bird in front of her.

"_What's going on?_" Ash asked; still frowning, "_I'm still your trainer here. It's my job to take care of you and everyone else. So, please, tell me what's wrong._"

"_I- I-_" Pidgeotto gulped and glanced to the side, "_It's girl stuff._"

Ash flinched and looked away with a heavy blush, "_Sorry! Sorry. I-I shouldn't have pried like that._"

Pidgeotto smiled sadly, "_It's okay. You were just worried._"

Ash sighed in relief, "_Thanks for not being mad. Whatever it is, you can talk to Soot and maybe Misty about it later._"

Pidgeotto nodded, "_I'll be sure to._"

Ash smiled, turned around, and took off, "_Come on, we still need to find the Gym._"

Pidgeotto sighed, '_I have got to get this under control._' She flew after him.

.

*Giva Hot Springs Resort

Misty, Vulpix, Zubat, and all of Ash and Misty's Pokémon relaxed happily in and around the Hot Spring. Brock was away at the moment asking nearly every girl in the lobby for their phone number. Every so often, Soot snickered from the sound of a faint slap in the distance.

Pikachu's ear twitched when heard flapping. He looked up and smiled, "_Hey. Ash and Pidgeotto are back._"

The Pokémon all followed his gaze. Misty followed theirs soon after.

True to Pikachu's words, the braviary and pidgeotto could be seen flying down towards them.

Ash dove into the water and a green light flashed from under the water. Pidgeotto landed lightly and settled in a shallow part of the water with a relaxed smile.

Ash reemerged from the water in his swimsuit and leaned against a rock.

Misty smiled, "How'd it go?"

Ash smiled, "We found it. Located just off the base of the smallest mountain."

Soot snickered, "Of course it was the last one you checked."

Ash sighed in annoyance, "Very funny, sweetie."

Soot pouted, "Don't call me sweetie"

Misty snickered before looking at Ash with a sad smile, "I'm guessing you'll want to head their soon?"

Ash shrugged, "Maybe in a few hours." He rubbed his shoulder, "I've been flying for over seventy-eight non-consecutive minutes. I could use some rest."

Misty sweat dropped, "Not a lot of trainers can actually say that, y'know."

Soot snickered. She glanced over at Pidgeotto and frowned upon seeing her expression. She glanced back at the others before swimming over to the Flying-type.

Soot looked at her sorrowfully and whispered, "Is everything okay?"

Pidgeotto sweat dropped, "_More or less. Ash noticed me blushing and tried to make me tell him why._"

Soot blinked in surprise, "Really? What happened?"

Pidgeotto looked down, "_I froze up and went with the 'girl stuff' thing._"

Soot smiled sadly, "Yeah, crushes can be tough." She glanced at the trainer to see him already asleep, "Odds are he'll chalk all of your blushing up to that now."

Pidgeotto grumbled, "_I just can't help it. Every time I see those big, strong wings, his fierce but kind eyes, that big beautiful plume, and that sharp, powerful beak that you just can't help but want to-_"

"Okay! Gonna have to cut you off there, Pidge." Soot blurted in a harsh whisper; blushing, "You are still talking about my father here."

Pidgeotto chuckled nervously, "_Right, sorry. I guess I got caught up in the moment._"

Soot snickered, "It's okay." She shifted to a kind smile, "Look, if you ever feel like it escalates to more than a crush, you can count on me to help however."

Pidgeotto looked at Soot in surprise, "_Wait, really? You'd be okay with that? He's your meema._"

Soot smirked, "Yeah. And, as a result, I know how hopeless he is with this stuff."

Pidgeotto smiled softly, "_Thanks._"

Soot smiled back, "No problem. What are friends for?"

The pair sat back contently in the water.

Pidgeotto looked at Soot with a raised brow, "_Did you call me 'Pidge' a minute ago?_"

Soot snickered, "Can you blame me? Your species name is four syllables long."

.

**Time Skip**

Ash and his friends continued on their journey towards the Fuchsia Gym and Ash's sixth Gym Battle. Ash lead the way through the dense forest.

Misty looked around at the trees curiously, "It's hard to believe the Gym is really out in the middle of nowhere like this."

Soot smirked, "Well, part of the Gym's theme is ninjas. Publicity isn't really their thing."

Clefairy raised a brow, "_Ninja?_"

Ash glanced at her with a smile, "They're skilled fighters who are known for their deception and athleticism. The Gym Leader, Koga, is known to be an incredibly skilled one."

Pikachu blinked in surprise, "_Deception?_" His eyes narrowed, "_Like cheating?_"

Ash chuckled, "Luckily, no." He frowned and looked up thoughtfully, "At least, not once the battle starts." He looked at Pikachu again, "Koga is still a licensed Gym Leader and, as such, has to follow the rules of battle." He smirked, "But that isn't going to stop him from using some considerably underhanded tactics."

Brock sweat dropped, "Sounds kind of unfair."

Soot snickered, "Exactly."

Ash heard leaves rustling and looked towards a tree before smirking, "And it looks like he's already started."

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy jumped and followed his gaze. Soot calmly looked over. The venonat they found flinched and ducked into the tree it was in.

Brock stared in confusion, "Was that a venonat?"

Misty shivered, 'Bug-types.'

Soot smirked, "Venonat are natural born trackers. Literally."

Ash smirked as well, "In a matter in minutes, Koga will know we're on our way to his Gym."

Brock and Misty sweat dropped, 'Yikes.'

The group continued on their way and came up to a ravine with a stream rushing below and nothing but a long wooden plank spanning it. Ash's eye twitched at the sight.

Misty looked over the edge of the ravine and gulped, "Are you positive this is the route to the Gym?"

Ash nodded, "Yeah." He pointed into the distance; still glaring at the plank, "It's right there."

Everyone else looked over to see a massive, old-fashion mansion in the distance.

Brock put a hand over his eyes, "Wait, that's the Gym?"

Misty raised a brow, "I don't see a symbol anywhere."

Soot smirked, "I guess the rumors are true then."

Everyone, except Ash, looked at her in confusion, "W_ha_t r_um_or_s?_"

Ash spoke up, "The rumor that Koga was given permission to repurpose an old, abandoned building into a Gym and was allowed to do so without adding the Gym symbol. It adds to the 'find it' part of the challenge."

Brock looked at Ash with a raised brow, "Then how do you know for sure that this is the Gym?"

"It's the only seemingly abandoned place on any of the mountains in this area." Ash stated matter-of-factly. He glanced at the building, "I should probably mention now that the rumors also say that the Gym is full of booby traps."

Misty's eyes widened and she looked at the plank warily, "Wait, so this thing could be a trap?"

"If it is, we're not gonna find out." Ash responded before removing the Pokémon off his shoulders and putting them on the ground, "Give me a minute." He walked back into the forest before a green flash shone from where Ash went.

Everyone flinched as a stretch of green crystal -twice the length of the plank- shot out from the side of the ravine and lodged itself in the other side. Another green flash shone, and Ash walked back over to them. Pikachu and Clefairy took back their places on his shoulders.

Brock looked at Ash with a raised brow, "Stone Edge?"

Ash nodded, "Yup."

Misty sweat dropped, "Isn't that a little much?"

Ash's eyes narrowed, "I swore off rope bridges a while ago and this was too close for comfort." He started walking across the crystal slab, "Come on."

Misty looked at Soot, "Since when did Ash have a problem with rope bridges?"

Soot raised a brow, "I actually don't know." She ran after Ash, "Come on."

Brock and Misty followed.

.

*Meanwhile, on the other side of the Gym

"You're sure this is the place?"

"Positive. Da twoip and his bird said dis was da Poison-type Gym."

James raised a brow, "Really? It looks like an old restaurant."

Meowth sweat dropped, "I don' get it eitha."

Jessie smirked, "Still, if they're right, that means that theirs are lots of precious poisonous Pokémon to plunder."

Meowth smirked too, "And, even if dey're wrong, we'll be able to set up an ambush for da Phantom."

James smiled proudly, "Look at us. Ready with a regular plan and a backup plan. We must be getting better at this."

**Omega: ****Neither**** of those are actual plans.**

**Faux: *sweat drops* It's Team Rocket. What do you expect?**

Jessie took a step forward, "Let's go." Her teammates followed.

They all stepped onto a back porch simultaneously. The floorboards dropped out from under them.

The tRio's eyes widened, and they looked down in shock.

Meowth gulped, "Crag."

Team Rocket screamed as they plummeted into the Gym's sub-basement. The floorboards moved back into place.

.

*Ash and others

The group walked through the main gate and front entrance.

"Hello?" Brock called out, "Is anyone here?"

"Anyone home?" Misty followed.

Ash smiled, "We're not gonna get an answer. We have to find our way to the battlefield ourselves."

Misty sweat dropped, "Let me guess. More rumors?"

Soot snickered, "Well, they've been right so far."

Brock pointed at the hallway ahead of them, "It looks like our path is pretty clear then."

Soot frowned, "I'm not sure about that. It seems too easy." She started looking around. Upon looking at a nearby wall, she stopped and blinked in surprise, "Huh." He walked over to the wall.

Ash looked over at her, "What is it, Soot?"

Brock and Misty looked over in surprise.

Soot sat down in front of and looked up at the wall, "Take a look at this horizontal beam."

Ash looked closer and his eyes narrowed, "It's cut." He glanced across the beam, "In two places." He moved a hand along the wall, "Symmetrical to the planks."

Ash knocked on the wall.

Misty blinked in surprise, "What the- It sounds hollow."

Ash smirked, "So that's it." He pushed on the wall and it curved forward.

Brock stared in shock, "A secret door."

"_Woah._" Clefairy said in awe.

Pikachu blinked, "_And I thought automatic doors were crazy._"

The group walked into the dark room. It was empty and lead to another hallway around a corner.

Soot sweat dropped, "Gonna be honest, I expected more."

The group heard footsteps and looked over to see the venonat from before coming around the corner.

"_Hi._" Venonat said casually.

Misty grimaced.

Pikachu raised a brow, "_Um, hey._"

Clefairy spoke up, "_Do you think you could help us? We're trying to find-_"

Venonat walked past the group and out of the room.

Clefairy pouted, "_Rude._"

Ash looked out the room at the leaving Insect Pokémon.

Venonat jumped the threshold to the other hallway and turned to face him, "_Come on._"

Ash blinked in surprise and glanced at Soot, "What did they say?"

"She wants us to follow her." Soot responded.

Pikachu frowned, "_I don't know about this. She could be leading us to a trap._"

Ash frowned, "Still, we need to find the battlefield. We'll play along for now." He glanced back at friends, "Keep your eyes peeled and step carefully."

Brock and Misty nodded.

Clefairy stared at Ash in shock, "_Do __what__ with their eyes?!_"

Soot deadpanned, "It's another expression, Clefairy."

Clefairy blinked in surprise, "_Oh._"

Ash chuckled and ran after the Bug/Poison-type. Brock and Misty followed.

They turned the corner. After a second, Ash lit up with a massive surge of electricity; making Brock and Misty flinch.

Ash blinked in surprise and took a step back, "What the?" He looked down and saw a voltorb glaring at him and sparking.

Soot smiled, "Oh. A voltorb. I guess he's one of the traps."

Misty stared at Ash in shock, "Wha- how are y-" Her eyes widened in realization before she deadpanned, "Right. The electric conducting thing."

Brock raised a brow, "Wait. Didn't you say you had to discharge after a second?"

Ash grimaced and started shivering as his body lit up with electric, "Y-yeah." He raised a finger, "Give me a second." He ran back to the entryway to the room they came from and held out two fingers towards the still open door.

Everyone's eyes widened when they saw Ash unleashed a large bolt of lightning from his fingertips and through the doorway.

Ash sighed in relief and walked back over to the others, "Thank Arceus." He looked back at the others and blinked in surprise upon seeing their expressions, "What?"

Misty blinked, "Just, uh- Still getting used to that."

Pikachu gulped, "_Remind me to never electrocute you._"

Voltorb stared at Ash in absolute shock, "_Wha- wha- bu- I- how-_"

Soot snickered and walked past voltorb, "Come on. We still have to catch up to Venonat."

Everyone else followed.

.

*Team Rocket

The tRio came to and found themselves in a dimly lit room with nothing but a staircase opposite to them and the mattress they landed on.

James held his head, "Now I know what they mean by 'pride before the fall'."

Meowth shook his head and looked up, "Da Gym Leada really needs ta get dat porch looked at."

Jessie groaned, "No kidding." She stood back up and started walking towards the staircase, "Come on."

James and Meowth got up and followed. The tRio made their way up the staircase.

James grabbed the handrail and blinked in surprise upon feeling his hand slip, "Hey Jessie, I think there's something slippery on the rail."

"Well then, don't grab it." Jessie responded matter-of-factly.

James shrugged and let go.

Once the Rockets were halfway up, the staircase shifted into a ramp. The trio scrambled as they lost their footing and slid back down the staircase before landing in a heap.

"Y'know," James said in a daze from under Jessie, "I'm starting to think that thing with the porch wasn't an accident."

Jessie glared down at him, "Ya think?"

"GET OFF ME!" Meowth screamed from under his teammates.

Jessie got off the others and glared at the ramp, "I'm not gonna let some little slide make a fool out of me!" She charged the ramp, "I'll just use the handrail!"

James flinched and held out a hand to her, "Wait, Jess! Remember what I-"

Jessie grabbed the railing, immediately lost her grip, "huh?" and faceplanted on the ramp.

James sweat dropped, "It's slippery, remember?"

Jessie groaned.

Meowth glared up at James, "Get. Off. ME!"

.

*Ash, Soot, Brock, Misty, Pikachu, Clefairy

The group made their way up a flight of stairs.

Clefairy looked around, "_Where'd Venonat go?_"

Ash looked down the hall and pointed ahead, "There she is."

Everyone else looked over to see the Insect Pokémon at the end of the hall. Venonat ran off around the corner.

Soot broke into a sprint, "Come on!"

Everyone else chased after the Dark-type.

After a second Ash's eyes widened and he skid to a halt, "Soot, stop!"

Soot's eyes widened and she stopped in her tracks. Brock and Misty flinched and did the same.

Soot looked back at Ash in surprise, "Dad, what is it?"

Ash walked ahead with a frown, "I was something glinting. Right" He stopped and stared at the hallway apprehensively, "here."

Brock frowned with a raised brow, "I don't see anything."

Ash's eyes narrowed, "Hm." He reached out a hand and flicked.

Everyone else flinched when they heard a thump and saw the 'air' shake.

"_What the Yvel?!_" Pikachu cried out.

Clefairy stared in shock.

Brock walked up and put a hand against the apparent wall, "It's a glass wall."

Misty blinked in surprise and put a hand against it as well, "Woah. You're right."

Soot walked up and ran a claw across the glass, "And it's high quality. Scratches barely show up on it." She looked around the wall, "Or smudges for that matter."

Brock frowned, "We should try going back the way we came."

Misty nodded, "Yeah."

Ash, Soot, and Pikachu eyes widened when they heard something sliding behind them.

Misty turned around and started walking.

"Wait." Ash said as he grabbed her shoulder; stopping her.

Misty looked back at him in confusion, "What is it?" Brock stopped and looked at them in confusion.

Soot frowned and walked ahead of them, "Look." She moved a paw forward and everyone heard her claw 'tink' against the new wall.

Misty's eyes widened before she put her hands against the wall, "What?! Where did this come from?!"

Ash's eyes narrowed, "It only just slid into place. Around the time we decided to head back."

Brock looked around the area, "Maybe we hit pressure plate?"

Soot shook her head, "We didn't. Dad or I would've heard it."

Ash clenched a fist, "In other words, someone had to activate the wall manually." He looked around apprehensively, "We're being watched."

Brock and Misty flinched and started looking around warily.

Clefairy frowned and grabbed Ash's head, "_Creepy._"

Pikachu gulped.

.

*Rockets

The tRio were still trapped in the room. Meowth was pacing back and forth with a paw under his chin. James was looking back up the way they came in with a frown. Jessie was sitting down in front of the staircase/ramp; glaring at it.

She had already tried using the newel posts as an awkward ladder. Turns out they were designed to break off.

James sighed, "It's just too dark. I can't see any kind of foothold." He looked back, "Find anything, Jessie?"

Jessie continued glaring at the ramp. She gasped; catching James and Meowth's attention. She slumped forward, "I got nothin'."

James and Meowth crashed on the ground.

Meowth sat back up with a frown, "Great." He stood up and started walking towards a wall, "If we're stuck in here, we'll never get da twoip." He leaned up against the wall, "Dere's gotta be somethin' we- WAH!"

Jessie and James jerked and looked over to see nothing but the wall.

"Meowth!" James cried out before he and Jessie ran over to the wall.

They looked around frantically.

"Where is he?!" Jessie cried out.

"Meowth!" James shouted, "Where are you?!"

"In here!" Came a muffled shout from the wall.

Jessie and James looked at the wall in shock.

Jessie crouched down, "Meowth, how did you get in there!"

James crouched down too, "Can you get-" He was cut off by the wall swinging forward and hitting him the face. He fell back and put a hand over his face in pain, "ow."

Meowth chuckled nervously, "Sorry James." He perked up and pointed behind him, "But look!"

James and Jessie looked over to see a corner leading to another hallway.

Jessie's eyes lit up and she smiled brightly, "It's a way out!"

James pumped a fist, "Alright! Dumb luck for the win!"

Meowth smirked and ran towards the corner, "Come on!"

The humans ran after the Scratch Cat.

.

*Gang

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy sat and watched in a mixture of confusion and interest as Ash sat in the middle of room; cross-legged and eyes closed. Soot watched intently; sitting next to them.

Misty looked at Soot and whispered, "So, what's Ash doing?"

Soot looked back with a smile, "You don't need to whisper. All of dad's senses are out of commission right now." She looked back at Ash with a soft smile, "He's meditating. By doing this, dad can gain a sort of sixth sense with accuracy so sharp that he can pinpoint a joltik a mile away in a field of drying grass." She shifted to an annoyed frown, "The problems are that it takes forever to finish, he has to do this until it's ready, and -worst of all- it only lasts for a minute. In other words, it has almost no practical use in the real world. As for how he can do this, we're still not sure. None of his …" She glanced around warily, "'unique aspects' point towards anything like this."

"_Cool._" Clefairy said.

Brock put a hand to his chin, "That's definitely useful in a situation like this." He looked at the canine, "How long does it normally take?"

Soot sweat dropped, "Three hours."

"WH_AT_?!" Everyone else blurted out.

Soot snickered, "Calm down. That's only for the full mile." She looked back at Ash, "We figured out a system pretty earlier. It takes ten minutes to kickstart and every five minutes after adds one-hundred and fifty-five point two-nine-four-one-one-seven-six-four-seven-zero-five-eight-eight-two-three-five repeated feet."

"Hu_h?_"

Soot sweat dropped, "One thirty-fourth of a mile."

"O_h._"

Soot sighed, "Anyway, the minimum he has the reach is fifteen minutes. If he stops even a second early, and he gets nothing." She looked back at Ash, "Right now, he's aiming for thirty minutes. Just in case we have to go through a whole maze."

Misty grumbled, "Great."

.

*Meanwhile; in the ceiling

'Thirty minutes?! Seriously?!' A figure thought as their eye twitched.

They put a hand to their chin, 'They already know they're being watched.' They gritted their teeth, 'It must be a bluff to test my patience.' They shifted to a sly smirk, 'But I have to admit, they acted it out very well.'

They chuckled quietly, 'Fine.' They looked over to the Bug/Poison-type across from them and nodded.

Venonat nodded back and jumped down through an opening in the ceiling.

.

*Gang

Misty looked at Soot in surprise, "You're kidding."

Soot smiled, "Nope. Completely by accident. Oak suggested meditating after dad's 'mind' got a little too cluttered. Or, y'know, not 'calm'." She said gesturing towards Ash, "And he just … stumbled upon this."

Pikachu blinked, "_Huh._"

Everyone -except Ash- heard something creaking and looked over to see Venonat standing in front of the now opened wall.

Pikachu blinked in surprise, "_Venonat?_"

Venonat waved for them to come, "_Come on. The battlefield is this way._"

Clefairy jumped to her feet and smiled brightly, "_Really?!_"

Soot's eyes narrowed, "Wait. Why are you just letting us in?"

"_Trainer's orders._" Venonat responded before jumping into the room.

Soot frowned, "Hmm."

Brock looked at her, "What's going on?"

Soot glared at the entryway, "Venonat's leading us to the battlefield. She says it's right through there."

Brock and Misty looked at her in surprise before looking at the opening warily.

Soot stood up, "I'll wake up dad."

Misty blinked in surprise, "Wait, what? But what if it's another trap?"

Soot glanced back at her, "Venonat said it was her trainer's orders to let us into that room. Whether it's a trap or not, we still need to find the battlefield before getting out of here. And, if it is a trap, we'll need dad's help. It's already been sixteen minutes, so he at least as the minimum."

Brock nodded, "Alright." He raised a brow, "So, how do we wake him up?"

Soot smirked wickedly, "Not 'we.'" Her eyes shifted to their inherent state, "Me."

Soot pounced towards Ash and went straight through him before landing on the other side.

Ash's eyes shot open and he gasped in shock. He started breathing heavily.

Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and Clefairy flinched, stood up, and ran over to him.

Misty crouched down, "Are you alright, Ash?"

"Y-yeah. I'm okay." Ash held his head, "Waking up from that isn't pleasant."

Soot snickered and shifted her eyes back to normal, "Yeah, but there's no other way."

Ash chuckled softly, "Yeah yeah." He blinked in surprise before glancing around, 'What the Yvel?' He looked back at Soot with a raised brow, "How long have I been out?"

Soot frowned, "Sixteen minutes." She glanced at the door warily, "Venonat's inviting us to the battlefield." She looked back at Ash, "Is she telling the truth?"

Ash glanced at the door and whispered, "Yeah. But, she's not alone. There's a woman in the rafters; looking ready to pounce. A man, likely Koga, is down a nearby hallway." His eyes narrowed, "He's waiting."

Soot looked down thoughtfully, "So one last trap and maybe a battle until the leader."

Ash nodded, "Seems like it."

Brock and Misty stared at Ash in shock. Pikachu and Clefairy looked up at their trainer in awe.

"I- Wow." Misty stuttered.

"So" Brock said in a daze, "You just- know all that now."

Ash chuckled, "For the next minute, at least." He stood back up, "Come on." He started walking towards the opening. Everyone else followed.

Ash pushed at the trick wall. Immediately after he did, his eyes widened in shock. He brought out the claws on his hands, cut off one of the planks from the wall, and spun it.

Everyone else flinched from the sound of something hitting the wood. Technically, eleven somethings.

Brock ran over, "Ash, what was- WOAH!" He flinched upon seeing all the shuriken planted in the wood.

Misty ran over and flinched too.

Pikachu and Clefairy stared in shock.

"Very impressive."

Everyone looked over right as a green-haired woman wearing a pink ninja kimono dropped down from the ceiling and landed in a crouch.

**Mizuro: Wait, those things are actually called 'ninja kimonos'?**

**Ohirume: As far as may research says.**

**Seishin: In other words, that's what a two-minute Google search says. .˽.**

**Ohirume: *groans***

She stood back up with a sly smile, "I am Aya, ninja warrior."

Soot's eyes narrowed, "So you were the one watching us."

Aya smirked, "Correct." Venonat poked out from behind her. Aya moved to pet her, "I must admit, when Venonat came to me about some approaching trainers, I expected you all to be novices who would fall for every trap." She set her sights on Ash, "But you're far beyond what I expected."

Misty sweat dropped. Brock just stared at her with a dumb smile and blush.

Ash smirked, "Thanks." He threw the shuriken littered plank to the side, "Let me guess, I have to defeat you to face Koga."

"Correct again." Aya replied; still smirking.

Ash grinned, "Well the, let's get started." He reached behind and pulled out a pokéball, "What's the match-up?"

"One Pokémon each." Aya responded, "Choose yours now."

Ash nodded, reeled back, and threw the ball, "Bulbasaur, take the field!"

Bulbasaur emerged in a flash.

Aya performed a ram hand sign (or would it be skiddo in this case?), "I select Venonat!"

Venonat jumped into the battlefield.

Ash blinked in surprise and glanced to the side. He looked back at Aya with a raised brow, "No referee?"

Aya shook her head, "I'm afraid not. Having a full-time ref know about the gym's location heightens the chance of it becoming public." She sweat dropped, "They can be bribed for information like that."

Ash snickered, "Fair enough." His eyes narrowed and he held out a hand, "Bulbasaur, Sleep Powder!"

Aya held out a hand as well, "Venonat, use Supersonic!"

Bulbasaur's eyes narrowed before he shot a large puff of the blue powder towards Venonat. The Bug-type retaliated with a clamor of powerful sound waves. Supersonic tore through the somniferous powder and shot towards the Seed Pokémon.

**Omega: Where the **** did you hear the word "somniferous?"**

**Ohirume: What do you mean?! I just know about this kind of-**

**Seishin: Rob. -_-**

**Ohirume: *sigh* I looked it up.**

Ash grimaced, "Bulbasaur! Jump with Vine Whip!"

Bulbasaur's vines appeared and he pushed off the ground and to the side. The Supersonic shot past him harmlessly.

Aya didn't let up, "Now Psybeam!"

Ash and Bulbasaur's eyes widened, 'S_e_r_i_o_u_s_l_y_?_!'

The trainer held out a hand, "Counter with Hidden Power!"

Bulbasaur nodded, formed a trio of the blue spheres on his head, and immediately shot them. The first intercepted the opposing beam in the middle of the field and they canceled each other out in an explosion. The other two continued moving towards Venonat.

Aya smirked, "Venonat, mat block!"

Ash's eyes widened in shock, "What?!"

Venonat stomped on the ground and a floorboard popped up and blocked the attacks.

Brock glared, "Hold on a second! That wasn't a Mat Block! Venonat can't even learn that!"

Misty glared and clenched a fist, "They just used a rigged floorboard! That can't be allowed!"

"_Cheater!_" Pikachu shouted.

"_Fight fair!_" Clefairy followed.

Soot smirked, "Actually, this is completely allowed." The two humans and Pokémon looked at her in shock. Soot continued, "This is what dad meant earlier. Koga and his trainers know the exact threshold between fighting fair and fighting dirty and abuse the Yvel out of it. What we just saw can be chalked up to using the terrain to their advantage. Like hiding behind a tree. And her calling out 'Mat Block' can be argued as a keyword to a special technique; as opposed to the actual move." Soot smirked wickedly, "Our arguments are invalid."

Misty gulped and looked back at the field, "Wow."

Brock crossed his arms with a frown, "Ash really has his work cut out for him on this one."

Aya stared at Soot in surprise, "Huh." She looked back at Ash, "That's one Yvel of a mightyena you a have."

Ash smiled happily, "Thanks." He looked at Soot with a kind smile, "She's my pride and joy."

Soot deadpanned, "Dad, stop."

Aya couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

Ash smirked wickedly, 'Gotcha.' "Bulbasaur! Hidden Powder!"

Aya flinched, 'Wait, what?! Did I mishear that?!' "Mat block!"

Bulbasaur smirked, aimed the point of his bulb at Venonat, and fired another Hidden Power from the bulb. Venonat stomped the ground again and a board shot up again; blocking the attack. This time, however, the sphere exploded and a large mist of blue dust shrouded Venonat.

Aya's eyes widened in shock, "What the Yvel?!"

"_Woah!_" Pikachu and Clefairy shouted.

Misty stared in shock, "What just happened?!"

Ash smirked and raised a finger, "That was a combined attack. Bulbasaur charged Sleep Powder in his bulb and formed a Hidden Power around it. Which is why he fired it from his bulb this time."

Brock smiled and clenched a fist, "Ash that's brilliant!"

Ash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Well, I really can't take the credit. Bulbasaur's the one who came up with it."

Soot spoke up, "I can vouch for that."

Everyone, except Ash, Soot, and Venonat, looked at Bulbasaur in shock.

Bulbasaur looked around and shrugged, "_What? It just made sense._"

The dust cleared to reveal Venonat on the ground; fast asleep.

Ash capitalized immediately, "Hidden Power! One more time!"

Bulbasaur complied and fired a small barrage of the Psychic-ish attack at the half-Poison-type. They nailed the Insect Pokémon head on and threw her back. She crashed onto the ground; eyes in swirls.

Aya sighed before smiling softly and holding out a pokéball, "Well done, Venonat. Return."

Venonat disappeared in the red beam.

Bulbasaur walked back over to Ash, "_So, how'd I do?_"

Ash smiled and crouched down to pet him, "You were great. Nice work out there."

A voltorb rolled into the room; catching everyone's attention.

Misty grimaced, "It's that voltorb again!"

Ash's eyes narrowed when voltorb sparked. He quickly returned Bulbasaur, jumped back, and grabbed Brock and Misty's arms. Pikachu and Clefairy jumped back onto Ash's shoulders and Soot ran over and nudged up against Ash.

Aya looked over at them in confusion before voltorb exploded; kicking up a large cloud of smoke.

Ash's eyes widened and looked around in confusion, 'What the- The field wasn't this'

Soot looked around too, 'dirty. What kind of explosion attack causes this?'

A male voice came from the smoke, "You fought well, Aya. But it seems you still have some learning to do."

Aya turned around to see a man with greying teal hair and black eyes. He was wearing a blue ninja kimono with a red scarf around his neck.

Ash smirked, "Koga."

Aya took a knee in front of the man, "Honored brother, I have failed."

Soot blinked in surprise, "Koga has a sister?"

Misty looked at Soot in surprise, "There wasn't a rumor about that?"

Soot sweat dropped, "Apparently not."

Brock ran over with a smile, "You're Aya's older brother?" He gestured to himself, "My name's Brock. You sure have a very nice sister. It's a pleasure to meet- AH!"

He was cut off by Misty hitting him over the head with stumped end Soot's detached leg, "This is no time to kiss up, Brock!" She grabbed him by the ear and dragged him to the side, "Come on."

Brock groaned.

As she passed Soot, Misty lobbed the canine's leg above her, "Thanks Soot."

Soot caught the leg in her mouth and reattached it. She smiled, "Anytime."

Koga stared at the group in shock. He looked at Ash, "Do things like that happen often?"

Ash sweat dropped, "Often enough that it's not surprising anymore." He perked up, "I'm gonna guess that you already know why I'm here."

Koga smirked, "Aren't you the wise one. How many badges do you have?"

Ash pulled open his jacket, "Right now, five."

Koga looked at the badges closely and before his eyes widened slightly, 'Wait a second!' He composed himself, "Those are all main eight Badges, aren't they?"

Ash nodded, "That's my goal for the league. I don't plan on anything less."

Koga smirked, "Very well." He pulled out a scroll and opened it the reveal a pink, heart-shaped badge, "Our battle will be a four-on-four with this Soul Badge on the line."

Ash nodded, "Fine by me."

Aya walked over to the side of the field, "I will act as referee." She cleared her throat before starting, "This Gym Battle will be between the Fuschia Gym Leader, Koga, and the challenger, Ash. Both sides may use up to four Pokémon, but only the challenger may substitute. The battle will be decided when one sides Pokémon are unable to continue. Should the challenger be victorious, they shall be awarded the Soul Badge. Are the rules clear?"

Both sides nodded.

Aya raised an arm, "Then" she brought it down forcefully, "BEGIN!"

Ash brought out a threw a pokéball, "Pidgeotto, take the field!"

Koga followed suit, "I shall lead with Venomoth."

The combatants appeared on the field and hovered above the boards.

"Venomoth, Stun Spore." Koga declared.

Ash's eyes narrowed, "Pidgeotto, Gust!"

Venomoth flapped and unleashed a cloud of yellow spores. Pidgeotto retaliated with a large Gust of wind. Gust overpowered the Stun Spore dispersed it harmlessly.

Ash held out a hand, "Close in with Quick Attack!"

Pidgeotto lit up and shot towards Venomoth at an alarming rate.

Koga frowned, "Venomoth, stop them with Venoshock!"

Venomoth fired a large glob of purple liquid from between their mandibles; towards the bird.

Pidgeotto's eyes narrowed, '_I can do this!_'

"Pidgeotto dod-" Ash shouted before he was cut off and his eyes widened at Pidgeotto's next action.

The Flying/Normal-type cut off her Quick Attack and lit her wings up with Steel Wing. She held them out to her side, straightened up, and started to rotate.

Ash grimaced upon realizing what she was doing, "Pidgeotto! Wait!"

Pidgeotto tried to spin like a top but lost her momentum and fumbled in the air, '_WHAT?!_' She turned and stared in shock as the Venoshock hit her dead on. She fell back towards her trainer.

"Pidgeotto!" Ash shouted and he ran forward and caught her. He propped her up, "Hey, are you alright?!"

Pidgeotto stared off into space in shock, "_Wha-what happened? Why didn't it work?_"

Pikachu bound over, jumped onto Ash's shoulder, and whispered the message.

Ash frowned, "It's because of the momentum. The only reason I could use is was because of that modified Tailwind. It would take an Extreme Speed to perform otherwise."

Pidgeotto stared at him in shock before looking down sorrowfully, "_I'm sorry. I just really wanted to surprise you with that._" She frowned, "_But I shouldn't have waited until the Gym Battle._"

Pikachu relayed the message again.

Ash smiled sadly and hugged her, "It's okay. We can still win this." He pulled her back and smiled, "But, next time, make sure to tell me when you want to practice something like this, before a scheduled battle."

Pidgeotto chuckled, "_Can do._"

Ash pulled put a pokéball and returned her, "Get some rest." He stood back up, put away Pidgeotto's pokéball and pulled out another. Pikachu took this has his cue to go back over to the others.

Aya sweat dropped, "Oookay?" She shook it off and held out a hand towards Ash, "Challenger, please release your next Pokémon."

Ash nodded and threw the ball, "Charmander, it's your move!"

The Fire-type emerged on the field and stared down the Poison-type.

"Venomoth, Stun Spore!" Koga called out.

Ash smirked, "Flamethrower!"

Venomoth unleashed the cloud of yellow spores again. Charmander shot Flamethrower directly through the cloud and hit Venomoth square in the chest.

"_AHH!_" The Bug-type cried out as they fell back.

Koga's eyes widened, "Venomoth!"

Ash held out a hand, "Now Skull Bash!"

Charmander broke into a sprint and nailed the Poison Moth Pokémon. They flew back and tumbled along the ground; eyes in swirls.

Aya sighed and held up a hand, "Venomoth is unable to continue." She gestured towards Ash, "Charmander wins the round."

"_Yes!_" Charmander called out in triumph.

Ash smiled, "Nice work Charmander." His eyes narrowed; smiling determinedly, "But, don't let your guard down. The next round's about to start."

Charmander looked back with a determinedly smile and nodded, "_Got it!_" He looked back at the field and took up a fighting stance.

Ash couldn't help but smile proudly.

Koga held out a pokéball, "Venomoth, return." He put it away before he pulled out and threw another pokéball, "Now come, Weezing!"

The Poison Gas Pokémon appeared on the field across from Charmander. Expression no different than the normal.

Charmander smirked, '_Easy. We've taken down this kind of Pokémon tons of times._'

Ash's eyes narrowed.

"Begin!" Aya shouted.

Ash held out a hand, "Charmander, Flamethrower!"

Koga's eyes narrowed, "Weezing dodge!"

Charmander spat the stream of flames at the gas ball, only for said Poison-type to levitate higher. The flames passed harmlessly underneath them.

"Now Toxic!" Koga called out.

Weezing's heads each shot a glob of purple liquid at Charmander and hit him dead on.

"_AH!_" Charmander cried out as he fell back. He slowly got back; trembling with a purple tint on his face. He flinched and fell to his knee.

Ash grimaced, "Crag!"

Koga smirked, "Now, Tackle!"

Weezing shot towards Charmander.

Ash's eyes narrowed, "Dragon Rage!"

Charmander's tail flame grew in size before he fired the orange 'fire' ball at the oncoming Poison-type. Weezing's eyes widened in shock as the projectile struck him.

Koga frowned, 'Fine then.' "Explosion!"

Everyone, except Aya's, eyes widened in shock. Before Ash could respond, Weezing lit up white and exploded violently. He large cloud of dust covered the field.

"Charmander!" Ash shouted in alarm.

The dust settled to reveal both Pokémon out like a light … Oh! Figuratively of course! Charmander's flame was still well lit!

Aya gave a small smirk and held up both her arms, "This battle is a draw."

Koga held out a pokéball, "Well fought, Weezing." The Poison-type disappeared in the red laser.

"Charmander!" Ash shouted.

Koga looked over in surprise to see the boy run over the Fire-type and pick him up. This time, the clefairy ran over and jumped onto his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Ash asked worriedly.

Charmander frowned, "_I'm sorry Ash._"

Clefairy frowned and relayed the message.

Ash smiled softly and pet him, "Hey. No one can blame you for losing to an Explosion. You were great out there."

Charmander smiled sadly, "_Thanks. Can I go back in the ball now? Everything is aching._"

Clefairy translated again.

Ash chuckled softly and pulled out the ball, "Of course. Get some rest. You've earned it."

Charmander smiled softly as he disappeared in the beam. Clefairy jumped off Ash's shoulder.

Koga watched in interest as the boy walked back over to his trainer area, 'What a strange boy.'

Ash pulled out a pokéball and held it out, "Ready for the next round, Koga?"

Koga's eyes narrowed, 'The bulbasaur.' He pulled out a ball as well, "I am."

"GO!" The trainer said as they threw their pokéballs.

Krabby and Crobat appeared on the field.

Koga blinked in surprise and looked at Pikachu, Clefairy, and Soot in surprise. He looked back at Ash, "Wait a second. How many Pokémon do you have on hand?"

Ash rubbed the back on his head sheepishly, "Uh, ten. The professor that sponsors me increased my limit." He sweat dropped, "Without telling me beforehand."

Koga blinked in surprise again, "Huh." He shrugged it off and looked at Aya, "Go ahead."

Aya nodded, "Right." She raised a hand, "Next round." She brought her hand down forcefully, "BEG-"

An explosion shook the area, and everyone fumbled.

"What was that?!" Brock cried out in alarm.

Aya grimaced, "Something must have provoked the voltorb. I'll check it-"

She was cut off by a Kunai planting itself into the ground; right at Koga's feet. Everyone, except Aya, stared in surprise.

Koga crouched down, pulled out the knife, and pulled out a piece of paper from it like a scroll.

He smiled softly, "That will not be necessary, Aya. It has already been taken care of."

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy looked down at Soot in confusion. She shrugged.

.

*Team Rocket; a few minutes earlier

A hidden door in the floor opened and the tRio popped out of it and looked around warily.

"It looks like-" James started.

"the coast is clear." Jessie followed.

"Let's go." Meowth said.

The three of them jumped out of the hatch and landed in the room. They immediately fumbled.

"What's going on!" Jessie cried out.

"Dey built dis place like a fun house." Meowth said, "The floor's slanted."

James scrambled to keep his footing "Help! I'm losing my liqui-ebrium!"

Jessie and Meowth stopped and looked at their teammate in confusion.

**Omega: …**

**Seishin: o_o**

**Nuevo: Uhhh.**

**Illavera: Wha-**

**Mizuro: How old is he again?**

**Ohirume: Age isn't the issue here and neither is his education … I think. I honestly have no idea why he said that in the anime.**

**Seishin: My money's on the dubbers trying to be funny. In my opinion, it worked perfectly. :D**

**Omega: Yeah. I guess, I've heard worse.**

James looked back at them in confusion, "What?"

"_Hello there!_"

The Team looked over to see a spinarak on a nearby wall; head pointed towards the ground et still looking at them.

"_Nice to meet you!_" Spinarak cried out happily.

"Finally!" James cried out in triumph, "We finally found a Poison-type!"

Jessie smirked wickedly and pulled a bug net out of nowhere, "Let's swipe it."

Spinarak blinked in surprise, "_Wait what?_"

**Omega: Spider's don't blink.**

**Ohirume: Tell that to Pokémon Refresh.**

Meowth smirked, "Your commin' with us Bug."

The tRio ran straight at them.

Spinarak's eyes widened in shock. They turned around and scurried up the wall, "_Sensei!_"

The crash into the wall and tore through it. Literally 'tore.' It was paper.

The trio laid in a heap on the ground and groaned.

Jessie clenched a fist, "This place-" She raised a fist and slammed it into the ground, "I can't take it any-"

"VOL!" Something staticky cried out in pain.

Jessie, James, and Meowth's eyes widened in shock. They looked over to Jessie's fist and found it on top of a voltorb. It glared at them furiously with its eye twitched frantically.

James gulped, "Crag."

Meowth looked around in wide eyed shock, "Uh, guys?"

James and Jessie looked around too and stared in shock upon finding themselves surrounded by voltorb; all glaring murderously.

Jessie grimaced, "Double Crag."

The voltorb all started lighting up.

Meowth sighed and shrugged, "I do even need ta say it?"

Voltorb used Self-Destruct. All twenty of them.

.

*Blast off scene

James flew through the air in a fetal position, "I can't believe it. We didn't even see the Phantom."

Jessie crossed her arms and pouted, "We would've if it weren't for that stupid Gym."

Meowth leaned to the side with his arm propping up his head, "I'm more upset dat's he's finally getting' a normal Gym Battle."

James blinked in surprise and looked at the cat, "Wait, but we didn't do anything at Pewter, Vermillion, or Saffron."

Meowth glared back, "Doesn't change da fact dat we interrupted this battle in the original series."

Jessie glared at them both and shouted, "What did I say about fourth wall stuff?!"

Meowth and James slumped, "Sorry."

"Looks like we're basting off again!"

.

*Ding

The voltorb that were still conscious all glared around the room frantically. Surprisingly, the room was relatively undamaged. Although the explosion annihilated the roof and reduced all of the wood from the walls and floor to splinters; revealing metal barricade walls covered in scorch marks. One of the voltorb flinched and started lighting up.

A figure ran into the room and held their hands out as they spoke forcefully, "Voltorb! Please remain calm! The intruders are gone! Please go back to sleep! Your work is done for the day!"

Gradually, the voltorb calmed down and went back to sleep.

The figure sighed in relief, "Thank Arceus."

They looked at the used-to-be roof and glared harshly, "Good riddance. That's what you get you for trying to take my partner."

"Spinarak!"

The figure looked over to see the Pokémon in question scurry over frantically. They jumped into their arms and trembled.

They smiled softly as they pet the String Spit Pokémon, "It's okay, little one. The bad people are gone now."

They moved the Bug-type to her shoulder, pulled out a kunai, unrolled a scroll section from it, and wrote something down.

They retracted the section and held up the knife, "Spinarak, mind opening the door to the field?"

Spinarak cried out happily and shot a String Shot at the door before pulling it open.

The figure smiled and pet the spider, "Well done."

They threw the kunai at a weapon mounted on the other side of the room. It ricocheted of the weapon, shot up to the ceiling, bounced off with a metal clang, and went through the trapdoor.

The figure stared at the hatch intently and solemnly.

That completely broke when smiled brightly and pumped a fist in triumph, "YES!"

.

*Back to the battle

"BEGIN!"

"Krabby, Bubble Beam!"

"Crobat, Wing Attack!"

Krabby held out his claws and fired a large swarm of blue bubbles at the Bat Pokémon. Crobat responded by lighting up their wings white and charging the River Crab Pokémon. Crobat sliced through the bubbles, destroying them in the process, and shot towards Krabby.

Ash's eyes narrowed, "Quick, Harden!"

Krabby's eyes narrowed, he put his claws up in front of his face, and a sheen traveled across his body. Crobat swooped in and struck but Krabby remain steadfast.

Koga frowned, "Cross Poison!"

Ash smirked, "Metal Claw!"

Crobat flapped his forewings forcefully and a purple, energy 'X' appeared and moved towards Krabby. Krabby parried the attack with his now glowing claws.

Ash smirked and clenched a fist, "Now, Hidden Power!"

Krabby's eyes narrowed further, "_Heh._" A ball of white energy formed in front of his mouth.

Koga's eyes narrowed, "Crobat, prepare another Wing Attack."

Crobat complied and lit up his wings.

Ash smirked, 'Nice try.'

Krabby's energy ball broke and a white beam of energy fired towards Crobat.

Koga grimaced, 'Beam style?!' "Crobat get out of there!"

Koga's command came too late as Crobat was struck. The move exploded violently and Crobat plummeted to the ground. The Poison/Flying-type struggled to get back up.

Ash didn't let up, "Finish it with Metal Claw!"

Krabby lit up his claws and charged Crobat. Crobat cried out in pain as the Steel-type move slashed them. Crobat laid on the ground; unconscious.

Aya sighed and held up a hand, "Crobat is unable to continue." She gestured towards Ash, "Krabby wins."

Krabby laid on the ground on relief, "_Phew._"

Ash sighed in relief, 'One to go.'

Misty smiled brightly, "Alright!"

Brock smiled and crossed his arms, "Looks like Krabby finally perfected Hidden Power." He looked down at Soot, "What type is it anyway?"

Soot was about to respond before Clefairy jumped in with a cheer, "_Dragon-type! I helped out a lot with target practice!_" She giggled, "_It was fun._"

Soot snickered, "Dragon-type. And as you can see, Clefairy really enjoyed helping."

Ash smiled and held out a pokéball, "Nice work, Krabby. Return."

Krabby disappeared in the red beam.

Ash and Koga each brought out a pokéball. Ash blinked in surprise upon realizing something.

The trainer looked back at his friends, "Guys, be ready just in case! We don't want a repeat of Celadon!"

They all caught on and nodded determinedly. Brock and Misty each brought out a pokéball and looked around warily. Pikachu, Clefairy, and Soot got into a fighting stance.

Koga stared in shock, "What's going on?"

Ash sighed, "A trio of criminals keep messing with Gym battles and usually wait until the final round. Last time, they burned down the Celadon Gym."

"Yeah." Misty called out angrily, "And before that, they drove a giant vacuum through my family's Gym. Misty Waterflower by the way."

Aya's eyes widened in shock and she looked around warily.

Koga blinked in surprise, "Fair enough." He shook it off and held up a pokéball, "Well then, let's get started before they get a chance to appear."

Ash smirked and held up his ball, "Sounds good." He threw the pokéball, "Muk, it's your move!"

Koga followed suit, "Go Ariados!"

The Sludge Pokémon and Long Leg Pokémon appeared on either side of the field.

Koga smirked, 'Hah. A Poison-type! This battle is mine.'

Ash and Koga stared at the field intently. After a second, they blinked in surprise and looked over to Aya. She was still looking around warily.

Koga sweat dropped, "Uh, Aya?"

Aya snapped out of it and looked back at the field, "Oh right." She quickly brought her hand up and then down, "START!"

Koga smirked, "This battle is already over! Ariados, Smart Strike!"

Ariados's horn took on a metal sheen and charged Muk. Ash smirked.

Ariados struck Muk in the gut. Koga's eyes widened in shock when Ariados bounced off Muk and flew back. Muk's body jiggled before settling.

Muk chuckled, "_Huh. Tickled._"

"What the Yvel?!" Koga cried out in shock. He looked at Ash; wide eyed, "How on earth did you get a muk with Impact Repulsion?!"

Ash shrugged with a smile, "Random chance. Met him in Gringey City." He raised a finger, "By the way," He pointed ahead with a smirk, "Thunderbolt."

Muk smirked wickedly as he lit up with electricity and unleashed the large bolt on Ariados. The Poison/Bug cried out as the electricity swept over them. After a few seconds, Muk cut off the attack and Ariados laid on the ground; eyes swirled.

Koga stared in shock before sighing, "Crag."

Aya looked at her brother with a sly smirk, "I told you to spring for a Psychic-type attack."

Koga grumbled and crossed his arms, "Yeah yeah."

Misty blinked in surprise, "Since when did Muk know Thunderbolt?"

Soot smirked, "Dad taught him. After Pikachu taught dad."

Pikachu grinned.

.

*Outside Gym

Everyone stood around the Gym's entrance. Pikachu and Clefairy took back their places on Ash's shoulders and Soot stood next to him.

Koga brought out the scroll from before and opened it; revealing the pink badge again, "Congratulations, Ash. You have won the Soul Badge."

Ash smiled and accepted it, "Thank you Koga." He opened his jacket again and placed the badge among the others.

Aya raised a brow, "You are aware they have Badge cases, right?"

Ash shrugged, "Yeah, but I kind of prefer this. Less chance of losing them all at once."

Misty walked over and put an arm across Ash's back and smiled sly, "Alright, Ash. You finally got another badge legitimately."

Ash deadpanned, "Again with this?"

Koga raised a brow, "What do you mean?"

Brock smiled, "It's because-"

"Nothing." Ash cut in. He glared around at everyone, "It's. Nothing."

Misty snickered and patted his back, "Alright alright."

Soot smirked, "Just know that they were still given to him at the consent of the Gym Leader."

Koga and Aya sweat dropped.

Ash and the other turned and walked back into the forest while waving goodbye to the brother and sister. They waved back. The group shortly disappeared into the tree line.

"Father. Aunt Aya."

Koga and Aya turned around to see a girl with purple hair, black eyes, and a darker version of his outfit with pink highlights. She also had a massive pink scarf around her neck. Spinarak stood on her shoulder.

He smiled, "Ah, Janine. Well done earlier. What exactly happened anyway?" He pulled out the kunai from before and opened it. It read 'We're good.' "Your message was a little vague."

Janine sweat dropped, "I was taking care of some … interesting characters."

Koga raised a brow, "More challengers?"

Janine crossed her arms, "That's what I thought at first. They came in from the back and I gave them the usual treatment with a little help from Spinarak." She sweat dropped, "And then they tried to kidnap her."

Spinarak took on a worried expression and nudged up against Janine. The girl smiled softly and pet the Bug-type.

Aya blinked in surprise, "You mean, catch her. Right? They might not have known where they were."

Janine shook her head, "No, I mean kidnap. They knew they were in the gym and tried to use a net instead of a pokéball."

Koga frowned, "So thieves, then. I trust you took care of them?"

Janine nodded, "Yes. They made the voltorb mad and ended up shooting off into the distance." She sweat dropped again, "On a side note, the voltorb's room needs a new roof and wood paneling."

Aya groaned, "Again?" She sighed and started walking back towards the Gym, "I'll make the damage report and phone the League."

Koga snickered before he blinked in surprise and looked back at Janine, "Wait, they were launched into the distance?"

Janine nodded.

Koga put a hand to his chin with a worried frown, "Hm. This could be a problem."

Janine raised a brow, "Actually, I'm not sure about that. They seemed to have seen it coming. Right down to screaming 'again' as they disappeared."

Koga blinked in surprise, "Huh." He looked into the direction that Ash and the others went, "It seems we both had some interesting guests today."

Janine blinked in surprise and followed his gaze, "Interesting how?"

Koga frowned, "The boy that challenged me. His perception and reflexes were far above the human level. He saw through every trap he came across and even protected his group from them." His eyes narrowed, "Some traps he noticed before even his Pokémon. He even managed to block all of Aya's shuriken. After she had thrown them."

Janine stared at Koga in shock, "Y-you don't believe he could become as skilled as you. Do you, father?"

Koga shook his head, "No. If he ever decided to," He looked ahead with a grin, "I believe he could surpass me five times over."

.

*Ash and friends

Misty looked over at Ash, "So what Gym are we heading to next?"

Ash smiled, "Next should be Cinnabar." He smirked, "But, we do still have one more free day at Giva Resort."

Brock looked at him in surprise, "You didn't check out when we left?"

Ash grinned, "Nope. So, what you guys say? One more day to celebrate?"

"WOO _HO_O!"

"I'll take that as a 'yes'."

.

**Omega: I'm just now realizing. I don't think you've ever given the shuttle gang this much attention before.**

**Faux, Gem, Luke, Pike, Laura, Mewtwo: Shuttle gang?**

**Ohirume: He meant Team Rocket in a way that would insult anyone that cared. Like the Butch thing.**

**Omega: Who's Butch?**

**Faux: *scratches head* Uh, not sure.**

**Pearl: Cassidy's Teammate.**

**Faux: Oh, you mean Mitch.**

**Luke: I thought his name was Bob.**

**Pike: No, it's Biff.**

**Laura: I could have sworn it was Bilge.**

**Gem: *sigh* Guys, it's Buzz.**

**Mewtwo: *scratches head* Really? All this time I thought his name was Patch.**

**Omega: Are- are they doing this on purpose?**

**Seishin: It's a running gag.**

**Pearl: *sigh* I do not understand it either.**

**Peridot: Nor do I.**

**Mizuro: *snickers* I just realized that they probably called him ***** at one point.**

**Seishin: Actually, no. That word doesn't exist in the Pokémon world. Well, most of them.**


	37. Ch 32: Flame Race

**Seishin: Okay! So, uh … uh … anyone?**

**Omega: Does anything happened in this episode?**

**Ohirume *shrugs* It's filler.**

**Omega: *sweat drops* Great. Hey Mizuro! Grab your bass!**

**Mizuro: Why?**

**Omega: You ever heard of Teen Titans Go?**

**Mizuro: Ugh. Unfortunately, I have.**

**Omega: *sci-fi portal sound* Well, how do you feel about sparring in one of their worlds? *wicked smirk* And destroy it in the process.**

**Mizuro: *bright smile* YES! *runs and jumps* Fooly Cooly!**

**Omega: *chuckles before jumping***

**Nuevo: *sweat drops* Should we be worried?**

**Ohirume: Not so long as they stay in that world during the rampage.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Lara-Lara's wild ride: Flame 'Mon Run**

**(Seishin: I think I just cringed hard enough break my neck.**

**Ohirume: I don't blame you.)**

.

After leaving the Giva Hot Springs Resort, Ash and co. continued on their journey. Their destination: Cinnabar Island … eventually. They had some time to kill, so they decided to drop by the Safari Zone. Y'know, for the Yvel of it.

They came to a wide-open field with a mountain range in the distance.

Misty smiled brightly, "Alright!"

Brock smiled too, "It looks like we made it."

"_Yes!_" Clefairy cheered.

Ash sweat dropped with a smile, "Not just yet."

Soot snickered, "Safari zones are closed off by a few miles of fence and have a place to check in."

Misty frowned and slumped over, "Oh."

Pikachu crossed his arms and pouted, "_You could've said that earlier._"

They suddenly felt the ground shaking.

Misty flinched and looked around frantically, "I-is this an earthquake?"

Ash raised a brow, knelt down, and put a hand on the ground, "Hm. It feels more like-"

Brock pointed into the ahead, "Hey! Look over there!"

Everyone looked over to see a large dust cloud heading in their general direction. Upon closer inspection, they found the source.

Ash smiled, "Oh, it's just a tauros stampede."

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_Yeah … just._"

Brock sweat dropped, "Still better than an earthquake, I guess."

The group watched as the stampede ran by about a yard away from them.

Soot perked up and looked up at Ash with a smile, "Hey, maybe we could catch one."

Ash frowned, "I'm not so-"

"_Not so fast!_"

Everyone looked over to see a growlithe running towards them. The Puppy Pokémon jumped and landed in front of the group with a skid.

Growlithe glared angrily, "_No one lays a paw, wing, or hand on any of the Big P. herds on my watch!_"

Soot blinked in surprise, "Big P. herds?"

Brock jerked and looked at Soot in shock, "Wait, that's where we are?!" He smiled brightly, "I can't believe it!"

Misty looked at Pewter Leader in confusion, "You know this place Brock?"

Brock nodded; still smiling brightly, "Of course! It's an incredibly high ranked breeding ranch where they raise Pokémon in the wild! It's an incredible stroke of luck to actually receive a Big P. Pokémon!"

Growlithe stared at Brock in shock, "_Wha-_"

Clefairy giggled and pointed at Soot, "_She speaks human._"

Soot grinned at the Fire-type.

"That's mighty kind of you, mister."

Everyone looked over again to find a blue-haired girl on the back of a ponyta.

She smiled at the group, "Nice to meet you all. Name's Lara Laramie."

Soot and Pikachu sweat dropped, '_L_a_r_a _L_a_r_a_m_i_e_?'

Ash smiled, "Nice to meet you, too. My name's Ash." He started gesturing to his Pokémon, "These guys are Pikachu, Clefairy, and Soot."

Pikachu raised a paw, "_Hey._"

Clefairy waved, "_Hi there!_"

Soot smiled, "Nice to meet you." Lara's eyes widened upon seeing the Bite Pokémon talk.

Misty gestured to herself, "My name's Misty."

Brock ran up to her, held out a hand with a dumb smile, "And I'm Brock! It's a pleasure to meet you miss Laramie!"

"Oh my." Lara said as she jumped down from Ponyta's back and ran past Brock and over to Soot.

Brock stared in shock and slumped over. Misty couldn't help but snicker.

The girl knelt down and stared intently at the canine.

Soot blinked in surprise, "Can I help you?"

Lara smiled brightly, grabbed Soot's head, and started moving it around to inspect her, "Incredible. I've never actually met a takin' Pokémon before." She looked around at the group, "Which of you's its trainer?"

Ash's eye twitched at the word 'it.' He shook it off and smiled, "That would be me. I raised her since I was five."

Lara smiled up at him, "Well, you've done a might fine job of it."

Soot sweat dropped, "Could you please let go of my head now?"

Lara let go and stood back up while scratching the back of her head sheepishly, "Sorry. I just got a little excited."

Soot chuckled, "You'd be far from the first."

.

**Time Skip**

Lara invited the group deeper into the ranch. Ash, Brock, and Misty leaned against or sat on a fence to get a view of the surrounding groups of Pokémon as the ranch's workers took care of them. Lara was back on Ponyta's back. Pikachu and Clefairy sat on the fence on either side of Ash.

Soot sat off to the side and was being examined by three of the workers. In her opinion, it was still better than Seymour. But not by a lot.

Misty looked at Lara with a raised brow, "Hey, isn't it kind of dangerous to ride a ponyta without a special saddle?"

Lara shook her head with a smile, "Not at all. With the right trainin', a ponyta's flames won't burn anyone they trust."

Ash jumped down from the fence and moved closer to pet the horse's neck, "Nice to meet you, Ponyta."

Lara stared in surprise, "What the? I've never seen Ponyta warm up to someone so fast."

Ponyta sweat dropped, "_I'm pretty sure that's not it._"

Ash chuckled and pulled back his hand, "That's not the case." He pulled at the collar on his jacket, "My clothes are all fireproof and I have an unnaturally high tolerance to heat. The flames just felt a little warm to me."

Lara blinked in surprise, "Well, I'll be."

.

*Soot

Soot's eye twitched as the workers measured her … everything, 'How are these people qualified to be assistants?'

One of the men held out a tongue depressor and held up a flashlight, "Now say 'aww.'"

Soot deadpanned, "Seriously?" She sighed but complied anyway, "Aww."

The worker quickly pushed down her tongue and examined her throat. They blinked in surprise, "Huh? It looks completely normal."

Soot spat out the depressor and sweat dropped, "Why would it be any different? My ability to speak human isn't a matter of some selective breeding or a genetic mutation. It's a learned skill." 'Thank Arceus they haven't found out who I am.'

A woman stared at her surprise, "Really?" She crouched down in front of the Dark-type, "How did you learn?"

Soot smiled at finally receiving a normal question, "By example over the course of a year." She smirked, "But," She looked over to Ash and the others, "Hey, Brock come over here for a second!"

Brock walked over, "What is it?"

Soot nudged her head in the direction of the workers, "I have a feeling they'll want to see your notebook. Y'know like the pages about teaching a Pokémon to speak human and some of the unique terms Pokémon use."

The other male worker jerked and looked at Brock in surprise, "Wait what?!" The trio ran over to him.

"You actually have information like that?!" The woman asked excitedly.

Brock chuckled nervously and brought out his notebook, "Um, yeah. As well as few of my personal reci-"

One of them snatched the book from him, "Let me see!"

Another grabbed at the book and glared at the first, "Hey! I wanna see too!"

Brock grimaced, "Hey! Stop! You're gonna tear it!"

Soot sighed in relief, 'That should get them off my tail for a while.' She walked back over to Ash and the others.

Ash noticed and smiled, "Hey Soot. I guess they're finally done 'examining' you."

Soot sweat dropped, "More or less. I passed them off to Brock." She looked at Lara, "No offense, but I think those workers could use a little more training."

Lara giggled, "Oh, those three are actually volunteers. We don't look to far into credentials so long as they can help." She looked at the group and sweat dropped, "Though I will admit, those few are a bit more enthusiastic than we're used to"

The third one joined in the arguing, "Give it!" All three were pulling at the notebook.

"Seriously! Cut it out!" Brock shouted.

Misty sweat dropped, "I'll say." She perked up and looked around with a smile, "Still, this place really is amazing. I'd love to see more of it."

Lara smiled, "Well, we're having big party here tonight. Why don't you all come as my guests?"

Clefairy's eyes lit up, "_Party?!_"

Ash smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Lara. It sounds like fun."

Pikachu pumped a fist, "_Alright!_"

Lara continued, "And if you stay here at the ranch tonight, you'll be able to see the Big P. Pokémon race tomorrow."

Soot raised a brow, "Pokémon race?"

Lara nodded, "It's a massive annual event of ours. Anyone who wins becomes an honorary member of the Laramie clan."

The ground started rumbling again.

Lara looked towards the source, "Huh?"

Misty put a hand over her eyes, "Is that the tauros again?"

Ash squinted, "Dodrio actually."

The small flock of Triple Bird Pokémon shot past the past in the span of a second.

Clefairy watched in awe, "_Woah! They move fast!_"

A separate dodrio ran up to the group; this one with a rider.

"Howdy Lara." The purple-haired rider said.

Lara's eyes narrowed, "You again."

The rider smirked, "That race is as good as mine and you know it."

One the dodrio heads sweat dropped.

Lara glared at the guy, "Don't be so sure. It takes more than just speed to win the race."

He laughed, "Hah! Yeah, sure. You just be ready to lose little missy." His dodrio broke into a sprint and chased after the flock.

Soot's eyes narrowed, "And, just like that, I hate him."

Misty glared at the leaving rider, "The nerve of that guy!"

"_Jerk!_" Pikachu shouted.

Clefairy stuck her tongue out.

Ash glanced at Lara with a raised brow, "Who the Yvel was he?"

Lara sighed, "That was Dario. He's a dodrio trainer. As ya heard, he's enterin' the race like I am." She frowned and crossed her arms, "Honestly, I'm not so sure about the idea of someone like him joinin' my clan."

Soot frowned, "Well honestly, I don't blame you."

.

*Late that night; Pre-race party

Lara lead the group through the party with Growlithe by her side. Ash had Pikachu and Clefairy on his shoulders, Soot by his side, and a large cotton candy in his hand. On a related note, Clefairy discovered her new favorite treat.

Misty and Brock, who finally escaped the volunteers and got his notebook back, followed closely behind.

A man at a concession stand soon noticed them and smiled, "Hey, Lara. Good luck in the race tomorrow. We're all gonna be rootin' for ya."

Lara waved at him with a kind smile, "Thank you kindly."

"You're Ponyta's great!" A woman called out.

"Thank you, ma'am." Lara responded.

"Good luck, Lara!"

"'Preciate it."

"Go for it, girl!"

Brock smiled, "It seems like Lara's a real fan favorite around here."

Misty nodded, "No kidding. She and Ponyta must really be something."

Ash took a bite out of the cotton candy, "We must be pretty lucky to have run into her."

Clefairy held out a hand towards the fair food, "_Come on! I want some more!_" She pouted and looked at him with sad eyes, "_Please._"

Ash chuckled and looked down at Soot, "You actual taught her how to beg like that?"

Soot looked away with a smirk, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Ash rolled his eyes, still smirking, before tearing off a hunk for Clefairy.

The Fairy-types eyes lit up as she happily accepted, "_Thank you!_"

Pikachu looked over at Clefairy before looking at Ash, "_Can I have some too?_"

Ash chuckled and tore off another piece before handing it to mouse, "Don't expect this to last forever. I'll have to cut you two off at some point."

Clefairy flinched, paled, and looked at Ash in fear, "_C-cut?_"

Ash sweat dropped, "It's an expression."

Clefairy sighed in relief, "_Oh thank Arceus!_"

Brock, Soot, and Misty couldn't help but chuckled at the interaction.

Lara glanced back at Ash in interest, 'He must have a really strong bond with his Pokémon to talk with them like that.'

"Hey Lara!"

Everyone turned around to find Dario running towards them.

He stopped and pointed back the way he came, "All of your tauros are goin' crazy back at the ranch!"

Lara's eyes widened, "Oh no! We have to hurry!"

She started to run but was stopped but Ash as he held out an arm, "Wait." He glared at Dario, "Why are you the one who came to tell us?"

Misty's eyes narrowed, "And how do we know you're telling the truth?"

Dario started sweating, "I swear I am! The tauros are really goin' nuts!"

Brock crossed his arms, "Did you see how it happened?" He glared, "Or cause it?"

Dario flinched, "N-no way! I just saw them actin' up! I don't how it happened!"

Ash's eyes narrowed, "So, you showed up just in time to find the herd going crazy, but not soon enough to find the source? And don't try saying it must've happened way earlier, someone like a relative or neighbor would have noticed long before you and come to tell Lara."

Lara blinked in surprise and looked down thoughtfully. She shook it off and looked at the group with a determined glare, "Look, you're all makin' some fine points, but those tauros are my responsibility. Even if he's lyin', I can't take that chance."

Lara pulled out a pokéball and tossed it into the air, "Ponyta!"

The Fire Horse appeared in a flash and Lara immediately jumped on, "Let's go!"

Ponyta complied and sped off towards the ranch. Ash, Brock, and Misty followed.

Soot glared at Dario, "Watch your back, glitch." She ran after the others.

Dario sweat dropped as they left, "That coulda gone better." His eyes widened, "Wait, did I just get called a glitch by a dog?"

.

*Back at the ranch

Ash, Soot, Brock, and Misty finally caught up to Lara at the ranch; the latter two breathing heavily.

Soot sweat dropped, "You guys okay?"

Misty glared at her, "Not everyone has your level of stamina."

They got their second wind when they heard Lara scream. The flinched and looked over to find her lying on the ground while holding her arm and a spooked Ponyta on her hindlegs and neighing frightenedly.

Ash grimaced, "Crag!"

The group ran over. Brock and Misty made their way to Lara to help her up. Ash and Soot went straight for Ponyta.

Brock propped the girl up, "Lara. How are you?"

Lara smiled sadly, "I- I think I'm- OW!" She cried out before holding her arm.

Misty's eyes widened, "Don't move that arm!"

Ash grabbed the rein and pulled as he tried to calm the horse, "Ponyta! Calm down! Everything's okay!"

Lara watched in interest at his attempt.

Ash continued pulling, "Just calm down! It's okay!" He had quickly dodged and flailing hoof while still pulling.

Soot grimaced and shifted her eyes, "Don't worry. I'll-"

"No!" Ash commanded, "Leave her be, Soot! We can't just force her to calm down like that!"

After a few more seconds, Ponyta settled down.

Ash smiled sadly and rubbed her neck; ignoring the flames, "There we are, girl. See? Everything's fine."

Lara blinked in surprise, 'Not bad.'

.

**Time Skip**

The group moved to Lara's house. The Laramie girl looked out a window sorrowfully with her left arm in a sling and Ponyta close behind her. Ash, Misty, Brock, and Soot sat around a table with Growlithe sitting next to them. Pikachu and Clefairy stood on the table.

Lara sighed, "With my arm like this, I can't grip Ponyta's reins. I won't be able to race tomorrow."

Ponyta looked down sorrowfully.

Brock frowned, "Too bad for the Laramie clan."

Lara perked up, "Hold on." She looked back at the group with a smile, "Ash, you could ride Ponyta for me."

Everyone, even Ponyta and Growlithe, looked at her in surprise, "H_U_H?_!_"

Ash jumped to his feet, "Wait what?! Lara, I may have a resistance, but eventually the flames will become too much for me!" He looked at Ponyta, "No offense."

Ponyta raised a brow at him, "_Why would I take offense to that? That's just common sense._"

Soot snickered and translated.

Ash blinked before shrugging, "Fair point." He looked back at Lara, "I'm not sure I'm the right person for this job."

Lara shook her head and smiled, "I've seen the way you are with Pokémon, Ash. Even just now, you've proven yourself a model trainer by treating Ponyta as an equal. Even though you only just met her today."

Ash blinked in surprise, "Why wouldn't I treat her as an equal?"

Lara smiled and pointed at him, "Exactly!" She shifted to a kind smile, "I know you can do this. I believe in you."

Misty smiled and clenched a fist, "Yeah! Someone's gotta beat that Dario creep!"

Brock nodded, "If anyone could do it, Ash, it'd be you."

"_Yeah!_" Pikachu and Clefairy cheered.

Ash looked back at them with a soft smile, "Thanks." He frowned again and looked at Lara, "Look, I'd be happy to help. Heck, I want to help. But-" He looked at Ponyta, "it's not just my choice."

Lara smiled when he said that and looked at her Fire-type, "Ponyta, do you think you can trust Ash? At least, long enough to run in the race?"

Ponyta glanced at Ash and her eyes narrowed, "_I not so sure._"

Soot frowned, "She's still on the fence about it."

Ash frowned and put his right hand to his chin. He caught the light glinting off his watch and his eyes widened.

He looked back at Ponyta with a smile, "How about this." He held up three fingers, "Three minutes outside with just you, me, and my Pokémon. And even Growlithe if it makes you feel better. If you still won't trust me afterwards, my friends and I will work all night to find you a trustworthy rider."

Brock and Misty flinched, "Wait, what?!"

Ponyta blinked in surprise before raising a brow, "_Just three minutes, huh?_" She nodded, "_Fine. But if you try anything, I'll Stomp into the ground personally._"

Growlithe walked over, "_And I'll definitely be going with you._" His eyes narrowed, "_And you can add a Fire Fang to that Stomp._"

Soot sweat dropped and translated; threats included.

Lara looked at her Pokémon in disappointment, "Ponyta! Growlithe!"

Ash chuckled, "It's okay, Lara." He looked back at Ponyta and nodded with a smile, "Deal."

"Hey, Ash." Misty said; catching the boy's attention. She gestured for him to come with a glare, "Come here for a sec, would you?"

Ash walked over and looked at them curiously, "What's up?"

Misty's eyes narrowed, "You mean aside from you dragging us into this without our permission?"

Brock crossed his arms, "You'd better have good plan, Ash. I don't want to miss the race tomorrow."

Ash chuckled, "Guys, it's fine." He held up the watch, "I think method will work pretty well."

The pair caught on instantly.

Brock sighed in relief, "Thank goodness. You had me worried there for a bit."

Misty sweat dropped, "Yeah, seriously. Next time, lead with that."

Growlithe overheard and his eyes narrowed.

.

*Backyard; Ash, Pikachu, Clefairy, Growlithe, Ponyta

The small group stood on either side of each other. Growlithe was glaring at Ash apprehensively. Soot was currently looking around.

Ponyta looked at Ash with a raised brow, "_Alright, you obviously have some kind of plan. So, shoot._"

Pikachu smirked and translated; causing Ponyta and Growlithe to look at him in confusion.

Ash looked at Ponyta and nodded, "Can do."

Growlithe blinked in surprise and pointed to the mouse, "_Wait, he speaks human too?_"

Clefairy giggled, "_Nope. Ash can just understand us._"

Soot smirked, "And you're about to see why." She looked up at Ash, "The coast is clear, by the way."

Ash brought up the watch, sprang up the dial, and rotated it. After a second, he smirked and slammed down on the watch.

Ponyta and Growlithe flinched and shied away as a large flash of green light overtook the trainer. The light faded and the Fire-types looked back. Their eyes widened in shock upon finding a butterfree in Ash's place with a green symbol between its hands.

Ash fluttered happily, "_So, what do you think?_"

Ponyta stared in shock, "_Wha-_"

*flop*

Everyone looked over to see Growlithe unconscious on the ground. Pikachu laughed wildly.

Ponyta stared at the Puppy Pokémon, "_Uh. Y'know what, Yvel with it._" Ponyta looked down at Ash, "_What in the name of Arceus just freaking happened?_"

Soot snickered, "It's the watch he wears. It can turn him into Pokémon." 'Among other things.'

The Butterfly Pokémon nodded, "_And it's the reason I can understand Pikachu and Clefairy._"

Pikachu smirked, "_Crazy, isn't it?_"

Ponyta sweat dropped, "_I'll say._" She looked back at Ash, "_So, this is your plan to get me to trust you?_"

Ash chuckled and shrugged, "_More or less. I just thinking that, if you won't trust me as a human,_" he held out a hand, "_then how about trusting me as a fellow Pokémon? Even when I don't look like one._"

Ponyta blinked in surprise before chuckling, "_Not too bad._" She smiled, "_Alright, then. I guess we're temporary teammates._"

Ash sighed in relief, "_Good. I really didn't want to spend all night looking for a replacement._"

Ponyta's eyes narrowed, "_So, you were lying about that._"

Ash shook his head, "_No. I still would've done it if I failed. But I was really banking on this working._"

Ponyta chuckled, "_Fair enough._" She raised a brow, "_One thing, though. Could you actually understand me when you were human?_"

Ash became somber and shook his head, "_I'm afraid not. My watch puts a weird limit on the translation thing. I can only understand a few species when I'm human._"

Pikachu nodded, "_Namely Pokémon from the list of what he can turn into._"

Clefairy smiled and put a hand on Pikachu's back, "_Like us._"

Ponyta raised a brow, "_Huh._" She looked back at Ash, "_How do you get new forms?_"

The Bug/Flying-type stared in surprise, "_Well, a Pokémon just has to touch the watch and it catalogues their DNA._"

Ponyta smiled, "_Alright. I'll let you ride me under one condition. Let me touch the watch._"

Ash's eyes widened on shock, "_What?_"

Ponyta nodded, "_If we're going to be working together here, I'd rather you be able to understand me during the race._" She raised a brow, "_Do you have a problem with that?_"

Ash sweat dropped, "_Well-_"

Soot snickered, "It's not that. He's just stubborn about letting Pokémon touch the watch."

Ash glared at Soot, "_I am not stubborn! I just don't think-_"

"that it's fair to have that kind of power." Soot interrupted in an annoyed tone, "I know dad. We've all heard it before."

Pikachu and Clefairy nodded, "_Yup._"

Soot continued, "And besides, you could stand to gain a Fire-type form."

Ash deadpanned, "_I have Overheat._"

Ponyta raised a brow, '_Overheat?_'

Soot sweat dropped, "Yeah, because that'll be easier to explain in a public emergency. Admit it, we got off lucky in Celadon."

Ash was about to argued but stopped and groaned, "_Fine._" He slapped the symbol on his chest and reverted to human.

Ponyta stared in mild surprise, "_Cool._" She shook it off and tilted her head, "_So, is there a certain way I have to touch it or-_"

Soot smiled, "Nope. It'll work so long as it's a part of your body. A.k.a. not just the flames."

Ash grumbled and held out the watch to the Fire Horse Pokémon, "Just do it."

Ponyta chuckled and reached out to tap the face of the watch with her muzzle. The watch immediately turned yellow and started spinning.

Ponyta flinched and jumped back, "_Woah!_"

Soot snickered, "Don't worry. That just means that it's loading your DNA."

Ponyta calmed down but glared at Soot, "_You couldn't have warned me about that earlier?_"

The watch stopped spinning, turned green again, and a silhouette of a ponyta appeared on the face of it.

Ash sighed, "It's done."

Ponyta smiled, "_So you can understand me now?_"

Soot shook her head, "Not just yet. He can turn into a ponyta now, but the translation will take a while to upload. Best case, about a half hour. Worst case, tomorrow morning."

Ash shrugged, "Sorry."

Ponyta frowned before cocking her head downward; her version of shrugging, "_Alright, fine. At least it'll be ready in time for the race._"

Growlithe came to and shook his head, "_Ugh. What the Yvel happened?_"

Ash noticed and smirked, "This." He brought up the watch and slammed down on the face of it. The green light overtook him and faded to reveal Ash in the new ponyta form; the watch's symbol just below the base of his neck.

Ponyta blinked in surprise, "_Woah._" She smiled, "_Nice._"

Growlithe's jaw dropped as he looked back and forth between the Fire Horses.

Soot snickered and looked up at Ash, "So meema, how's the new form?"

Growlithe flinched and looked at the other dog in shock, "_Meema?!_" Ponyta blinked in surprise at the news.

Ash raised a hoof and a brow, "_Uhh … unique. I've never really had an equine form before._" Ash felt a pair of somethings jump onto him and looked back to see Pikachu and Clefairy on his back.

Clefairy looked at the flames under her feet in awe, "_Woah._" She smiled brightly, "_That's so cool! It really doesn't burn at all!_"

Pikachu looked down curiously and rubbed the fire, "_It's not even hot._" He smiled at Ash, "_I guess that means you really trust us._"

Ash smirked with a raised brow, "_Of course. Why wouldn't I?_"

.

*Back in the house

Unbeknownst to the group of Pokémon, Misty was watching the entire scene through the window. Brock and Lara sat at the table deep into a conversation about breeding techniques. This was partially to keep Lara from watching Ash change.

Misty blinked in surprise, 'Huh. Neat.'

.

*The next day; Big P. Race

A round of fireworks exploded in the sky as the crowd cheered.

**Nuevo: Wait, what? Who set off fireworks in the daytime?**

**Ohirume: A lot of people.**

**Nuevo: For a massive, public event?**

**Seishin: Anime.**

**Ohirume: Although, there is such a thing as daytime fireworks. *Looks to the side* I'm serious. Look it up on YouTube. It's pretty cool.**

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen to this year's Pokémon challenge sponsored by the Laramie Clan! Called out the announcer from over the loudspeaker, Our course takes our challengers over rugged terrain to test their speed and ability! Whoever clears all the obstacles and crosses the finish line first is our winner!

Ash took a deep breath to calm his nerves, "Here we go."

Ponyta glanced back at him with a smile, "_Calm down. You'll be fine. I've done this tons of times before._"

"Yeah. I'm sure it'll be fine, dad."

Ash chuckled, "Thanks, Soot." He stopped, jerked, and looked over to see Soot next to Ponyta with Pikachu on her back. Ash's eyes widened, "Wha- Soot?! Pikachu?! What Yvel are you two doing?!"

Soot smiled, "Running in the race."

Pikachu raised a paw with a smile, "_And I'm the rider!_"

Ash sweat dropped, "Guys, I really don't think that's how it works."

Ponyta jumped in; still looking back at him, "_Actually, what they're doing isn't against rules at all._"

Ash looked at the Fire-type in surprise, "Really?"

Ponyta nodded, "_The rules only say that the rider has to be biped capable and quote-unquote runner has to travel on land. No flying, digging, or teleportation._"

Ash blinked in surprise, "Wow. The Laramie Clan is a lot more inclusive than I thought."

Ponyta chuckled, "_We try._"

The announcer clenched a fist excitedly; unseen by the crowd, All Pokémon and riders please make your way to the starting line now!

Ponyta walked up to the starting line.

"Good luck, guys." Lara said from the stand … right next to Ash.

"_You can do it!_" Clefairy cheered from between Lara and Growlithe.

Ash smiled at the girls, "Thanks guys." He looked to his other side at the other competitors.

Next to Ash and Ponyta were, in the following order, Misty on Starmie, Brock on Onix, Pikachu on Soot, a guy in a light blue shirt on a tauros, a guy in a blue, striped shirt on a sandslash, a guy in a yellow shirt on a raticate, a girl (or possibly a guy with long-ish hair) in an orange shirt on a nidorina, Dario on Dodrio, a guy in a pink striped shirt on a rhyhorn, and a guy in white shirt balancing on an electrode.

**Luke: *sweat drops* Uh.**

**Ohirume: Oh, please. Do you realize how few side characters received ****any**** name in the early anime?**

Ash sweat dropped, 'Is he seriously riding an electrode?'

A red light at the top of the starlight lit up.

Ready!

All of the Pokémon and riders got into position.

The green light at the bottom lit up.

GO! The announcer shouted.

The racers took off from the starting line.

And they're off on this exciting Pokémon challenge race! When the dust settles, we'll be able to see who's in the early lead.

By this point, the contestants -most of them- were out of earshot of the announcer. The racers barreled down a wide dirt road.

"Yee Ha!" Dario called out as he pulled ahead of everyone.

Ash's eyes narrowed, 'Crag.' "We need to go fas-"

"_Not a good idea._" Ponyta argued; mid run, "_We need to keep a steady pace, so I don't tire out too soon. This is a long race where stamina is going to be essential._"

Ash blinked in surprise, "Understood."

Something glinting in the tall grass caught Ash's attention. He glanced over to see something small shoot at the tauros and hit them in the head.

Ash's eyes widened when he saw the Wild Bull Pokémon flinched and stop in their tracks, "Ponyta, go right!"

Ponyta didn't question it this time and complied. Brock, Misty, and Soot noticed and veered right as well.

"_AHH!_" Tauros cried out as they got on their hind legs. They charged ahead wildly with their eyes closed and struck Nidorina with a horn.

Ash glanced back with a frown as the Normal-type and Poison-type duked it out wildly; immediately taking them and their trainers out of the race.

Ash looked towards the grass and his eyes narrowed upon seeing a familiar red and blue haired pair poke out the grass with proud smiles; one of which holding a slingshot.

Ash clenched his teeth, 'Those guys.' He looked ahead with a glare and leaned closer to the Fire Horse's ears, "Someone's interfering with the race."

Ponyta's eyes widened, "_What?!_"

"Don't worry." Ash responded with a smirk, "I've dealt with them before. I'll keep a look out for possible traps. You focus on the race and be ready to dodge on command."

Ponyta frowned but nodded quickly, "_Alright._"

Soot raised a brow, 'Why am I feeling left out all of a sudden?'

.

*Back at the starting/finish line

Everyone watched on the monitor as the racers approached the next terrain.

The next obstacle is a forty-five-degree uphill climb! A test of endurance for the Pokémon and their trainers! And Dario still holds the lead!

True to the announcer's words, Dario was far ahead on the uphill climb. Everyone else followed steadily.

"_Go Ash! Go! Go Pikachu! Go!_" Clefairy cheered; unaware that they couldn't hear her.

The racers reached the apex and started their run downhill. This time-

Whoa! It looks like Electrode has taken the lead! Their perfectly round body is taking full advantage of this obstacle! But can its trainer keep their balance?!

Lara sweat dropped, 'Still better than Dario.'

Electrode and rider's fame were short-lived as a pothole opened up beneath them. The camera panned to show the pair trapped in a hole; Electrode's eyes in swirl.

Ah! And it's another accident!

Dario charged past the hole.

Electrode has fallen into a hole and Dodrio once again takes over the lead!, As the announcer said this, Brock and the rhyhorn rider made it past the hole as well.

Misty hurried past right as Electrode started glowing red.

Oh no! Electrode's voltage level is becoming too high! It looks like the bomb ball is about to blow!

The electric-type exploded violently as Ash and Ponyta, Sandslash, and Raticate made it to the hole. The three teams were thrown into the air from the blast.

Lara's eyes widened in shock, "Ash! Ponyt- huh?" Her fearful shock turned to surprised shock at what happened next.

Immediately after becoming airborne, Ash pushed at the back of the Fire-types head and flipped her forward in the air. The Fire Horse eyes widened in shock as this happened. Ash skidded to a halt with the horse cradled in his arms.

The other contestants weren't as lucky. Sandslash and Raticate were knocked out along with their riders. Electrode was completely knocked out with the rider twitching and covered in soot.

Entire audience stared at the screen in pure, slack jawed shock; everyone focused on Ash.

WOAH! It's looks like Lara's replacement has some serious muscle for someone his size!

Lara stared at the screen in shock, "H-how is he doin' that?"

.

*Back on the track

"_How are you doing this?!_" Ponyta asked as she stared at Ash in wide eyed shock.

Ash smirked, "Part of the watch." He flipped Ponyta back onto her hooves and put a hand on her back, "You alright?"

Ponyta blinked in surprise, "_Uh, yeah. Just a little dazed. I've never been held upside down before._"

Ash chuckled nervously, "Sorry."

"Nice one dad!" Soot shouted as she charged past the pair.

Ash smiled, jumped back onto Ponyta, and gripped the reins, "Let's go!"

Ponyta nodded, "_Right!_" She broke into a gallop back down the hill.

.

*Team Rocket

The tRio watched Ash's stunt in wide eyed shock. They also dropped their digging tools. They continued starring as he left the area.

Jessie sweat dropped, "Um. Wow."

James gulped, "We may have underestimated the Phantom more than we thought."

Meowth nodded; still dazed, "No kiddin'." He looked at the unconscious electrode, raticate, and rhyhorn and their trainers, "At least we got three more out."

.

*Back to the race … again

Everyone came up to a wide river with nothing but a trail of unevenly placed stone spanning it.

Dario's dodrio charged across the stones effortlessly.

Brock and the guy on the rhyhorn came up to the river next. Their Rock-types skid to a halt and stared at the water apprehensively.

Rhyhorn took a chance and jumped onto the nearest stone. Rhyhorn, his rider, and Onix stared in shock as the stone started sinking.

Brock grimaced and held out a hand, "Onix! Use Iron Tail and scoop them out!"

The Rock Snake caught on and his tail took on a metallic sheen. He plunged the metal-coated tail into the water, under the stone, and quickly pulled it out onto land. Rhyhorn fell to their stomach in relief.

The rider laid Spikes Pokémon's back in relief, "Oh man, that was close." He waved up at Brock, "Thank you sir!"

Brock gave a thumbs up, "No problem." He rubbed Onix's head with a smile, "Nice work, Onix. But I think we've gone far enough in this thing."

Onix sighed in relief.

Misty and Starmie, and Pikachu and Soot approached the obstacle. Starmie jumped onto the surface of the water. Misty jumped up to stand on the Water-type's back and surf across the river; ignoring the stones. Soot, on the paw, took the stone route and ran across with ease.

Misty waved back at Brock, "Don't worry, Brock! I'll keep on going!"

Pikachu waved to, "Pikachu!"

Ash and Ponyta continued running. The river soon came into the view.

Ash grimaced at the sight of the body of water, "We're heading towards a river! We might to find another way around!"

Ponyta smirked, "_That's what you think!_" He neared the stones, jumped onto them, and ran across them like it was nothing.

Ash blinked in surprise, "Wait, you're not-"

"_Quiet!_" Ponyta shouted as she kept her eyes on the land on the opposite side of the river, "_This takes a lot of concentration for me!_"

Ash sweat dropped, "Sorry."

The pair made it across without a hitch and caught up to Misty and Pikachu.

"Misty!" Ash called out; still looking ahead, "We have a problem!"

Misty nodded, "Yeah! Dario's still way ahead!"

Ash shook his head, "No! Well yes, that's a problem! But, that's not what I meant!" His eyes narrowed, "Team Rocket's messing with the race!"

Misty, Pikachu, and Soot's eyes widened while Starmie … 's gem brightened(?), "W_H_A_T_?_!_"

Ash nodded, "They agitated the tauros with a slingshot and I wouldn't be surprise if they dug that pit trap!"

Soot grimaced, "Crag!"

Pikachu clenched a fist, "_The nerve of those three!_"

Ponyta's eyes widened, "_Wait, you know those people?!_"

Ash sweat dropped, "I … said I did earlier!"

Ponyta blinked in surprise before deadpanned, "_Oh yeah! Sorry!_" She shook it off and glared at the Triple Bird Pokémon's rider in the distance, "_Great! So now we have two nuisances to deal with!_"

Ash smirked, "Well, don't worry! I have an idea on how to deal with one of them!"

Everyone, except Ponyta and Starmie, looked at him expectantly; waiting for his plan.

When it didn't come, Misty sweat dropped, "Are you gonna tell us what it is?!"

.

**Time Skip**

Ash and Misty made it over the edge of another downhill slope. This one was covered in carved platforms with various plates, bowls, and troughs filled with food. The Pokémon skidded down the slanted cliff.

Misty blinked in surprise, "Wait. What's with all the Pokémon food?"

"_It's part of the challenge._" Ponyta responded, "_The runners have to choose and finish one of them before we're allowed to continue. It's a way to help replenish our energy for the final stretch._"

Ash blinked in surprise, "Huh. The Laramie's really think of everything, don't they?" He translated the message to Misty.

Misty smirked, "Sounds good!" She pointed ahead, "And it's looks like Dario's having some trouble!"

Everyone looked ahead to see Dodrio fighting with itself about which bowl to go to and which would get to eat first. Dario was shouting at the three of them to knock it off.

"_Hah!_" Starmie called out, "_Lucky break!_"

Ponyta landed on a platform with a trough and started eating immediately. Starmie landed one platform down.

Ash and Misty glanced around apprehensively.

Dario glared at his self-arguing Normal/Flying-type angrily, "That tears it!" He looked up at one of the cliffs, "Team Rocket, time to go to work!"

Ash and Misty's eyes widened in shock, "What?!"

Black smoke started filling the area and taking out the cameras.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

Misty groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose, "Freaking Yvel."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! Dat's right!" A glint came off Meowth's coin as he jumped down between his teammates. Weezing and Arbok were already out and next to their respective trainers.

Ponyta's eyes widened at the sight, "_That shine!_" She glared at the Kantonian Normal-type, "_You're the one who made me throw off Lara!_"

Ash sweat dropped with a deadpanned, "Of course it was him."

Misty looked at Ash in confusion, "Huh?"

Ash looked at her, "Apparently Meowth's the one who spooked Ponyta yesterday."

Misty's eyes widened before she glared up at the tRio, "So it was you who broke Lara's arm!" She turned to glare at Dario, "And your put them up to-" She stopped and stared in shock upon seeing nothing but a knocked over bowl and the food tumbling down the hill. Her eye twitched, "That slimy little-"

Ponyta grimaced and started eating faster.

Ash frowned but didn't stop her.

Jessie glared, "Hey! Pay attention to us!"

"Shut up!" Misty shouted at him before jumping off Starmie, "Ash, I'll handle them! You be ready to go as soon as Ponyta's done!"

Ash's eyes widened, "But, Mist-"

"Don't argue, Ash!" Misty responded; still glaring at Team Rocket, "You're the one who needs to win this for the Laramie Clan!"

Ash frowned but nodded, "Fine." He gripped the reins tighter and waited.

James laughed before pointing at her, "Oh please. Do you really think you'll be able to take on all five of us on your own?"

"Who said she was alone?"

The quintet flinched and turned around to find Soot and Pikachu behind.

Pikachu's cheeks sparked as he glared angrily.

Soot smiled innocently, "Hi"

Meowth grimaced, "What da- Where'd you come from?!"

Soot snickered, "Oh, please." She then smirked wickedly and shifted her eyes, "Look at who you're talking to."

"_Go for it, Ash!_" Pikachu called out, "_We'll handle the buffoons!_"

"What'd you jus' call us?!" Meowth shouted furiously.

Ash nodded and looked down at the Fire-type, "You ready, Ponyta?"

She raised her head and swallowed before glaring ahead, "_Ready!_" She jumped off the platform and ran down the hill.

Misty smiled, "Good luck, Ash!"

.

*Ash and Ponyta

The pair made it to the bottom of the hill shortly and shot forward.

Ash heard an explosion and glanced back to see Team Rocket disappeare into the sky.

Ash smirked, 'Nice work, guys.' He looked ahead again, "Let's win this thing!"

Ponyta smiled, "_Agreed!_"

They caught up to Dario momentarily. Dodrio was still moving quickly but was noticeably slower.

Ash smirked and spoke up, "Skipping the eating challenge! Not you're smartest move!"

Dario flinched, looked back, and grimaced upon seeing the pair, "Son of a glitch!" He glared ahead, "Dodrio! Tri Attack them!"

Dodrio's heads turned and curved to face Ponyta and they opened their beaks. A small ball of energy appeared in each mouth; one green, one indigo, and one red. A red triangle formed between them with the spheres marking the corners. The triangle turned indigo and the whole thing shot towards Ponyta.

Ash and Ponyta grimaced and the horse jumped to the side of dodge the attack. She landed with a skid before running again. Unfortunately, Dario shot far ahead of them in the confusion.

Dario laughed from ahead of them, "Hah! Later, loser!"

Ash glared at the cheater, "Hey! We can't use moves in this!"

"_Actually, we can!_" Ponyta responded before glaring at Dario, "_But it's only supposed to be ones that can modify speed in some way! And we're not supposed to use them to interfere with our opponents!_"

Ash looked at her; dumbfound, "Wait, seriously?! Why aren't we using one?!"

Ponyta frowned, "_The only speed move I know is Flame Charge! And, unlike my natural flames, I can't modify those to-_" She stopped talking and her eyes widened upon realizing who she was talking to. She grinned, "_Think you can handle some heat?!"_

Ash grinned and gripped the reins tighter, "With how much he's getting on my nerves, Easily!"

Ponyta raised a brow, "_Wait, what?! What does that mean?!_"

"Never mind!" Ash responded before crouching down, "Ponyta! Flame Charge!"

.

*Race stands

The lit back on the monitor to show Dario and Dodrio. Only Dario and Dodrio.

Yes! Now we've got our picture back and Dodrio is still in the lead!

The scene changed to show the cliffs that walled the eating challenge.

Now let's take a look at what happened to the other Pokémon! I can't see any- Wait! Who's that?!

Lara looked closer and her eyes widened upon seeing the screen.

Holy Yvel! Its Ponyta; barreling ahead with an intense Flame Charge! And Lara's replacement doesn't seem to be any worse for wear! Just who the Yvel is this guy?!

Clefairy's eyes lit up, "_So cool!_" '_I wonder if I can learn that._'

Lara stared in awe at the sight, "Unbelievable. That Ash," She smiled, "he never ceases to amaze."

I don't know how, but this has become a two Pokémon race between Dodrio and Ponyta with nothing left but a flat-out run to the finish line!

.

*Race

Dario heard galloping and looked back. He stared in shock upon seeing a giant fireball approach him, "WHAT THE?!"

The shroud of fire faded to reveal Ponyta and a completely unscathed Ash.

The trainer smirked, "What's up?!"

Dario gritted his teeth, "Dodrio! Another Tri-"

"You sure you wanna do that?!" Ash called out before pointing to the side.

Dario looked at where he pointed and found a Pidgeot with a small camera around their neck.

"Crag." The purple head muttered; realizing the cameras were back up.

Ash snickered, "Didn't think so! Flame Charge again!"

Ponyta shrouded herself and Ash in flames again and closed the gap effortlessly. The runners ran neck-and-neck.

Dario stared in shock, 'How is he doing that?! Those flames should hurt like a railroad spike in the foot!' His eyes narrowed, 'It doesn't matter. Just a little closer. Clooooseeeerrr.' His grinned wickedly, 'NOW!' "Do it, Dodrio!"

The head looked over at Ponyta and flinched at the seeing flames she was engulfed in.

"I said do it!"

The head frowned and pecked at Ponyta's eye.

"_AH!_" Ponyta cried out she shook her head and lost speed; Flame Charge dispelled.

The pecking head's three long feathers caught fire and they frantically tried to shake the flames away. The middle head stared in shock.

Ponyta snapped out of it and continued running. A shadow was covering her eyes.

Ash glared at Dario, "What the Yvel is wrong with-"

"_You._" Ponyta muttered angrily.

Ash stopped glaring and looked at her in surprise.

Fire-type glared at Dario furiously, "_You hurt my partner. You make a mockery of our clan's celebrated race. You endanger everyone for your own selfish gain!_"

Ash looked at her with a somber frown.

Ponyta continued glaring, "_The day I let someone like you join our clan,_" Her eyes widened in rage, "_IS THE DAY THE REVERSE WORLD FREEZES OVER!_"

**Faux: What? But the Reverse World has entire ice pilla-**

**Ohirume: Really not a good time, Faux!**

Ponyta became shrouded in a white light and started to change in shape.

Ash's eyes widened in shock, "Ponyta."

.

*Race stands

Lara's eyes widened in awe, "She's-"

The light faded and Rapidash charged down the track with a determined glare.

Fans, this is incredible! Ponyta has evolved into Rapidash! One of the fastest sprinters in the world!

Lara started tearing up with a smile, "Pony- Rapidash. I'm so proud."

Clefairy pouted and crossed her arms, "_Lucky._"

Growlithe just stared at the screen in slack jawed shock.

The racers came into view in the distance. Rapidash and Dodrio barreled down the dirt road.

And Rapidash has caught up! They're neck and neck! Heading for the finish line!

They approached the gool- wha … goal line.

**Ohirume: How the Yvel do you make a typo like that in an anime?! Seriously! You can't even blame that on a keyboard! It's ****drawn!**

**Seishin: T-riggered! ;P**

IT'S DOWN TO THE WIRE!

The Fire Horse and Triple Bird Pokémon shot through the finish line. The monitor showed Rapidash shooting through first by a muzzle and paused for a split second for dramatic effect.

The crowd cheered and applauded wildly.

An incredible upset! Rapidash makes an amazing comeback to win this Pokémon challenge!

Ash sighed in relief, "Oh thank Arceus." He petted the horse, "You were amazing, Ponyt-" He chuckled, "Sorry, Rapidash."

Rapidash smiled, "_Don't worry. Honestly, I'm still getting used to it too._"

"You cheater!" Dario shouted, "You interfered with me!"

Ash stared at him shock, "Um. Wow." He glared at the boy, "Seriously, how few morals do you have?"

Dario clenched a fist, "I'll show you." He held out a hand, "Dodri-" He was by Rapidash Double back Kicking him in the gut and off Dodrio. The freak tumbled back along the ground and landed in a dazed heap.

Dodrio stared at their trainer in shock. They looked back to find Rapidash directly in front them and glaring murderously.

Rapidash spoke in a quiet, angry tone, "_If I ever see any of your faces again,_" Her eyes narrowed, "_Next time, I won't miss._"

All three heads grimaced and nodded frantically, "_Yes ma'am!_" They shouted in surprising unison. They ran past Dario and into the distance.

Rapidash sighed, "_I've been waiting the entire race to do that._"

Ash chuckled nervously, "I bet you have."

"Rapidash!"

The pair looked over to see Lara running over to them with an overjoyed smile.

She ran over to Rapidash and threw her good arm around the horse's neck, "Rapidash. You actually evolved." She sniffled, "I'm so proud of you."

Rapidash smiled softly and nuzzled her; trying to mind the new horn.

Ash smiled softly and got down from the Fire-type quietly; not wanting to ruin the moment. That failed when Clefairy jumped into his chest.

"Augh!" Ash cried out before he caught the Fairy-type; causing Lara and Rapidash to look over. Ash sweat dropped, "Hey, Clefairy."

Clefairy looked up at him with a bright smile, "_Ash! That race was so awesome!_" She started rambling wildly about every single detail of the race without slowing down for even a second. Heck, she sped up a few times.

After a few minutes, she stopped, blinked, and looked around, "_Wait, what happened to Pikachu and Soot?_"

Ash sighed and pet her with soft smile, "They'll be back soon, I'm sure."

Rapidash chuckled. Lara looked up at the horse with a smile and hugged her tighter. Ash looked over and smiled softly.

.

*Awards Ceremony

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Soot had made it back to the line and stood off the side to applaud Ash, Lara, and Rapidash along with Clefairy and Growlithe. Clefairy and Pikachu stood on Soot's back. Starmie and Onix were returned earlier.

Ash helped Lara hold up a red flag with a pokéball and crown symbol as Rapidash stood behind them.

Congratulations, Ponyta- I mean Rapidash! You are this year's Pokémon challenge champion! Let's give a big hand for its trainer, Lara Laramie and for the winning rider, Ash Ketchum!

The humans and bipedal Pokémon applauded the group. Growlithe joined in barking and Soot by whistling loudly. That made them all flinch.

Ash took and planted the flag in the ground before smiling at the blue-haired girl, "Congratulation, Lara."

Lara smiled and held out a hand, "I should be the one congratulatin' you Ash. You were way above anythin' I could've expected."

Ash shook her hand and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "I mean, Rapidash was the one doing all the work. I just assisted where I could."

Rapidash looked at him; deadpanned, "_Ash, you held me. I was a sixty-six-pound horse and you held me. I think that goes a few tiers above 'assisted.'_"

Ash chuckled nervously, "Fair enough."

Lara blinked in surprise but shook it off and smiled.

.

*Sunset

Ash and co. stood opposite to Lara, Rapidash, Growlithe, and -for some reason- a tauros.

Lara smiled, "About a day's walk on this trail should lead you straight to the Safari Zone."

Ash smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Lara."

"'Preciate it" Soot said; mimicking Lara's accent.

Lara giggled before focusing on Ash, "Thanks again, Ash. You did a great job today."

Ash smiled softly, "Thanks. I was happy to help."

Lara reached behind herself, "One more thing." She held out her hand and opened it to reveal a rectangular purple pin with a large golden 'P' in the center. In the center of the 'P' was an upright fire symbol.

Ash took the pin and looked at it with a raised brow, "What is it?"

"The Laramie Clan's crest." Lara responded with a smile, "It proves you're an honorary member of ours and gives you total access to the entire ranch."

Ash's eyes widened, "Huh?"

Brock ran over and looked at the crest in awe. He smiled brightly, "Woah! I've never actually seen one up close!"

Ash frowned and held the pin back to her, "Thanks Lara. But I can't accept this. I was only running in your stead. I don't deserve it."

Lara chuckled and pushed his hand back, "I thought you might say that." She pointed at the crest, "Which is why I had your name engraved on the back of it. It won't work for anyone but you."

Ash blinked in surprise and flipped the pin over. It read 'Ashton Satoshi Ketchum' on the back. He sweat dropped, "How did you get my full name?"

Soot snickered, "Uh. Hello?"

Lara looked at her with a smile, "Thanks again, Soot." She looked back at Ash; still smiling, "So, that's that. We can't take it back even if we wanted."

Ash chuckled, "Fine." He opened his jacket -the side opposite to the badges- and clipped the crest in it. He closed the jacket and looked at Lara with a smile, "Thank you, Lara. Much obliged."

With that, Ash and co. turned to walk down the trail. Lara waved as they left. The group waved back as they left.

.

*Down the Road; Ash and friends

Brock looked at Ash with a smile, "So, you can turn into a ponyta now. Huh?"

Ash smiled and nodded, "Yeah." He looked down at the watch with a smile, "Flame Charge. Stomp. Double Kick. This is going to open up a lot off new training opportunities."

Misty smiled slyly, "Aaaand."

Ash raised a brow before putting a hand to his chin, "Um, I guess, this would increase how fast I can run, how higher my temperature can get, and-" He stopped and his eyes widened. He looked at Misty; deadpanned, "And now you're going to want regular horse rides, aren't you?"

Misty smirked and slung an arm across his back, "Look who caught on."

Soot snickered, "Sorry, dad. But you sort of brought this on yourself by showing Rapidash the watch."

Ash sweat dropped, "Great."

.

.

***sci-fi portal sound***

**Mizuro: Phew. That was one **** of a workout.**

**Omega: I'll say.**

**Illavera: Hey, how'd it go?**

**Mizuro: *grin and guitar riff* Awesome!**

**Omega: *snickers* The entire city was a waste land when we left.**

**Illavera: *sweat drops* It's concerning that you can say that so casually.**

**Omega: That's only because it's Teen Titans Go.**

**Luke: Trust me. It's for the best.**

**Faux, Pike, and Laura: *nods***

**Nuevo: *sweat drops* Yikes. That place must be worse that I imagined for you four to be okay with it.**


	38. Ch 33: Kangaskhan

**Omega: So, filler again or something worthwhile?**

**Ohirume: Filler. For the most part.**

**Seishin: But we all know Rob wouldn't make it that meaningless.**

**Omega: Since when do you support him?**

**Seishin: … good question.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**The Legend of Tomo**

.

After leaving the Big P. Ranch, Ash and friends continued towards the Safari Zone; still following the trail Lara pointed out for them. The sun had just set, so they went ahead and set up camp for the night and got dinner ready.

So, Ash had a chance to show everyone the new form.

Charmander looked up at the ponyta in awe, "_Woah._"

Squirtle grinned, "_Alright! What's this one know?!_"

Ash smiled sadly, "_Unfortunately, nothing I can teach you._"

Squirtle pouted, "_Aww man._"

Ash chuckled nervously, "_Sorry._" He perked up, "_Regardless, I already know this form has Stomp, Double Kick,_" He glanced at Charmander, "_and Flame Charge._"

"_WHAT?!_" Vulpix shouted before she ran over to the group with Quick Attack. Everyone flinched from the sudden action.

She ignored that and looked up at Ash, "_Are you serious?! Do you actually know Flame Charge?!_"

Ash blinked in surprise, "_Uh yeah._" He smiled, "_I'm guessing you want to learn it?_"

"_Wha- YES!_" Vulpix blurted out, "_Seriously! Suzie tried to teach me that for three freaking months and we couldn't crack it!_"

"_Uh._" Charmander spoke up with a raised claw and raised brow, "_What's Flame Charge?_"

Ash smirked, "_Sit tight and I'll show you._" He looked over at Brock's larger Rock-type, "_Hey, Onix!_" The snake looked over. Ash continued, "_Mind helping me show off a Fire-type move?_"

Onix slithered over and raised a brow, "_What do I have to do?_"

Ash smiled up at him, "_Nothing much. Just stand there and brace yourself._"

Onix nodded, "_Alright._" He remained where he laid.

Ash turned around and ran further away from the snake. He stopped and turned around, "_Alright! Now watch closely! This move's only other style is for flight capable Pokémon, so you won't have to worry about that!_" He focused on Charmander, "_For now!_"

Ash broke into a sprint towards Onix. Mid run, he became engulfed in a cloak of fire and gained speed. He crashed into Onix with a headbutt and a large explosion kicked up a cloud of dust.

The dust cleared to reveal a barely scathed Onix and Ash walking back towards the group. Onix took that as his cue to slither back over to Brock.

The larger Fire-type smiled down at the smaller ones, "_So, what do you think?_"

Charmander stared at Ash in awe; bright eyed with an even brighter smile, "_Coooool!_" He looked at Ash hopefully, "_Can I really learn that?!_"

Vulpix ran next to him excitedly, "_And me?!_"

Ash smiled at them, "_Of course. We gotta put this form to use anyway._"

"_YES!_" Charmander and Vulpix cheered.

Mankey stepped forward with a determined glare, "_And what about that Double Kick?_"

Soot looked at him with a sad smile, "Uh, sorry Mankey. Your kind can't learn that."

Mankey's eyes widened, "_What?! How?! It doesn't sound that difficult!_"

Ash shrugged, "_Hard to say. It's kind of like how some Pokémon can't learn Tackle._"

Clefairy blinked in surprise, "_What kind of Pokémon can't learn Tackle?_"

Soot sweat dropped, "Pikachu, charmander, mankey, muk, krabby, and clefairy."

Charmander, Krabby, Pikachu, and Clefairy stared at her in surprise, "_Really?_"

Muk looked at them with a raised brow, "_You didn't already know that?_"

Mankey's eye twitched, "_How the Yvel does that make sense?! All you have to do is run into the opponent!_"

Ash sighed, "_We know. People have been debating this nonsense for years. It's gotten to the point that researchers have stopped looking into it for the sake of their own sanity._"

.

**Time Skip**

The group continued on their journey and were currently walking through a dense forest with wild Pokémon running all around. By this point, they found out that Lara's 'About a day's walk' claim didn't take into account that they would be the one's walking.

Although, that wasn't what was getting on Ash's nerves right this moment. This was:

"This is the life." Misty said as lounged on the ponyta's back with a relaxed smile and her eyes closed.

"_Maybe for you._" Ash grumbled. He glared back at her, "_You know I can't do this all the time, right?_"

Soot snickered and translated.

Misty glanced at him with one eye and smirked, "Maybe. But you still do owe me for destroying my bike."

Brock, Pikachu, and Clefairy looked at her in surprise, "H_uh_?" By the way, the Mouse and Fairy were on Brock's shoulders at the moment.

Ash sweat dropped, "_You're still upset about that? You haven't brought that up since Viridian Forest._"

Soot translated again.

Misty closed her eyes again; still smirking, "Oh, I'm not upset anymore. But that doesn't change the fact that you owe me."

The Fire Horse looked ahead; still sweat dropping, '_Almost starting to regret showing the watch to Rapidash._'

A few minutes later, the symbol on Ash's below his neck started beeping and flashing red.

Misty pouted, "Aww man." She sat up and climbed down.

Ash sighed in relief, "_Finally._" He lit up red and emerged as himself.

Pikachu and Clefairy jumped down and prepared to jump back onto Ash's shoulders. Until-

"Wha-"

Everyone flinched and they looked over to see Officer Jenny wearing a chansey hat and poking out of a bush with a tranquilizer gun in hand. She was staring at Ash in shock.

Brock sweat dropped, "Uh oh."

Misty looked at Ash and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "Sorry."

Ash groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, "We used to be good at keeping this stuff secret."

Soot sighed, "Good times."

.

*Jenny's tent; one routine Ash and Soot's life explanation later

"And that's everything." Ash said before yawning, "I know it's a lot to take in all at once."

Jenny blinked in surprise from across the table, "No kidding."

Misty shrugged, "You get used to it."

Soot sighed, "Now that that's over with," She looked at Jenny with a raised brow, "What were you doing in that bush?"

Jenny snapped out of it, "Oh. This is actually a national Pokémon preservation area and I'm the ranger. We've had some scares about poachers recently, and I thought that you all might have been them." She chuckled nervously and scratched her cheek, "Although, I guess that'd be pretty absurd after everything you just told me."

Ash chuckled, "I guess it would be." He frowned, "Jenny, can trust you to keep this a secret?" His frown deepened, "Even if it has to be from the rest of your family?"

Jenny immediately nodded with a smile, "Oh yeah. Of course."

Soot blinked in surprise, "Wait, really? Just like that?"

Jenny shrugged, "Well, yeah. If I had a secret like that, I sure as Yvel wouldn't want too many people to find out."

Ash blinked in surprise before smiling, "Well, thank you, then."

Brock rubbed the back of his head with a smile, "Huh. Lucky break."

Misty sweat dropped with a smile, "Life as usual, I guess."

An alarm started beeping. Everyone looked over at the map to find a red light flashing just beyond the tree line.

Jenny's eyes narrowed, "Crag! Poachers!" She ran outside and jumped into her jeep.

Everyone else ran over to her.

"Let us come along." Brock said with a determined glare.

Misty nodded, "We can help."

Jenny frowned, "I appreciate it, but there isn't enough room for everyone."

Ash smirked and sprung up the dial on his watch, "No problem. Pikachu, Clefairy, and I will go ahead." He slammed down on the watch, became engulfed in green light, and emerged in braviary form.

Pikachu and Clefairy climbed on the Valiant Pokémon's back and he lifted off. Soot, Brock, and Misty jumped into the jeep.

Jenny stared in surprise at the leaving Flying-type, "That'll take some getting used to."

Soot looked at her, "It takes everyone some getting used." She glared ahead, "Now hurry!"

Jenny snapped out of it and hit the gas.

.

*Ash, Pikachu, Clefairy

The trio scrutinized the ground below for the threat.

After a second, Clefairy pointed at the ground, "_Hey! Look!_"

The other followed her gaze and found a massive herd of kangaskhan below them.

Pikachu blinked in surprise, "_Kangaskhan?_"

Ash frowned, "_Crag. That's what the poachers are after. Kangaskhan are an endangered species. Catching a wild one legally is an extremely complicated process that usually involves a mutual agreement._"

Clefairy giggled, "_Sounds like someone who would join our team. Right Pikachu?_"

No response.

Clefairy blinked in surprise and looked over to find the Mouse Pokémon staring at the kangaskhan blankly. She moved closer and nudged him, "_Pikachu?_"

Pikachu snapped out of it and blinked rapidly, "_Huh?_"

Ash glanced back at him, "_Are you alright?_"

Pikachu held his head, "_Uh, yeah. I think so. I just got weird feeling when I saw them._"

Ash raised a brow, "_Have you met one before?_"

"_I don't- I don't think so._" Pikachu responded; feeling unsure. His ear twitched and looked back towards the ground. He flinched and pointed, "_Ash! Lookout!_"

Ash and Clefairy looked back and grimaced upon seeing a rocket headed towards them.

"_Hold on!_" Ash shouted before rolling out of the way of the explosive. Pikachu and Clefairy gripped the feathers on the back of Ash's head for dear life; making the bird grimace in the process.

Ash righted himself in the air and looked around for the source. His eyes narrowed upon finding Jessie and James both holding a large rocket launcher, "_Freaking Yvel!_"

Clefairy followed his gaze and her eyes narrowed, "_Team Rocket!_"

Pikachu glared at the tRio, "_We have to stop-_"

They heard a loud explosion from above and looked up to see five lesser explosions go off around the original.

Ash stared in confusion, "_Wait, it was a firework? Why would-_"

He was cut off by something beeping. The three Pokémon all looked down to see the watch's symbol flashing red.

Ash's eyes twitched, "_Are you kidding me?_"

.

*Brock, Misty, Soot, Jenny; moments earlier

The group pulled up in the jeep and looked out into the group of kangaskhan in awe.

Misty smiled brightly, "Oh wow!"

Brock looked around in awe, "Kangaskhan! I've never seen so many!"

Jenny nodded with a smile, "Now you can see why I work so hard to protect this place."

Everyone flinched as a firework exploded in the sky. They all looked up to see five lesser explosions go off around the first. Also, Ash.

Soot blinked, "Found dad."

Ash took a nosedive straight towards the ground. Pikachu and Clefairy held on for dear life as they fell.

Misty's eyes widened, "What's he doing?"

Soot squinted before her eyes shot open in shock, "He's timing out!" She looked towards the Rock-type trainer, "Brock, I need Marionetter!" She shifted her eyes to their inherent state.

Brock nodded. The pair jumped out of the jeep and Brock pulled at the zipper on Soot's back.

Brock crossed his arms as the strings attached to his fingers, "Soot, Marionetter!" He quickly went through the motions to get Soot onto her hind legs.

Jenny watched in awe, "Woah." She smiled brightly, 'It's even cooler than my stepsister said!'

**Faux: Wait. Stepsister? I don't remember that.**

**Ohirume: Because, I made it up. But, can honestly tell me that's the weirdest way for two Jenny's to be related?**

**Faux: … Fair enough.**

Soot glared up at Ash, "Alright Brock, listen closely!"

.

*Ash

Ash started sweating as he dove towards the ground; the beeping ringing out as he plummeted, '_Crag! There's not enough time!_' "_Guys! Be ready!_"

Pikachu stared at Ash in shock, "_Wait! What do you mean be-_"

A red flash engulfed Ash and faded to reveal him back in human form.

Ash gulped, "That."

Clefairy and Pikachu screamed as they fell.

Ash pulled back and grabbed them, "Gotcha!" He held them tight as they free fell through the air.

Ash squinted as he tried to find some kind of way out of this, 'Brock or Misty? No. Neither of them have a Pokémon that can help with this. Pidgeotto. No. She's not strong enough to carry us all. And catching us at this speed would only hurt her. Red gloves…' He gritted his teeth, "Crag."

He quickly reached around to remove his backpack, tore off his green gloves, and slipped on the red ones.

"Pikachu! Clefairy! Hold on tight!" Ash shouted as he held a hand his hands towards the ground.

"Might I propose something a little safer?"

Ash, Pikachu, and Clefairy flinched and looked over to find Soot free falling next to them; upside down and forelegs behind her head casually.

Soot smiled, "I think I can soften the impact some."

Ash frowned, "Wait, Soot! I don't know about-"

"Too late." Soot interrupted before shouting, "Brock! Now!"

Down below, Brock quickly moved his arms like instructed. Soot reached out, grabbed Ash by the arm, and pulled herself forward to wrap her limbs around the trainer. A split second later, they all crashed into the ground; Soot on her back and everyone else on top of her.

Jenny's eyes widened and she flinched, "Dear Arc!"

Misty chuckled, "Don't worry. Soot can't be hurt while she's like that."

"I'm not so sure about that." Brock said as he held up his hands.

Misty and Jenny looked at him. Misty's eyes widened when the strings were nowhere to be seen.

Jenny blinked in surprise, "Should we be worried now?"

"Maybe." Misty said.

Brock jumped back in the jeep. Jenny pulled a one-eighty and they all sped over to the trainer and Pokémon. In their haste, they failed to notice the kangaskhan break into a frightened stampede.

When the car stopped, Brock and Misty jumped out and ran over. Soot was laying on her back, Ash was on top of her, and Pikachu and Clefairy were on the ground in a daze; having rolled off Ash's back soon after landing.

"Ash! Soot!" Misty called out as she crouched down in front of them.

Brock followed suit with a worried expression, "Are you guys okay?!

Pikachu sat up, shook in head, and shot them a glance, "_Thanks for the concern._"

Ash rolled off the dog and held his head as he laid on the ground, "I'll live."

Soot smiled at them, "Yeah. I'm good."

Brock raised a brow, "But- the strings."

Soot chuckled nervously, "That happens when I take too much damage." She sweat dropped, "I'm stuck this for the next half-hour."

Misty sweat dropped with a glare, "Okay. You two really need to stop letting us find out about stuff like this. You're going to give us panic attacks at some point."

Ash chuckled nervously, "Sorry."

Brock smiled, "Still, it's good to know you're alright." He looked at Soot with a raised brow, "But, what was the point of the arms behind the head thing?"

Soot smirked, "There wasn't a point. I just thought it'd look cool."

A round of rocket fire behind them caused everyone to flinch and look back at the kangaskhan. They were all trapped in a large net.

Jenny's eyes widened, "Oh no! The kangaskhan."

Jessie, James, and Meowth pulled up in red jeep with a large a box of pokéballs in the back.

Brock deadpanned, "And the poachers are Team Rocket."

Misty sweat dropped, "Typical."

Jenny looked at them in shock, "You know them?!"

Ash sighed, "Unfortunately, yes. They've been following us for months." He got back to his feet in a slump as he glared at the jeep, "Still, we have to stop them." He took a step forward, flinched, and fell to a knee.

Brock grimaced and put hand on his shoulder to stop him, "Ash, wait! You're hurt!"

Ash pushed his hand away and glared ahead, "I'm just a little sore. I can still-"

"_GET AWAY FROM THEM!_ / KANGA KANGASKHAN!"

Everyone looked up to see a young, boomerang wielding boy in a loin cloth with spiral markings on his cheeks swing in on a vine. He immediately ran towards the trapped her with a determined glare.

Jenny smiled brightly, "Tomo!"

Misty looked at her in surprise, "You know him?"

Jenny nodded, "He's been raised by the kangaskhan for years. Heck, he's their leader!"

"He was actually raised by Pokémon?" Brock asked surprise.

Soot glanced at Misty with a sly smirk, "Told ya it happens." She glanced at Ash with an excited smile, "Dad help me up! I wanna see this!"

.

*Team Rocket

Tomo ran forward and cut the rope with his boomerang

He pointed away from the next, "_Hurry! Get out of there!_"

The kangaskhan all smiled and started walking out.

Jessie glared, "What does that little savage think he's doing?!"

James glared as well, "You can't have them! We caught them!"

Tomo glared at the tRio before jumping onto a tree branch and pointing at them, "_Everyone attack!_"

The kangaskhan all started glaring at the three of them.

Jessie's eyes widened, "I don't like the way they're looking at us."

"We need ta get out a here! Fast!" Meowth shouted.

Tomo held out a hand, "_Don't let them get away!_"

Almost immediately, the tRio found themselves surrounded by kangaskhan.

James gulped, "Crag."

One of the kangaskhan knocked the jeep into the air with her tail. Team Rocket screamed as they fell back to the earth … only to be batted back into the air by another kangaskhan. This continued happened three more times until a larger kangaskhan without a child charged them with a spin style Dizzy Punch.

The jeep and Rockets shot into the air immediately.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" *ding*

Tomo smirked and pumped a fist, "_Victory!_"

The kangaskhan all followed suit, "_VICTORY!_"

Tomo jumped down from the tree and into the larger one's pouch. He pointed ahead with a smile, "_Let's head home._"

The herd all started walking into the open field with the largest leading the them.

.

*Ash and others

Misty blinked in surprise, "Woah."

Soot laughed like crazy; her limp form held up by her foreleg slung across Ash's back, and Pikachu and Clefairy propping up her head from her shoulders, "O-oh dear Arceus! That was awesome!"

Pikachu struggled to keep her head up, "_Calm down! This is a lot harder than it looks!_"

"_Your laughing's not making it any easier!_" Clefairy shouted.

Brock stared in surprise, "With that kind of talent, he could become an amazing trainer when he grows up."

Jenny smiled sadly, "Maybe. But, after all this time, I'm not sure he'd actually take up a living like that."

A helicopter whirring in the distance caught everyone's attention. It started descending in front of them.

Ash blinked in surprise and looked at the ranger, "Did you call in reinforcements?"

Jenny raised a brow, "That I did not."

The helicopter landed and two adults of highly differing height stepped out of it; both wearing safari style outfits. The woman had red hair and was wearing mostly bright colors. The man was wearing a black and white, striped suit and had a cane.

"Pardon the noise." The short man said with a smile before focusing on Jenny, "Are you the Safari Zone Pokémon Ranger?"

Jenny raised a brow, "Not exactly. I am the local ranger, but this is a national preserve. Not the Safari Zone."

The man's smile didn't falter, "What's the difference?"

Everyone -except the woman- sweat dropped.

Jenny shook it off before asking, "Anyway. Could you please explain why you chose to land your helicopter here?"

"Apologies." The man said; still smiling, "Let me introduce myself. I'm Tommy's father. I came here because I heard that someone had seen my son, Tommy, in this area."

Ash blinked in surprise, "Your son?" He looked closer and noticed the familiar markings on the man's cheeks. He raised a brow and pointed at the man, "He wouldn't happen to have dark blue hair and the same the birthmarks on his cheeks that you have. Would he?"

The woman brightly, "So you have seen him!"

**Illavera: Wait. His parents are still alive?**

**Gem: Why would you think otherwise?**

**Illavera: *sweat drops* I thought it was going to be like the Tarzan thing.**

**Seishin: 'Fraid not. But, fun fact, Tomo's original, Japanese name was Tarsan.**

**Mizuro: Wait, seriously?**

**Seishin: Seriously. ^^** **Pretty sure they changed it because of copyright. Like Yu-Gi-Oh's Prinzessin.**

**Mizuro: Oh right. It used to be Cinderella.**

**Gem: Who's-**

**Ohirume: Gem. Later.**

Jenny's eyes widened in shock, "Wait a second! You mean your Tomo's birth parents?!"

The woman blinked in surprise, "Tomo?"

.

**Time Skip**

Everyone had moved back to Jenny's tent. The held-hour passed so Soot could finally deactivate Marionetter and sit at the table with everyone else. Tommy's parents had just finished their explanation about how the boy wound up in the preservation area. Five years ago.

Clefairy sniffled, "_That's so sad._"

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_Kind of. But probably not for the reason you're thinking._"

Ash stared at the man with a deadpanned expression, "You held your child out of a helicopter … and dropped him."

The father's smile still didn't falter, "It was an honest mistake."

Soot sweat dropped, 'Yeah … right.'

Brock sweat dropped as well, 'And I thought my parents made poor choices.'

Jenny raised a brow, "If that's really true, why did it take you this long to track him down?"

The mother looked down sorrowfully, "We looked as hard as we could. But we couldn't find him anywhere." She looked back up with a frown, "But then, someone sent us a picture of a young boy who looks like Tommy and leads a huge pack of Kangaskhan here in the Safari- oh, sorry. Preservation area."

Jenny sweat dropped with a deadpanned expression, "Be that as it may. That still doesn't explain why it took this long." She pulled out and held up a clipboard with Tomo's picture on it, "Especially since his address has been in the directory for around three years."

The woman's eyes widened in shock, "Huh?"

The man just kept smiling, "Really? Thank goodness."

Misty sweat dropped, 'Are these people serious?'

Ash's eyes twitched before he took a breath to calm himself. He looked back at the parents, "We actually saw him just before you showed up."

The woman looked at the ranger hopefully, "Please. I'm begging you to take us to him."

Jenny frowned, "I'm afraid I don't have the time. I need to be on alert in case more poachers show up."

The man looked around at Ash and the others; still smiling, "What about all of you then? Might you please help us find our boy?"

Ash looked down thoughtfully, 'At the very least, we can get them all to meet with each other. There shouldn't be any harm in that.' He looked back at the parents and nodded, "Alright. We'll help you find him."

Brock and Misty shared an unsure look before nodding and looking back at the pair.

Misty smiled sadly, "It should be a lot easier with all of us looking."

Brock nodded with a sad smile, "We'll help however we can."

The man stood up in his chair, "Thank you all so much. Now we can finally be united with our son and live together as a family."

.

**Time Skip**

Ash lead the way through the forest; having memorized Jenny's map before leaving. The parent's requested that they be carried towards the address, to which the group politely declined.

The father then proposed that he ride Soot towards their destination. This time, before anyone could tell him no, he jumped onto her back.

You can imagine how Ash took that. Put simply, Intimidate.

The man and his wife followed the group from a considerable distance and not just because of Ash.

The father panted heavily; his smile finally gone, "Oh- oh, my. This is more exercise than I'd hoped for."

The mother sweat dropped, "Perhaps we should have hired a Pokémon of our own."

The father looked ahead towards Ash, "Could you please reconsider? I can even pay-"

He was cut off by Ash shooting back an Intimidate boosted glare. Brock and Misty put their hands over their eyes at the word 'could.'

The parents flinched and stopped in their tracks.

Ash let his eyes return to normal and looked ahead again.

Misty moved her hand away and glanced at Ash with a raised brow, "Do you really have to keep using Intimidate like that? I think you're gonna end up giving them nightmares."

Ash glared ahead and crossed his arms, "Nobody rides my little girl and gets away with it."

Clefairy looked at Ash with a raised brow, "_Huh? But me and Pikachu-_"

"Let me clarify." Ash raised as he raised a finger, "No human rides Soot. You two are a lot lighter and are part of my team."

Brock sweat dropped, "Noted."

Soot snickered. She stopped and her ears perked up when she heard something whimpering ahead.

Ash and Pikachu heard it as well and looked ahead. They all found an infant kangaskhan covered in bruises.

Ash and Soot grimaced and ran ahead. Brock and Misty followed. They all crouched down around her.

Misty looked at the hatchling sorrowfully, "A baby kangaskhan."

Ash frowned worriedly, "Poor thing."

Soot looked over at the Pewter leader, "Brock, you have a potion, right?"

Brock nodded with a smile, "Of course." He reached around and pulled out a red and yellow spray bottle, "I always make sure to restock whenever I can. Leave it to me."

The Rock-type trainer moved closer to pet the Normal-type, "Don't worry. You'll be just fine." He pointed the spray bottle at her, "This'll sting a little, but I promise it'll help." He started spraying the kangaskhan.

The infant started screeching and flailing from the spray. Kangaskhan kept whining even after Brock stopped spraying.

Brock sighed, "I'm sorry. But I still need to get the-"

Misty flinched and pointed back the way they came, "Brock, look out!"

"Huh?" Brock looked back, grimaced, and moved out of the way of the passing boomerang. Misty ducked as well.

The pair flinched and she looked over at Ash, "Ash, look ou-" They stopped and stared in mild surprise when they saw Ash holding the boomerang; one of the tips a held inch from his face.

Ash raised a brow, "What?" Ash heard something land and looked over to see Tomo behind the others. Everyone else followed his gaze.

The boy glared at them with a clenched fist, "You hurt Kangaskhan! That bad!" He pointed at Ash, "And give back boomerang!"

Ash blinked in surprise, 'I guess he can speak human.' "Sorry." He threw the boomerang backwards. It slung around and flew back to the wild boy.

Tomo caught it, "Thank you." He pointed at them accusingly, "Now! Leave Kangaskhan alone!"

Misty ran forward and spread her arms out defensively, "It's not like that. Brock was helping them. The medicine just stings a little."

Tomo raised a brow, "Medicine?"

Soot walked up, "It's how humans heal beings. They don't have any abilities to heal so they made other things that can."

Tomo's eyes narrowed, "That no make sense! Why healing hurt?!"

Soot sighed, "It's called disinfectant. It makes sure that cut and bruises get better and that they won't get worse later. Stinging is just a side effect." She smiled softly, "It really is helping. I promise."

Tomo glanced at Brock warily, "That true?"

Brock nodded, "I swear it is." His frowned deepened, "But I need to get her back. It's still going to sting."

Soot perked up and looked at Brock, "Or maybe it won't."

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy looked at the Dark-type in confusion, "Hu_h?_"

Soot shifted her eyes; making Tomo's eyes widened in shock, "Watch."

She walked over to Kangaskhan. The hatchling flinched and cowered away from her.

Soot smiled softly, "Don't worry. I promise this won't hurt even a little bit." She reached out a paw to the other Pokémon's neck and shoved a claw into it.

Tomo's eyes widened in shock before he glared and held up his boomerang, "_You monster!_"

Ash moved in front of him with an outstretched hand, "Tomo wait! Kangaskhan isn't being hurt." He pointed back towards Soot, "Look closer."

Tomo looked and blinked in surprise. Kangaskhan was looking down at the foreleg in confusion and even poking at it. The little one laughed when their paw went straight through it like it wasn't there.

Soot smiled, "Feels funny. Doesn't it?"

Tomo stared in shock, "Wha- what?"

Ash smiled at him, "My hatchling has banette inheritance. In other words, she has abilities similar to Ghost-type's; without actually being one. She made her claw intangible so it could harmlessly go into Kangaskhan's neck."

Tomo blinked in surprise, "But- why?"

Soot smiled at him, "You'll see." She looked at Brock, "Go ahead and spray her back."

Brock nodded; deciding not to question it, "Alright."

He walked around the pair. Kangaskhan watched as he did. She started trembling when he held up the bottle and put her paws over her eyes when he started spraying. Kangaskhan waited frightenedly for the stinging.

She stopped trembling, moved her paws away, and blinked in surprise when it never came. She looked back to see Brock still spraying.

Misty watched in awe, "Woah." She smiled at the canine, "Soot, that's incredible!"

Brock raised brow, "How are you doing that?"

Soot smiled, "It's a concept similar to Marionetter and how I can knockout my sense of smell. I used my claw to make a portion her of her medulla oblongata intangible. Specifically, a portion that connects to the part of her parietal lobe that identifies pain. It's exactly as complex as it sounds."

**Omega: … Okay. How do you enough about biology to appropriately know those terms, but not enough to know that that hardly makes sense?**

**Ohirume: *sigh* 1. We all know I'm better at mathematics than biology. Don't judge me for being an amateur at this subject.**

**2\. I got that stuff by looking up how we feel pain and remembering the purpose -but mostly the name- of the medulla oblongata from that episode of Futurama where Fry got worms from a gas station bathroom sandwich.**

**Nuevo and Luke: Wait, what?**

**Mizuro and Seishin: *snickers* Classic.**

**Ohirume: And 3. It's pseudo-realistic fiction. Not everything has to make perfect sense. Just enough to teach the reader(s) about something. In this case, certain parts of the brain.**

**Omega: *blinks in surprise* Okay, then.**

Everyone -except Ash and Kangaskhan- just stared at her blankly, "H_u_h_?_" Kangaskhan cocked her head in confusion.

Ash chuckled, "It's a really advanced thing Soot can do to help beings not feel pain. It took a lot of training and practice to get it right."

Soot snickered, "Yeah. I actually had to study most of the library's biology textbooks to even start to figure out how to do this."

Misty stared at Soot in awe, "Wow."

Brock frowned and looked at Soot warily, "Now, when you guys say practice-"

Soot chuckled, "Don't worry. We used biology dummies and x-rays. No humans or Pokémon were damaged at any point of me figuring this out." She stopped and reconsidered her statement, "Well … no real ones. A lot of the dummies' brains fell out early on."

Brock and Misty gulped.

Brock stopped spraying. After a few more seconds, Soot moved her claw out of the baby's neck and let her eyes return to normal. Kangaskhan looked over themselves curiously.

Pikachu and Clefairy ran over to her.

Clefairy smiled, "_How do you feel?_"

Kangaskhan looked over at them before tagging Pikachu and running off while laughing.

Pikachu chuckled, "_A lot better by the looks of it._" He smirked and tagged Clefairy, "_You're it!_" He lit up with Quick Attack and sped away.

Clefairy glared, "_Hey!_" She ran after them.

Tomo blinked in surprise, '_It actually worked._' He frowned and looked at Brock apologetically, "Tomo sorry for before."

Brock smiled softly, "It's okay. You were just looking out for Kangaskhan."

Something panting behind them caught everyone's attention. They looked over to see the father slumped over and panting heavily, and the mother sweat dropping with a soft smile.

Tomo blinked in surprise, "Who you two?"

Ash and Soot frowned, 'He doesn't remember them.'

The man held up a hand, "Just- just a minute."

The woman knelt down, "Tommy, it's us. Mama and Papa. We're you're parents."

Tomo raised a brow, "Parents?"

Ash smiled softly, "You're male and female meemas. They've been looking for you for a while."

Tomo blinked, "Meemas?" He frowned and shook his head, "No. Tomo meema Kangaskhan. Meema Kangaskhan."

Misty sighed and crossed her arms, "He really doesn't remember them."

Brock frowned, "He was only three when they were separated."

Soot looked down thoughtfully, "Maybe we could use something to jog his memory. Like an old toy or a picture."

Ash nodded, "It's probably our best bet." He looked over to the parents, "Do either of you have-" He stopped, and his eyes widened in shock.

Before anyone else could react, Ash sprouted his claws and ran at Tomo. He quickly ran around him and slashed the father's raised cane in half as it fell towards the boy. The cut off portion fell to the ground with a thud.

**Mizuro: D- did he just try to-**

**Nuevo: *wide eyed shock* Yeah.**

**Seishin: *sigh* The worst part is, he actually succeeded in the anime.**

**Illavera: I- I thought this was supposed to be a kid's show.**

**…**

**Ohirume: Quick warning.**

**I might have gone overboard with the way Ash talks to the father for the rest of this scene. But I couldn't think of another route that I felt made sense.**

**Apologies in advance to anyone this might upset.**

Everyone stared at the scene in shock.

Tomo glared and pointed at the man accusingly, "You try attack Tomo! You not meema! You just bad human!"

His mother stepped forward with an outstretched man, "Tommy, please-"

"_NO!_" Tomo shouted, "_I don't care what you say! You aren't my meemas!_" With that, he turned and ran towards Kangaskhan, scooped her up, and jumped into a tree. He continued jumping from tree to tree and out of site.

The mother started tearing up, "Tommy." She fell to her knees sorrowfully.

Misty stomped over and glared at the man, "What the Yvel is wrong with you?!"

The man frowned, "I was trying to jog his memory of us."

Brock glared as well, "And you thought hitting him would be the way to do that?!"

The man sweat dropped, "W-well, it seemed like a good idea."

Soot huffed, "Like holding him out of a helicopter?"

Tommy's father smiled sadly, "But it's like I said, that was an honest mistake."

Ash stared at the man; dumbfound, "Are freaking kidding me? Are you actually so arrogant that you're still trying to justify doing something that stupid?"

The man frowned, "B- but-"

"Stop it!" Ash interrupted in an annoyed tone; making everyone flinch, "How can you not have learned anything from all of this?!"

The guy gulped, "I- it was a mistake."

Ash's glared intensified, "Yeah! People make mistakes!" He held up a finger with each following sentence, "Missing something important to your kid because of work. Not listening when they have something they want to say. Letting-" He stopped and gritted his teeth, "Letting them see something that would hurt them and not knowing how to comfort them."

Soot's eyes widened slightly. She glanced to the side sorrowfully.

"Those are mistakes that a father can make, so long as they learn from them!" Ash continued; now in the man's face. He gripped him by the collar of his shirt, "You held your child out of a moving vehicle -ONE THAT FLIES- and dropped him! And you're still trying to pass it off as something that just happens?! You had five years -FIVE! YEARS!- to learn something from all of this and you couldn't even do that!" He spoke in a cold tone and shifted to intimidate; making the humans flinch, "How someone like you became a father is beyond me."

His returned his eyes to normal, let go of the man, and started walking past him, "According to the map, Tomo's heading in the direction of a cliff. I'm going after him to make sure nothing happens."

Brock nodded, "Good luck."

Ash broke into a sprint down the path.

The man just stared into distance in shock and started tearing up before he looked down sorrowfully.

Soot glanced at the man before looking up at Brock and Misty, "We should probably head back to the tent."

The pair nodded, "Right."

They all left the area; paying no mind to the parents.

.

*Ash

The trainer glanced to the side curiously as he barreled down the path, 'Huh. Definitely a little faster than before. Maybe Jenny has a speed gun.'

He quickly found the Tomo and the young kangaskhan high in a tree; sitting on a branch. He skidded to a halt and looked up at them, "Tomo!"

The boy flinched and looked back at him. His eyes narrowed and he started jumping from tree to tree again.

Ash grimaced, "Crag." He jogged after him, "Tomo wait!"

Tomo glared back, "No! Tomo not letting you take him back to bad humans!"

Ash frowned, "That's not what I'm trying to do! There's a-" His eyes widened, "Tomo! Stop!"

The boy glared back as he jumped off the branch again, "Tomo said you not-" He stopped, and his eyes widened when he saw the cliff's edge behind him.

Ash grimaced and broke into a sprint towards the cliff. He quickly slipped on his red gloves, sprung up the dial on watch, and jumped.

.

*Tomo and Kangaskhan

Tomo looked towards the ground below and his eyes widened in shock. He let go of his boomerang and wrapped his arms around Kangaskhan as they plummeted.

The hatchling screamed as the wind rushed past. Tomo closed his eyes and held the Pokémon tighter.

Their eyes shot open in shock when a loud explosion rang out above them. They looked up to see a large burst of flames fade behind Ash as he shot towards them with a determined glare.

He reached them in a matter of seconds and wrapped his left arm around them. Before Tomo or Kangaskhan could even blink, Ash slammed the face of the watch against his forehead and became engulfed in green light.

Tomo and Kangaskhan shied away from the flash. When it faded, they looked back and their eyes widened in shock at the sight of the dragonite now holding them.

Ash glared at and held out a paw to the ground, "_HURRICANE!_" His horns and antenna started glowing blue. A massive whirlwind whipped up on the ground below the trio and caught them. The winds faded and Ash landed softly with the human and kangaskhan in his arms.

Ash put them down, hit the symbol on his chest, and returned to normal. He looked at them worriedly and crouched down to put a hand Tomo's shoulder, "Are you two okay?"

Tomo stared at Ash in shock, "Y- you human … or Pokémon?"

Ash chuckled softly, 'Good question.' He stood back up and walked over to Tomo's boomerang, "I'll take that as a yes." He picked it up and handed it back to the boy.

Tomo blinked before taking it back, "Thank y-" He grimaced and started holding his head. Kangaskhan frowned and nudged up against the boy worriedly.

Ash's eyes widened and he held out a hand worriedly, "What's wrong?! You didn't hit your head, did you?!"

Tomo shook his head, "No. Tomo … Tomo see things during fall. See kangaskhan herd and other Pokémon Tomo know."

Ash frowned, "That might've been your life flashing before your eyes. People say this kind of thing can happen in a life-threatening or traumatic situation. You saw everything you've experienced all at once."

Tomo looked at Ash in mild confusion, "Then why Tomo see woman from before in different clothes?" He put a hand to his head, "Why Tomo remembering feeling happy around Mama?" He stopped and blinked in surprise, "Wha- Mama? Why Tomo call her-" His eyes widened in shock and he looked at Ash, "They- They really meemas?"

Ash frowned but nodded, "Yeah. They are."

Tomo jumped to his feet, "Then why man attack Tomo?! Meemas not supposed to hurt hatchlings!"

Ash looked down sorrowfully, "I can't say for certain." His eyes widened in shock and he looked back, "Did you hear that?"

Tomo blinked in surprise, "What?"

Ash closed his eyes and put a hand to his ear.

It was faint, but he could hear a bad kangaskhan impression being broadcasted through a mechanical tone.

Ash scowled, 'Why the Yvel would someone need a-' His eyes shot open in shock, "Crag!"

Tomo and Kangaskhan flinched from the outburst. "What wrong?!" Tomo asked.

Ash gritted his teeth, "The poachers from before are back! They're after the kangaskhan again!"

Kangaskhan's eyes widened before looking on the same direction as Ash.

Tomo grimaced and glared at the cliff, "We need hurry!" He ran toward and jumped up to the cliff face and tried climbing. After a few seconds, he lost his grip and fell back.

Ash ran over, caught him, and put him back down. He looked up the cliff, "It's too steep. Climbing it won't work."

Tomo glared at him, "That not mean we give up! Herd needs help!"

Ash smirked, "Glad we agree." He held up his arm and used a thumb to feel his pulse, 'One more shouldn't cause any lasting damage.' He looked back at Tomo, "Grab Kangaskhan and climb on my back."

Tomo raised a brow, "Huh?" Kangaskhan cocked her head.

"Trust me." Ash said before crouching down, "Come on! We don't have time to lose!"

Tomo looked up the cliff worriedly before looking at Ash and nodding, "Alright." He scooped up Kangaskhan and did as Ash said; holding on to his backpack.

Ash smiled, "Now hold on tight." He ran away from the cliff to get a running start and turned around to face it.

Ash held his left hand towards the cliff and sprouted the claws from it; making Tomo and Kangskhan's eyes widened in surprise. Ash quickly fired all five into the same point on cliffside. A baseball sized section of rock broke free and fell to the ground; leaving behind a small hole.

Before Tomo could say anything, Ash charged the cliff and jumped. He shoved his foot into the carved foothold and jumped again; gaining more altitude.

Tomo grimaced, "We not make it!"

Ash held his hands down towards the ground and scowled in pain. The palms of his red gloves started sparking wildly before massive fiery explosion burst from them; propelling the group higher. Ash shot past the cliff's edge and landed in a crouch.

He immediately fell to his knees and held his wrist, 'Oh dear Arceus, that hurt!' "Okay, maybe Soot has a point with these things."

Tomo climbed down, and he and Kangaskhan stared at Ash in awe. The boy glanced over the side of the cliff before looking back at Ash, "How- How you do that?"

Ash glanced at him with one eye, "Later. You need to get the kangaskhan. They're still in trouble."

Tomo frowned worriedly and held out a hand, "But, you hurt."

Ash pushed his hand back and forced a smile, "I'll be fine. You need to help your herd. I'll catch up later."

Tomo stared at Ash in shock before nodding with a worried frown, "Okay. But I leave hatchling with you for safety."

Ash chuckled softly, "Fair enough. Now hurry."

Tomo nodded, jumped into a nearby tree, and continued jumping. He disappeared into the distance in a matter of seconds.

Ash stood back up but instantly grimaced and fell to his knees again. He put a hand to his head and groaned.

Kangaskhan flinched and ran over to him. She looked up at the human sadly.

Ash smiled softly and pet the Normal-type, "I'm okay. Really." 'Yeah right. You can barely stand.' Ash sighed and moved to sit down, 'Okay. Too weak to stand. Lightheaded.' He put a hand to his forehead, 'Temperature dropping to about a hundred degrees. Not good.' He grimaced, 'I really messed up. Seriously! Why didn't I just turn into Braviary or Dragonite again?!'

Ash heard Tomo shouting his battle cry in the distance.

The trainer glared into the distance; still grimacing, 'This is no time to beat myself up. They still might need help.' He shook his head, 'Okay. Think.' He glanced at the watch, 'I only have three forms that don't care about blood loss. Banette isn't fast enough and Stone Edge isn't of any use for something this prolonged. Which leaves-' He sighed in annoyance, "Freaking Yvel."

Kangaskhan blinked in surprise and cocked her head in confusion.

Ash noticed and smiled softly, "Don't worry." He brought up the watch and sprung up the dial. He found the form he had in mind and groaned, "Why did it have to be you?"

He hit the dial and became engulfed in green light again.

Kangaskhan shied away from the light again. When it faded, she looked back and stared in jaw dropped shock at the sight of the creature before her.

.

*Tomo

The wild boy continued jumping through the trees towards the herd. He swung in on a vine and landed on the ground. He looked out into the field and his eyes widened in shock.

Most of the herd was unconscious on the ground with the rest struggling to stay awake. Moving towards them was a gargantuan kangaskhan robot.

Tomo's eyes narrowed, "You bad kangaskhan! Tomo angry!"

He reeled back and threw his boomerang at the machine. The thrown tool shot towards the fake kangaskhan … only for it to bounce off the head with a clang and fall back towards Tomo.

Tomo's eyes widened in shock at seeing his attack do nothing, "_What?!_"

The robot turned to face him and pointed its arms at him. Both claws shot off with a burst of flames spewing behind them.

Tomo grimaced and jumped over the first one. He stared in horror upon seeing the second one approach him rapidly. He crossed his arms to brace himself right before a ball of rainbow light intercepted the fist and batted it away.

The sphere of light faded and Clefairy skid across the ground with a determined glare. That glare broke into an overjoyed smile as she jumped around excitedly, "_Woo! That was so cool!_" She looked in the direction she came with a bright smile, "_Did you guys see that?!_"

"Very cool, Clefairy." Came a snickering, familiar voice.

Soot, Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Jenny pulled up in the jeep. The robot's fists had already flown back to their source.

Soot and Pikachu jumped out of the jeep and glared at the mech. Clefairy ran over and joined them.

Brock looked around in confusion, "Wait, where's Ash?"

Tomo looked at him, "Other guy with baby Kangaskhan; keeping her safe."

Soot frowned, "He didn't come with you?"

Tomo shook his head, "He tired from saving Tomo and Kangaskhan from cliff. He shoot fire and turn into dragonite."

Misty flinched, "Wait, what?! You found out about the watch too?!"

Tomo blinked in surprise, "_Watch?_"

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_Two people we just met in one day. Must be a new record._"

Jenny blinked in surprise and looked at Soot, "He can turn into a dragonite?"

Soot sighed, "Later." She glared at the robot, "Right now, we have bigger things to worry ab-" She stopped and blinked in surprise when she felt the ground rumbling slightly. She, Pikachu and Clefairy looked at the ground in confusion, "What the?"

Brock frowned, "What's wrong?"

Soot's eyes narrowed, "Something's moving beneath us." She put an ear to the ground, "It sounds like-"

Everyone flinched and looked over as something big and green burst out of the ground. The young kangaskhan climbed out of the hole a moment later and immediately ran over to Tomo.

Tomo flinched and crouched down to her, "_What?! Kangaskhan?! Why are you here?! Where's the other guy?!_"

Kangaskhan pointed into the field; where everyone else was staring in shock. Tomo looked over as well and his eye widened in shock.

Standing before them was a tall, slim plant-like creature with five long vines instead of legs. Its hands had four long, skinny fingers and it had a pair of structures resembling a carnivine's jaws around its head; attached to the sides of its neck. It had one pupil-less, bulbous blue eye on its face and two more identical, bulging eyes on each shoulder. On its back were two rows of four black, seed-like pods and on its chest was the watch's symbol.

Ash glared at the robot angrily.

**Ohirume: Oh, like it wasn't obvious.**

Soot deadpanned, 'Son of a glitch. Why him?'

.

*Team Rocket

Jessie's eyes widened in shock, "Woah!"

Meowth stared in shock, "What da Yvel is dat?! Some kinda supa Grass-type?!"

James was flipping through his book frantically, "I- I can't find anything like it! The closest thing I can think of is a carnivine!"

Jessie's eyes widened, "Wait." She looked at her Teammates, "What if it's a new species?"

James's eyes widened in realization and he looked back at her, "Do you really think so, Jess?"

Meowth smiled brightly, "If it is, imagine what da boss'll say if we bring it in!"

Jessie smirked wickedly, "Yeah! Forget the kangaskhan! We're going after that thing!"

James grinned and pulled a lever, "Roger that! Rocket Punch!"

.

*Back to the group

The robot's fists fired off again and flew towards Ash.

His eye narrowed before crouched down and sprung high into the air. His arm stretched towards a nearby tree and he reeled himself towards it. The fists followed like heat seekers.

Ash removed four of the pods from his back and threw them and at the fists; two each.

The pods thrown at the left attached to the fist and sprouted a series of vines. The vines quickly wrapped around the jets on the back of the fist and crushed them before anyone could blink. The fist crashed into the ground.

The other pods exploded on contact with the right fist. The giant metal structure lost control and flew around wildly.

Jenny stared at Ash in shock, "Wh- what the Yvel is that thing?"

Tomo stared in shock as well, "Tomo never even heard of Pokémon like this!"

Misty blinked in surprise, "Wait a second." She looked down and started listing things off on her fingers, "Monster we've never heard of before. Human like stature. Ash isn't here. Ash is Ash." She deadpanned and pointed at the creature, "That's Frenzy Plant, isn't it?"

Soot snickered, "Bingo."

Jenny looked at her in confusion, "Frenzy Plant?" She looked back at the creature; still confused, "What the Yvel kind of style is that? Enhance? Cloak?"

Soot chuckled, "Wrong idea. That's actually dad. The watch has a few forms like this that we call non-Pokémon." She looked back at Ash and smirked, "And luckily, Frenzy Plant is the freak that dad has the most control over. In terms of power, try imagining a carnivine with tangrowth, shaymin, Mega sceptile and venasaur inheritance that can effortlessly regenerate his entire body from nothing but an arm and can continuously use actual Frenzy Plant without ever having to recharge."

Everyone stared at her in shock, before looking back at Ash in awe, "Wo_a_h."

Something occurred to Brock and he looked down at Soot curiously, "Wait. If Frenzy Plant is that good, why has Ash never used it until now?"

Soot frowned and looked down; eyes shaded, "Because Frenzy Plant has the worst personality glitch of them all. One that counteracts every single advantage the form brings."

Everyone stared at the Dark-type in shock.

Misty gulped, "Wh-what is it?"

Soot groaned, "It's-"

"LOOK OUT!" Jenny shouted; cutting off Soot. Everyone else followed her gaze and grimaced upon finding the fist that got the explosive pods shooting towards them rapidly and out of control.

Ash noticed, stretched an arm towards them, dug into the ground in front of them, and pulled himself over. He landed and dug both his arm into the ground. A massive vine wall made of tree bark weaved itself together in front of them and blocked the metal fist as it tried to break through. Ash's eye narrowed and shoved his arms forward. The wall fell forward and sent the fist tumbling back towards the robot.

Although unseen by anyone else, Jessie, James, and Meowth's jaws dropped in absolute shock.

Ash brought the all back up to protect everyone before looking back worriedly, "Are you guys bouquet?" He said in a deep, gravelly voice.

Misty sighed in relief before smiling at him, "We're alright, Ash. Thanks for-" She stopped and blinked in surprise upon realizing what he said, "Wait, what?"

Ash blinked in confusion; showing that only the eye on his face had eyelids, "I asked if you were bouquet. Leek if any of you were dirt or in grain?" He rubbed the back of his head; minding the jaws, "Elm sorry about that. I probably shootn't of used the exploding ones."

Everyone, except Soot, stared at him in confusion.

Soot sighed, "Dad, we're fine. Just get back to the fight."

Ash sweat dropped, "Uh, fir."

The 'plant's' arm stretched to the edge of his wooden structure and he looked back at them, "Just promise to stamen sprout of harm's way."

He retracted his arm and swung around the wall.

Jenny stared in shock as Ash left, "What the Yvel just happened?"

"Plant puns. The glitch is freaking plant puns." Soot responded in with a twitching eye as she spoke through clenched teeth, "Nearly every sentence that thing mutters includes some form of pun about plants or fungus or WHATEVER THE YVEL ELSE GROWS FROM THE GROUND!" She took a deep breath ending in an annoyed sigh, "The worst part is, it's impossible to stop him. Because he doesn't even realize he's doing it."

Brock sweat dropped, "It's even worse than you described."

Pikachu sweat dropped as well, "_No kidding._"

Clefairy giggled, "_I think it's funny._"

Pikachu and Soot sweat dropped.

**Ohirume: I feel the need to apologize fully for this personality glitch.**

**It was just as painful for me to write as it will be for all of you to read.**

**Seishin: BTW, Rob was going to make a list a of usable puns and post it on "Random-ish stuff on the side." But then we found a website that already did that for us. Disclaimer down below.**

**Omega: I envy every last one of you people. You don't have to live as a figment of the moron who comes up with this ****.**

**…**

**Ohirume: All puns come from the "Plant Puns," "Flower Puns," "Leaf Puns," and "Tree Puns" pages on Punpedia.**

**I am not even joking. That website actually ******* exists and has puns for ANYTHING. Some undoubtably better than others.**

**Seishin: It's my new favorite website.**

**Omega: Again. I envy all of you.**

.

*tRio

The group flinched as the plant monster slung around the shield and towards them.

Jessie's eyes narrowed as she pulled a lever, "Take this!"

The robot aimed its claws again. Although-

"Wait a sec! Where's da otha Rocket Fist?!" Meowth shouted at seeing only the right one in place.

James sweat dropped and pointed into the field, "Over there."

His partners looked over to see the wild vines **(Seishin: :D)** compacting the large structure into a ball of scrap metal.

"Oh, come on! Those things are expensive!" Jessie shouted furiously before she groaned, "Whatever! Just shoot it!"

James pushed a button, "Rocket Punch!"

The fist shot off the Rocket's mech again.

Meowth glanced at James while sweat dropped, "Do ya have ta say dat every time?"

James nodded with a smirk, "I do."

.

*Ash

Frenzy Plant's eye narrowed as he smirked at the approaching fist. He extended his fingers to wrap around it fist and used to it as leverage to swing onto the robot's head.

Ash held out his hands, 'Tree this on fir size!' He held his hands high into the air.

Dozens of massive vines burst out of the ground, started wrapping around the robot, and constricting it. The left arm had already starting to creak and warp.

The mech's eyes lit up yellow as it started struggling to break free. A few of the vines snapped.

Ash grimaced, 'Crop!' He started looking around, 'There's pot to be a weak point somewhere.'

The right arm broke free and swept at Ash. He jumped high over the fist and grappled onto the constrained machine's shoulder. He started swinging around the robot and looking over the body for some weakness.

After a second, he noticed something glinting on the hip, 'Wheat the?'

He swung in closer and found a wide fuel gauge above a gray gas cap.

Ash sweat dropped, 'Dry wood they put a fuel gauge on the outside?' He sighed, 'Ah, to cell with it.'

He quickly removed the gas cap, removed a pod from his back, and shoved said pod into the tank. He reached an arm back towards the trees and reeled himself back. The pod exploded from the inside and set the robot on fire.

Ash landed and grinned, "Swheat! It worked!"

Tomo smiled and clenched a fist, "Grass-type Ash do it!"

Soot smirked, "Finish them off dad!"

Ash nodded and held out his arms. His fingers elongated and became thinner, and a handful of grass blades sprouted from his arms. He crouched down and prepared to pounce … until the symbol on his chest started and flashing red. Again.

Brock, Misty, Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy sweat dropped, "Are _yo_u ki_dd_ing _me_?"

Jenny and Tomo blinked in surprise, "Huh?"

Ash glared at the symbol angrily, "Agrain?!" He groaned, stretched an arm past his friends, grabbed onto a tree and pulled himself out of sight. A faint red flash shown deep in the jungle. Ash sprinted back into the clearing a few seconds later.

Misty sweat dropped, "Seriously? This is the third time you've timed out at the worst possible moment today."

Ash sweat dropped, "Well aware." He glared at the robot, "But right now, we have more important things to worry about."

HEY! Jessie shouted over a load speaker, Where'd the plant thing go?!

Jenny glared at them, "As if we'd tell you!"

Meowth's angry voice came next, Let's see if you keep quiet afta our Supa Punch!

James spoke up as the robot's eyes went from yellow to red, One Super Punch coming-

A helicopter whirring in the distance cut him off and caught everyone's attention. They all looked over to see the parents' helicopter flying directly towards the robot and strike it head on. The resulting explosion annihilated the robot, shot the tRio into the distance, and "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Everyone stared in shock at the flaming pile of ex-robot and helicopter.

"Tommy's parents…" Misty said sorrowfully.

Brock clenched a fist and looked down sorrowfully, "They sacrificed themselves for their son."

Ash looked down shamefully, "And I did was yell at them."

Soot looked down shamefully, "We never even learned their names."

Tomo started tearing up, "No." He fell to his knees, "Mama! Papa!"

"What did you say?"

Everyone flinched and looked over to see the parents standing next to the group.

The mother stared at Tomo in shock, "Tommy." She started tearing up, ran towards him, and scooped him into a hug, "You remember us!"

Tomo stared into the distance in shock as she held him, "M- Mama?" He teared up and hugged her back, "You okay!"

Jenny blinked in surprise and looked at the man in shock, "Wait, you two weren't in that thing?!"

The father raised a brow, "What? Of course not. We aren't idiots."

Brock pointed at the wreckage while still looking at the man, "But then, how did do that?"

The man held up a large RC transmitter, "We installed a remote-control option a few years back."

Soot raised a brow, "Why?"

The man blinked in surprise, "There's a reason we shouldn't have?"

Nobody knew how to respond to that.

The man looked back at Tomo and his wife with a frown. He took a deep breath before he started walking over to them.

"Tommy." The man said as stood across from his son.

Tomo looked back at him with a frown and warry look.

The father frowned, "Son. I'm sorry about everything."

Tomo blinked in surprise. Ash perked up a little bit.

The man continued, "I'm sorry for ever holding you out of the helicopter. I'm sorry for trying to hit you on the head earlier. But, most of all, I'm sorry that it took until now for me apologize for all of this." He looked down sorrowfully, "And even more so for me to realize that I had to apologize at all."

Tomo looked at the man sorrowfully, "Papa."

The man looked down shamefully, "I've been a terrible father to you, and I was too stupid and arrogant to even realize it." He looked back up at Tomo with a sad smile, "But I want that all to change. I want us to be a family again."

The mother nodded with a soft smile, "That's all we ever wanted, Tommy. For us to be one big happy family."

The man walked closer, "I know I have a lot of work to do to make up for everything. And I know it will take time for us to really be a family again." He held out a hand to boy with a hopeful smile, "But I hope you'll let us join your family so we can start."

Soot blinked in surprise, "Huh?"

Misty stared at the group blankly, "Did he just say-"

"Yeah." Brock said in a mild daze.

Ash chuckled lightly, "Gotta admit. I did not see that coming."

Tomo stared at the man in shock, "Y- you want to stay with Tomo?"

The mother nodded, "We know how much you love the kangaskhan. So, we decided we'll stay here with you to help protect them."

The father walked over to stand next to his wife and nodded too, "All we want is our boy back. By any means necessary."

Tomo started tearing up, "Mama. Papa." He took on an overjoyed smile with tears in his eyes and ran over to pull them into a group hug.

Tomo's mother crouched down to hug him back, "We'll be together from now on, Tommy."

Tomo's father nodded as he hugged his son back, "And that's a promise."

The boy smiled, "Good."

Everyone else watched with soft smiles as the fixed family held each other.

Soot nudged up against Ash. Ash smiled softly and pet her.

.

.

**Omega: *sniffles***

**Seishin: *wild laughter* Oh my brothers! Omega's crying again! How long has it been?! Fifteen chapters?!**

**Ohirume: Yup. I counted.**

**Omega: Can you stop with that?! I! AM! NOT! HEARTLESS!**


	39. Christmas special - not chapter

**Ohirume: Alright readers, it's that time again! First, I would just like to thank all of you so much for your support and ideas.**

**This is, by far the longest holiday special chapter I have ever done, ****and I couldn't be happier about it!**

**Although, despite all logic, we aren't doing any songs in this Special.**

**Seishin: Blasphemy!**

**Yugo: Enjoy!**

.

.

From buterflypuss (chapter 33):

XD

**Gem: What does that mean?**

**Omega: *sigh* It's an emoticon, Gem. Their symbolic ways of typing out facial expressions.**

**Gem: Oh. Why didn't they just do what we did?**

**Omega: Because our method is moronic.**

**Ohirume: *sigh***

**Omega: Exactly.**

**Seishin: Wait, I use emoticons now. See? :D**

**Yugo: Only because you're as self-aware as you are.**

.

From Supertoe (chapter 33):

So, I'd like to know who is Soot's mother?

**Faux: *frowns and ears droop* It's not a happy story.**

**Omega: Although, the second chapter does actually show where she is and gives us her name.**

**Ohirume: One thing I will say, however: she's another OC. You're not gonna find a canon counterpart.**

.

Lycoan wolf entity (chapter 33):

**(Given the length of this comment, I split it up as follows)**

Thanks Omega for pointing that out, I realized I forgot about Grey Matter just after I posted my review.

**Omega: Eh. No harm no foul.**

**Seishin: *relieved sigh* I'm just happy Wolfy wasn't upset about you-**

And don't call me Wolfie.

**Seishin: Aww. :(**

**Omega: Ha.**

Okay, since Erica is already over and done with, (missed opportunity by the way) I'd say the Veridian city gym battle would be the perfect opportunity for Frenzy Plant to make an appearance.

**Illavera: *raised brow* Erica?**

**Faux: Grass-type Gym Leader from the Celadon chapter.**

**Illavera: Oh, right.**

**Mizuro: Wait, I thought her name was spelled with a-**

**Seishin: Well, I can see the connection Wol-**

**Yugo: *glares* Yukiro.**

**Seishin: *grumbles* I can see the connection ****Lycoan****. But, why would Trix have chosen a plant monster in a burning building?**

**Gem: Maybe to fight in the Gym Battle?**

**Luke: *deadpans* Yes, because a ****second**** monstrosity appearing out of nowhere and ****suddenly**** choosing to partake in a Pokémon battle wouldn't arouse suspicion.**

**Ohirume: In Lycoan's defense, I did consider having Frenzy Plant appear to help fix the Gym. But I couldn't think of a way for Ash, Soot, or the others to explain its sudden appearance.**

**I also considered Frenzy Plant fixing the Gym overnight without anyone knowing. But I … Why didn't I do that?**

**Seishin: Don't you remember? It was because Erika would end up questioning it too much and you thought it would be too nonsensical.**

**Omega: *deadpans* Since when has too much nonsense ****ever**** been an issue for you?**

**…**

**Ohirume: Yeah … I typed out all of that above stuff before starting the kangaskhan chapter.**

Btw if you ever need suggestions on fights with the aliens, you can ask me. I already have a few Ben 10 crossover stories. So...yeah.

**Ohirume: Can do. Thank you for the suggestions.**

.

Lycoan wolf entity (chapter 34):

It's Armodrillo, isn't it? Please for the love of Arceus do NOT have the name be something like, Dig, Earthquake, Bulldoze, Fissure, Magnitude, or Tectonic Rage.

**Ohirume: *chuckles* By the time you read this response, you will have already seen that you were correct in it being a Talpaedan and that the name isn't any of the one's you mention.**

**Seishin: All true, but one thing I wanna know. Watchu got against Ground-type moves, man?!**

**Omega: *sweat drops* And he's the one who tells ****me**** not to antagonize people.**

.

From buterflypuss (chapter 34):

Good chap

**Ohirume: Thank-**

**Seishin: Chidori!**

**Omega: Merry-Go-Round Olsen!**

**Olsen: *Psychotic laughter***

***DOUBLE SLAM!***

**Ohirume: HA! Halo 3 Bubble Shield! Nice try, freaks!**

**Seishin: Ow. *slides down***

**"****Faux": Wow *knocks on dome from inside* this thing is tough.**

**Ohirume: Well, yeah. It can stand up to any- *flinches and turn around* How did you get in here?!**

**"****Faux": I didn't. *points ahead***

**Faux: *waves* Hi.**

**Ohirume: Oh, you're a copy.**

**"****Faux": Yup. Also, Link Attack! Thunder Ace!**

**Ohirume: *deadpanned* Crag.**

.

From TheSilverUmbreon (chapter 34):

when i read clefairy's guess

I IMMEDIATELY KNEW IT WAS BIG CHILL

**Ohirume: *chuckles* That, in fact, was her guess.**

**Seishin: But now, here's something to think about. Is it just another Easter egg or foreshadowing? ~****Ѧ*******

**Omega: What the **** kind of emoticon is that?!**

**Seishin: Not really sure.**

.

From Johnathen Youngs (chapter 34):

Who's that alien

.

It's armadrillo

**Nuevo: Uh … yeah, it is. You, kind of, answered your own question.**

**Seishin: -_- That isn't what happened. It's a reference to "Who's that Pokémon?"**

**Mizuro: Wazzat?**

**Ohirume: Something from the canon series.**

**Mizuro: Then, why aren't we doing it?**

**Ohirume: … Y'know, I'm not gonna blame you for not knowing that. I suggest you look it up real fast.**

**Mizuro: *shrugs* Alright.**

***elevator music***

**Mizuro: Okay, I see your point.**

.

Lycoan wolf entity (chapter 35):

Armodrillo. I ******* knew it. The only part I don't get is why Ash had the Pikachu body parts for an alien more associated with the ground rather than one more associated with electricity like Buzzshock or Feedback? It doesn't make much sense. Btw I really wanna see Feedback at some point in this story. Maybe give him an over energetic personality glitch

**Ohirume: That, uh, wasn't really the point of the glitch. If you remember, Ash said that the last time the glitch happened, he ended up with mightyena ears and a tail, and received Quick Attack/XLR8. And, like this instance, the mightyena and Kineceleran and species are not connected in anyway.**

**The 'new form' glitch is actually tied to Power Integration, a process which adds the non-human, unlocked DNA from the Omnitrix into Ash's human self. Allowing him to still be able to fight without transforming. Think of it like a weaker, but more versatile and continuous version of the Ultimate Ben 10,000 thing.**

**Anyway, the concept behind the glitch is that the newly unlocked DNA causes another of Ash's forms to "leak" and add on these features for a short amount of time. Which form leaks is completely random, but I will restrict it to Pokémon more often than not.**

**But I will admit that I chose the pikachu form for completely unjustified and biased reasons. Put simply, I read and looked up ****a lot**** of Ashchu/Ashachu stuff when I was younger. Which is also part of why I had Pikachu touch the watch in the first chapter. Heck, that's what got me interested in fanfictions in the first place.**

**As for Feedback … I'll think about it. I've been going along with the forms in a way that keeps Ash from receiving something that's too similar -in terms of ability- to what he already has. Hence the reason for his weird preference for not letting Pokémon touch the Omnitrix. As the story progresses, I'll gradually cut back on this preference.**

**Although I do ****really**** like the idea of something with an over energetic personality. I'm not sure what alien will have that yet, but I'll be sure to use it eventually.**

**Seishin: Uh, wow. (·_·**'**) Can we move on to the jokes now?**

**Yugo: Doesn't seem like it.**

.

TheSilverUmbreon (chapter 35):

so armidrillo

Underrated, but not hated as much as frankenstrike

can't wait for the likes of wildmutt, rath, upgrade, alien x, and maybe some of the weirder aliens like gutrot, goop, crash-hopper, jerryrig, and pesky dust

**Ohirume: Huh. Did not realize the Talpaedan species was underrated.**

**Omega: ****You**** wouldn't.**

**Ohirume: As for the others.**

**Wildmutt would be interesting. Especially since ****no one**** would be able to understand him.**

**Rath is … Rath. So the personality glitch and name are already set.**

**Upgrade I am heavily considering.**

**Alien X would be kind of hilarious. Again, personality glitch is set. Or, should I say, multiple personality glitch. *snickers***

**Omega: Ugh.**

**Ohirume: But, I am ****very**** on edge about most of the Omniverse exclusive species. I did enjoy some of the concepts from that series, namely the multiverse non-sense, but the aliens were a bit iffy. That's also why, if you've noticed, I've been using the Original/Alien Force/Ultimate Alien designs.**

**Omega: And, once again Rob used all of the comment space to explain way too much.**

**Seishin: OH, COME ON!**

.

From Wizzer96 (chapter 1):

*read the title and crossover with*

"you've got me curious..."

*finish the first chap*

"but now you have my attention"

**Seishin: VICTORY SCREE-**

**Omega: NO!**

**Seishin: :( B-but-**

**Omega: SHUT IT! I had trouble hearing for a ****week**** after the last one!**

**Gem: Wait, what's a victory screech?**

**Omega: No. No no no no.**

**Seishin: ALOLOLOLOOLLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!**

**Mizuro: LOLOOLLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!**

**Ohirume: LOLOOLLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!**

**Yugo: LOLOOLLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!**

.

From TobyFreshCut (chapter 35):

**(Given the length of this comment, I split it up as follows)**

I really enjoy this story. I've been trying to figure out names for some of the other Aliens...oops Non-Pokémon.

**Seishin: *Snickers***

Here are some I came up with.

**Ohirume: Alright, let's see what you got.**

.

Stinkfly - Bug buzz or Gunk Shot.

**Ohirume: Makes sense.**

Rath - Rage

**Ohirume: I like the idea, but I can't go with that. Rath named himself in every continuity.**

Pesky Dust - Dream Eater

**Ohirume: Gonna be honest, I forgot that the Nemuina species could do that.**

Cannonbolt - Rollout

**Ohirume: Perfect.**

Goop - Acid Armor

**Ohirume: Also, perfect.**

Wildmutt - Odor Sleuth

**Ohirume: Makes sense.**

Upchuck - Spit Up

**Ohirume: Makes sense.**

Water Hazard - Hydro Cannon/Pump

**Ohirume: I'd probably go with the Pump.**

**Omega: *sweat drops* That's another Andromeda species.**

**Seishin: That didn't stop Armodrillo/Hammer Arm.**

NRG - Blast Burn

**Ohirume: Maybe.**

**Omega: ANDROMEDA!**

**Seishin: FIGMENT!**

**Omega: … what?**

Big Chill - Frost Breath

**Ohirume: Right idea. But I was thinking Sheer Cold.**

**As for my reason, imagine a Necrofriggian saying that in the same style as "Big Chill."**

Echo Echo - Hyper Voice or Echoed Voice

**Ohirume: I was almost considering Round. But I'm starting to warm up to Echoed Voice.**

Chromastone - Hyper Beam

**Ohirume: I was actually thinking Power Gem.**

.

And some I can't figure out.

.

Swampfire

**Ohirume: Oh, well- uh … Yeah, I got nothin'**

**…**

**Ohirume: Okay, it's been over two weeks and I ****finally**** found a good name.**

**Seed Flare!**

**Honestly, I'm a little ashamed of myself for taking this long to think of it.**

Way Big

**Ohirume: Meteor Mash.**

**Reason 1. To'ku****star****.**

**Reason 2. It just sounds awesome.**

Humungasaur

**Ohirume: Um … Growth?**

**Omega: Ew.**

**Ohirume: *sigh* Yeah. I know. How about Dragon Dance?**

**Seishin: Meh.**

**Ohirume: Dragon Rush?**

**Faux: Better.**

Upgrade

**Ohirume: Conversion.**

Ripjaws

**Ohirume: Crunch.**

Jetray

**Ohirume: Hmm. Signal Beam?**

Four Arms

**Ohirume: Either Close Combat or Bulk Up.**

Spidermonkey

**Ohirume: If I can't find something better, Spider Web.**

**Omega: That's a Pokémon move?**

**Ohirume: It caught me off guard too.**

**Seishin: Oh, wait! What about Acrobatics?**

**Ohirume: Huh. Maybe.**

Clockwork

**Ohirume: Probably Future Sight. Mostly because Roar of Time seems over the top.**

Brainstorm

**Ohirume: Taking the personality into account, I'd probably go with Parabolic Charge. If for no other reason than the fact that 'parabolic' is four syllables long.**

**…**

**Omega: Well, that was … a lot. Are we going to tell them how many of these will actually appear in the story?**

**Ohirume: That, we will not.**

**Seishin: NO CAPES!**

**Yugo: Wrong reference.**

**Seishin: NO SPOILERS!**

.

From Wizzer96 (chapter 35):

**(Given the length of this comment, I split it up as follows)**

Mmmm...a relatively funny story with with the same characters but new personalities and points of view, i really enjoyed reading it. Now:

1-i see that you may have pulled the "giovanni is part of the ketchum family card",

**Seishin: Told you they'd figure it out, Robby!**

**Ohirume: I never denied that. I just said, "Does the term 'spoiler alert' mean nothing to you?!"**

may i give you nice idea? Since you alrady said you've been using saphroneth world building (which involves a mix between real history and pokemons)

**Ohirume: Wait, I did?**

**Omega: I think they mean my "Origin Year 1998" comment.**

**Ohirume: Oh, right. That was actually the year that episode aired in the U.S.**

**Gem: You ess?**

**Yugo: The real world's version of Unova … sort of.**

i suggest to make giovanni the grandfather from delia family line; the reason is: giovanni is OLD, he probably started his business during the caos from WW2 and hasn't stopped since (technically the pokemon world in the kanto series is still 1996), and like all the bosses of big evil organization he's scary and give the feeling of danger to anyone who sees him, which gets handed down to delia when she gets REALLY angry.

**Ohirume: … Huh. Gotta admit, that's a new one. I am going to ****heavily**** consider that.**

2- this is a bit (A LOT) personal but... Do you plan to maks mewtwo a recluse again?

**Gem: Recluse? *looks at mewtwo* Since when?**

**Mewtwo: *shrugs* Beats me.**

**Faux: That's actually how you were back in my world. Well, the masculine version of you.**

**Ohirume: Also, in the canon. Again, "male" version.**

Because like many people say its never good to run from adversities, its best to face them with a friend or family (i have an idea for the family part if you want to follow this retarded idea) . Yes, he's been created with an already completely matured mind and body, but damn mewtwo is young, like, he's still isn't technically 3ys old.

**Ohirume: Good lesson and sound logic.**

**Still, that's not for another … thirty-ish chapters?**

**Seishin: *shrugs***

**Ohirume: So, I have time to think it over.**

**Regardless, I would like to hear what the (I have an idea for the family part…) means. It may give me some ideas.**

**Yugo: Twenty bucks that it involves the feminine mewtwo.**

**Faux: I'll take that bet. Afterall, they got together in my world.**

**Laura: Yeah! X and Y have really gotten better overtime. A little Z is just the cutest thing ever.**

**Mewtwo: *raised brow* Huh?**

3-DONT YOU DARE make ash abandon pidgeot,

**Ohirume: *flinch***

i understand and respect butterfree cuz it was mating season and his instinct were driving him to find a mate (you also made ash "keep" him which im super happy/proud to see another person who has a tad bit feelings for our poor little husband)

**Ohirume: Thanks. But seriously, how have so few people thought of a concept like that?! It seems obvious!**

**Yugo: *sweat drops* Rob, you practically stole that concept from Ashes of the Past … minus the transceiver thing.**

**Ohirume: Oh. Right.**

bur she was forced to serve a flock she didnt want just because they couldn't evolve their pideotto in pidgeot, which even as a child made me mad when i saw the episode.

**Ohirume: Wait, Pidgeotto ****didn't**** want to leave? I need to watch that episode again.**

4- you seriously need to put this alert: WARNING! FLUFF LVL:DIABETIC...i almost died multiple times from the sheer cuteness of some moments,

**Seishin: *wild laughter***

i especiallly loved, even if a bit sad, the charmender arc, i felt like snuggling my cat after that (which i did).

**Ohirume and Illavera: *soft smiles* Aww.**

5- the inheritance concepts is hella interesting but; is it set on just soot or will others appear,

**Ohirume: Maaaaaaybe.**

**…**

**Faux: *sweat drops* Uuuh, Wizzer. ****I**** have ancestral inheritance.**

**Yugo: They mean in Trix's continuity.**

**Faux: Oh. Right.**

i know they will probably all come from ash is one way or another but i really want to see more of them

**Ohirume: Well, this is still only "Season 1."**

(especially their power-characteristic, seriously scar as zippers, how cool is that!?)

**Ohirume: I know, right?!**

**Seishin: You seem awfully proud of something that you stole from JoJo.**

**Ohirume: *glares at Seishin* You know for a fact that I thought of that before even hearing about Sticky Fingers! It was just a coincidence!**

**Regardless, Yukiro is right about the concept rightfully belonging to JJBA part 5.**

and... Wait, isn't mewtwo basically a mew with human ineritance?... Oh ****.

**Ohirume: Hmm. Not sure about ****human**** inheritance, but they do have a Yvel of a lot more than pure Mew DNA in them.**

.

P. S. Congrats man, you received your first fan-threat about your characters :)

**Ohirume: *shrugs* Eh. I've gotten worse from Omega.**

**Omega: He's right. By the way Rob, you can't write to save your life.**

**Ohirume: See?**

.

From RT89 (chapter 13):

Awesome and hilarious, looking forward to the next chapter. Question though, if Ash goes Dragonite will he be jumbo or regular? Guess i'll just have to wait and see.

**Yugo: Good question. Unfortunately -as you're already well aware of by the looks of your later comments- that question gets answered in the first scene of chapter 14.**

**Ohirume: Sorry. Still, fair question.**

**Seishin: :P**

.

From RT89 (chapter 18):

Minor annoying typo on line 9, you put Squirtle twice instead of Squirtle and Bulbasaur. I'll admit, the outer characters insertion is a little off putting but you're making it work, somehow... Great chapter.

**Ohirume: What? No, I d- *looks at Line 9* SON OF A GLITCH!**

**Omega: Hah. I guess your "proofread and edit once before posting" policy isn't as good as you** thought.

**Seishin: *snickers* Which, probably, should have been obvious.**

**…**

**Faux: What's an "outer character"?**

**Omega: *sweat drops* He meant ****us****, furball.**

**Seishin: ****(·∩·)**** B- but I'm an outer character too. Why wasn't I included?**

.

From RT89 (chapter 25):

Too many adjectives to put in one comment, excellent chapter. Please for the love of God don't have made the Pikachu village episode even more heartbreaking, this was a better ending of that episode and I'm still fighting tears.

**Ohirume: I- wow. Thank you, RT.**

**Omega: *snickers* What do you know? We actually found someone who enjoys this ****. Talk about poor tas-**

**Ohirume: *Death stares at Omega* Finish that sentence and I will set up a Deus Ex Machina so complex and idiotic that you will end up back in the Promised Neverland in the body of a fully aware ****infant****.**

**Omega: *Wide eyed shock* Understood.**

**Ohirume: *sigh* Sorry about that. To answer the other thing, I already having something planned for the Pikachu Tribe chapter that I've been planning since before publishing the first chapter and has been in development -on the side- since … I think Ch 23: Saffron.**

**And I am excited as all ****####**** to get to that point for real.**

**If you can actually guess what it is, I will be speechless.**

**Seishin: ',:\ Since when did we start using hashtags to censor curse words?**

**Ohirume: Since I couldn't find a larger version of an asterisk.**

.

From Guest (chapter 34):

Earthquake

**Gem: TAKE COVER!**

**Omega: *groans* No Gem. They were guessing the name of the Talpaedan. Look at the chapter they're commenting on.**

**Gem: Huh? But Trix already gave it a name in the next chapter.**

**Ohirume: I know. But that's not going to stop people from guessing before reading it.**

**Seishin: Sorry Guest. Its name is Hammer Arm. :3**

.

From buterflypuss (chapter 36):

good chap

**Ohirume: Thank-**

**Seishin: *dragging* Hey Rob, look what I got!**

**Ohirume: *Flinch* What the- Why the Yvel do you have a Futurama Killbot?!**

**Seishin: *smile* Because they're hilarious. Also, this. Mizuro! Come in here!**

**Mizuro: What's- *stares at Killbot in shock* Is that a Killbot?!**

**Seishin: Yeah. Also, pop quiz! Who's the Fire King Monster card who searches for a non-copy Fire King during the next Standby Phase after he's destroyed by an effect.**

**Mizuro: Oh! Uh- who was it?**

**Seishin: Time's running out!**

**Mizuro: Wait, I remember! It's Fire King Avatar Barong!**

**Killbot: SOMEONE SAID BARONG!**

**Mizuro: *eyes widened in shock* Wait what?**

**Killbot: *Miniguns fire***

**Mizuro: AHHH! *runs around frantically***

**Seishin: *chuckles* Bet ya didn't know barong was a synonym for cannon!**

**Killbot: SOMEONE SAID CANNON!**

**Seishin: … worth it.**

**Killbot: *Miniguns fire***

.

From RT89 (chapter 36):

Enjoyable chapter, can't wait for more.

**Ohirume: Thank you, R-**

**Seishin:—WWW— — — — — —WWWWWW— — — — — —WWW — — ****—****OOOOOOOOO****—**** — — — OOOOOOOOO — — — — —lllllllllll**

**— — — — ****-WWW— — — — —WWW—WWW— — — — —WWW- — — —OOO — — — OOO — — -OOO — — — OOO — — — — lllllllllll**

**— — — — —****WWW— — — —WWW— —WWW— — — —WWW— — — — OOO — — — OOO — — -OOO — — — OOO — — — — lllllllllll**

**— — — — — ****WWW— — —WWW— — —WWW— — —WWW- — — — — OOO — — — OOO — — -OOO — — — OOO — — — — lllllllllll**

**— — — — — ****-WWW— —WWW— — — —WWW— —WWW-— — — — — OOO — — — OOO — — -OOO — — — OOO**

**— — — — — —****WWW—WWW— — — — —WWW—WWW— — — — — — OOO — — — OOO — — -OOO — — — OOO — — — — *****

**— — — — — — ****WWWWWW— — — — — —WWWWWW— — — — — — — OOOOOOOOO— — — —OOOOOOOOO— — — — — *****

**.**

**— — — —****HHH— — — —HHH— — — —OOOOOOOOO — — — - OOOOOOOOO — — — — lllllllllll**

**— — — —****HHH— — — —HHH— — — OOO — — — OOO — — -OOO — — — OOO — — — -lllllllllll**

**— — — —****HHHHHHHHHHHH— — — OOO — — — OOO — — -OOO — — — OOO — — — -lllllllllll**

**— — — —****HHHHHHHHHHHH— — — OOO — — — OOO — — -OOO — — — OOO — — — -lllllllllll**

**— — — —****HHHHHHHHHHHH— — — OOO — — — OOO — — -OOO — — — OOO**

**— — — —****HHH— — — —HHH— — — OOO — — — OOO — — -OOO — — — OOO — — — — *****

**— — — —****HHH— — — —HHH— — — —OOOOOOOOO — — — —OOOOOOOOO— — — — —*****

**Omega: H- how long did it take you to do that?**

**Ohirume: Longer than I'd like to admit.**

**Seishin: IT'S AWESOME RIGHT?! :D**

**Omega: … Maybe. Still, it could be a little less crooked.**

**Ohirume: *glares at Omega* I'd like to see you do better.**

**…**

**Ohirume: If the word art is overlapping in a weird way, you might need to decrease the font size in the toolbar.**

**A.K.A. the list just below the story's description.**

.

From buterflypuss (chapter 37):

good chap

**Ohirume: Thank-**

**Seishin: Toilet on a stick!**

***crash and splash***

**Ohirume: *looks at Yukiro; voice distorted by porcelain echo* You're running out of idea's, aren't you?**

**Seishin: *snickers* Technically, ****you're**** running out of ideas. But you did think of this. JOHNNY!**

**Ohirume: *pulls toilet off head and raises brow* Wait, which 'Johnny'?**

**Johnny: *points dramatically* Candy Man!**

**Ohirume: Oh, the Narmak one.**

**Candy Man: Sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar!**

**Sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar, sugar!**

**SUGAR RUSH!**

***CRASH***

**Ohirume: Why was there a table here?**

.

From avatoa (chapter 37):

Nuevo, you have no idea.

**Seishin: Nuevo can't come to the paragraph right now. Immediately after you, the reader, finished reading avatoa's comment, Rob transferred everything he knew about Teen Titans Go into Nuevo's mind.**

**Nuevo: *rocking back and forth in fetal position* Waffles. Fart jokes. The. Fart Jokes. Baby hands. Fart Jokes. Smile Bones. Fart Jokes. *grabs head* WHY ARE THERE SO MANY FART JOKES?!**

**Illavera: Nuevo, calm down!**

**Mizuro: *glares at Ohirume* Why the **** do you know this much about it?!**

**Ohirume: In my defense, I tried giving the show a chance. I just kept watching the episodes in hopes that the writers would wise up and make it better. They never did.**

***sigh* And now I have to live with all of ****that**** in my memory.**

**Nuevo: SOMEONE CANCEL THIS ####### PIECE OF #### AND PUT US ALL OUT OF OUR MISERY!**

.

From Guest (chapter 36):

Really good story so far.

.

By the way are you gonna go all the way to the aloha region or let ash get a legendary pokemon because there are some pretty neat pokemon in between here and now? Also are you gonna increase his party limit more?

.

Klipper

**Ohirume: I hope to take this thing all the way and am well aware of how much happens from Kanto to Alola. Galar/New series is still on the fence, though. But, as you saw in the Kangaskhan chapter, references will be made.**

**I'm still debating the "Legendary joins Ash" concept for this story. Mostly, because it's been played out like crazy.**

**Heck, the only stories I've found that seem to do it well are the ones where a single legendary joining him is the main premise, Ashes of the Past, and Ash's Just Reward.**

**Gem: But you had Mewtwo join me.**

**Mewtwo: *nods* Yeah.**

**Faux: And Laura joined me.**

**Laura: Right.**

**Ohirume: Guys, we're talking about Trix. Not all of you.**

**On the matter the party limit, doubtful. As you saw, Ash wasn't too fond of his limit being increased behind his back and I doubt he would ask for it to go up any higher. I mostly did that to keep Soot on Ash's team without cutting anyone out of the line-up.**

.

From Guest (chapter 36):

P.S. will ash meet Azmeth while he's on his kanto or johto journey? Will he add legendary pokemon to the omnitrix? Will he get the Riolu he encountered in Sinnoh?

.

Klippar

**Seishin: This first question, as well as the one in the comment following this, are answered in the Halloween Special. Namely, EmporerWolfgang's comment from the Scissor Street chapter (31).**

**Yugo: Trix is definitely getting at least one Legendary and/or Mythical form. If he didn't, it would be completely unbelievable. But you'll just have to wait and see which one(s).**

**Ohirume: As for Riolu … I have something in mind. Again, wait and see.**

.

From Guest (chapter 36):

Oh all most forgot will he encounter Vilgax some later

**Omega: Check previous comment.**

**Ohirume: One thing I want to ask, though. Do Guest reviews intentionally show up later than logged in reviews? Because this string of them didn't appear until December 9****th****, despite their date stamp being on the 7****th****.**

**Seishin: We're not complaining. We're just … confused. ',:l Especially since this has happened like … five times now.**

.

From Guest (chapter 37):

Good story

**Ohirume: Thank y-**

**Seishin: Monkey Wrench! *yeet***

**Ohirume: *dodges* You do realize that this isn't one of B.F.P.'s reviews, right?**

**Seishin: *shrugs* Maybe. But there's not much else to do during a response like this. *points to side* Also, I already hired Rolf for the next hour.**

**Rolf: That's my horse! *Fish slaps Ohirume through a wall. Yes, ****fish**** not 'glitch'***

**Ohirume: *sits back up, shakes head, smirks* Okay, this is gonna be fun. *picks up shovel* THAT'S MY HORSE!**

**Everyone except Ohirume and Rolf: *watch in varying degrees of confusion, shock, and intrigue as Ohirume and Rolf beat the ever loving Yvel out of each other with random **** that they pull out of nowhere and somehow emerge unscathed***

**Rolf: THAT'S MY HORSE! *smashes Ohirume with the hat of discipline***

**Gem: *flinches* What kind of dance is this?**

**Seishin: It's from an incredibly eccentric, amalgam cultured country.**

**Ohirume: THAT'S MY HORSE! *Hits Rolf with potted plant***

**Rolf: *glares* You dare insult the son of a Shepherd with the potted shrub of ridicule?! And during the honored song of Rolf's village no less?!**

**Ohirume: What? *looks at plant* Oh, potted lily. Okay, I'm sorry about that. Please, give me a few minutes to get the cupcakes.**

**Rolf: *crosses arms* Rolf will wait.**

**Seishin: Nobody really knows if his homeland is supposed to be based off somewhere specific or the writers where just trying to be as random and hilarious as possible. Either way, they succeeded amazingly.**

.

From Guest (chapter 37):

Your Deadpool-wan-be may give you a head ache but at least he isn't the masks level of insanity.

.

Klipper

**Seishin: *aghast gasp* D:**

**Yugo: Uh oh.**

**Omega: Oh. Now you've done it.**

**Yugo: Yukiro. Just calm down.**

**Seishin: (****ಠ****_****ಠ****)****I'll have you know, Klipper-**

**Ohirume: Yukiro! It's Christmas! That means no insulting the reviewers!**

**Seishin: But-**

**Ohirume: CHRISTMAS!**

**Seishin: ›:I Fine.**

**Ohirume: *sigh* Sorry about that Klipper. Yukiro gets pretty sensitive when people say someone else is crazier than him.**

**Although, it's partially my fault. I forgot The Mask existed when I described Yukiro back in the Fourth of July Special.**

**Gem: *Looks at Seishin with raised brow* Wait. You're not mad about the wanna-be thing?**

**Seishin: What? Of course not. That's literally what I am.**

.

From Guest (chapter 22):

The dragon scale is to help Misty's Horsea to eventually evolve into Kingdra, Metal coat to help Brock's Onix evolve into Steelix much earlier, don't know what the dusk stone is for though.

.

Klipper

**Ohirume: *snickers* Nice job on the Scale and Coat. The Dusk Stone is for later. You'll just have to wait and see how much later.**

**Omega: Where's Yukiro?**

**Ohirume: He's still pouting about the not-as-insane-as-The-Mask thing and he was planning to insult Kilpper during this response.**

**So, I locked him in the basement.**

**Faux: Basement? … Wait, what?! You locked him in the lava room?!**

**Ohirume: Call it payback for July fourth.**

***Meanwhile in the lava room**

**Seishin: *pouting with cross-legged and arms crossed while on fire* If I were in a better mood, I'd be making the 'everything's fine' joke.**

.

From buterflypuss (chapter 38):

good chap

**Ohirume: Thank y- … Thank … you? Yukiro?**

**Seishin: *grumbles***

**Ohirume: Are you ****still**** upset about that Mask thing?**

**Seishin: I don't like being called milder that something else! Seriously! That's my whole thing!**

**Ohirume: *sigh* You really need to get over this. *eats handful of gummi bears / talks with mouth full* Dese comments get borin' wit'out yo nonsense.**

**Seishin: Well, I did switch out all of those gummi bears with the amazon sugarless kind.**

**Ohirume: *Eyes widen in shock* Wait, what?**

.

From Lycoan wolf entity (chapter 38):

Okay so Frenzy Plant is Wildvine with Eye Guy's terrible pun quirk. ***** it I'm making a list just to keep up with the amazing story.

**Omega: *eye twitches before taking a deep breath to calm down* Okay. We all know I'm not that nice of a 'person'. But it's Christmas, so I'll let someone nicer respond to this.**

**Ohirume: The thing is, Lycoan, you won't have to worry about making that list. Because I already did.**

**My Fanfiction account profile is actually a profile on Ash.****Similar to your account now that I think about it.**

**Yugo: *nods* Yup.**

**All of Trix's Pokémon****. Including Soot, her inherent abilities, and ****everyones'**** ability and move set.**

**Everything Trix can turn into****; Pokémon and Aliens alike. As well as the abilities and move sets for the Pokémon. And the species, Ben 10 counterpart, and even personality glitch of the aliens.**

**It even includes all of his abilities that come from Power Integration.**

**Ohirume: All listed information is up to date with the story and gets updated every time something developmental happens in a new chapter.**

**Yugo: As for Omega … you might to go check the Labor Day special.**

**Ohirume: Thank you for the kind words and I apologize if Omega was at all off-putting.**

**Omega: Sorry.**

.

.

**Ohirume: Now, on to the deleted scenes. And, as you will see, the Gringey City chapter -and to much lesser extent the Kangaskhan chapter- underwent ****a lot**** of construction.**

**Seishin: Humph. ›:I**

**Ohirume: Oh, come on! You can't still be upset about Klipper's review!**

**Seishin: I can, and I am!**

**Ohirume: *annoyed sigh* Klipper, I am very sorry about him. As you can see, he's an infant.**

**Seishin: *sticks tongue out angrily***

.

.

Muk – 1st scene training:

Why: I liked the glitch better

Where: after Clefairy uses Dazzling Gleam (The non-Pokémon upload glitch(couldn't think of a shorter name) didn't exist.)

.

Pikachu smiled, "_Congratulations, Clefairy._"

Ash smiled, "_Nice work. Practice on your own for a while._" He hit the symbol on his chest; switching back to his human self.

He blinked in surprise, "What the Yvel?" 'I was going for Dragonite.' He pressed the button on the side again. But nothing happened.

Ash's eyes narrowed, "What?!" He slapped the watch rapidly.

Soot noticed and blinked in surprise, "Is everything alright, dad?"

Ash sweat dropped, "Uh, not sure. I can't change or anything."

Soot frowned and jumped down from the table. She ran over to Ash and looked at the watch closely, "I wonder-" Soot looked back at the table, "Vulpix, come over here for a second."

Vulpix blinked in surprise, "_Um, alright._" She jumped down and ran over.

Misty frowned and looked at Squirtle, "Is everything okay?"

Squirtle raised a brow, "_How the Yvel would I know?_"

Vulpix looked up at Soot, "_What do need me to do?_"

Soot pointed to Ash, "I want you to touch the watch."

Pikachu and Clefairy blinked in surprise, "_huh?_"

Ash flinched and stared at Soot in shock, "What?! Soot, you know how I feel about that!"

Soot rolled her eyes, "Dad, stop being stubborn and think. Last time this happened, what else couldn't you do and what came from it?"

Ash's eyes widened, "You think it's-" He looked down at the watch and smirked. He looked up at the fox and held the watch towards her, "Go for it."

Clefairy and Pikachu's eyes widened in shock, "_HUH?!_"

Vulpix glanced at them apprehensively, "_Uh, sure._" She reached a paw forward and placed it on the face of the watch. The device started glowing yellow.

Alert!

Everyone, except Soot and Ash, jumped in alarm. Brock flinched and looked over.

Vulpix flinched and jumped back, "_What's go-_"

Capture mode is already in use. Please standby for further capture.

Everyone stared at the pair in surprise. Ash and Soot grinned.

Brock and Misty ran over.

"Ash, what was that?!" Brock asked in alarm.

"What the Yvel is Capture mode?!" Misty asked; also alarmed.

Soot smiled up at them, "Put simply, it's how he gets new forms. The yellow coloring shows that the watch is adding something new to his list."

Pikachu's eyes widened in realization, "_Oh, right. The same thing happened when I touched it._"

Misty blinked in surprise, "So, you're getting a vulpix form?" 'Gotta admit, that'd be pretty cute.'

Vulpix's eyes widened, "_Wait, what?_"

Ash smiled, "Not exactly." He held up the watch; it was still yellow, "When I scan a Pokémon, the yellow glow fades after a few seconds." The watched became green again, "Like that. But that alert meant that it was in the middle of uploading a new form."

Brock raised a brow, "Uploading?"

Ash nodded, "Last time I got that alert," he shifted to a sly smirk, "I ended up with Quick Attack."

Everyone's eyes widened in shock; except Ash and Soot, "_W_H_AT?!_"

Brock stared in shock, "Y-you mean-"

Soot grinned, "Yup. Dad just got a new non-Pokémon form."

Misty smiled brightly, "Well, don't keep us waiting! Let's see it!"

Ash smiled sadly, "I'm afraid it doesn't work like that. Even though it's done uploading the form, it'll still take about a day for it to show up on the watch."

Soot sweat dropped, "And, before you ask, it only does this with the non-Pokémon.".

.

.

Muk – Carrying Soot:

Why: Seemed like a bit … much.

Where: before the scene change

.

Ash rubbed her back, "Just relax, sweetie." He smiled slyly and held her tighter, "Also, consider this punishment for possessing me without permission."

Soot groaned.

Misty snickered and pet her head, "Aww. Who's a pouty little puppy?"

Soot's glared again; deeper this time, "Keep that up and you'll wake up paralyzed from the neck down."

Misty flinched and looked at Ash, "She can't actually do that, right?"

Ash chuckled nervously, "Well, uh, not permanently."

Soot smirked wickedly and shifted her eyes to their inherent state, "Not unless I want to make it permanent."

Brock gulped.

Misty stared in shock and looked back at road ahead of them. She also took a few steps to the side.

Soot snickered and shifted her eyes back, "Smart girl."

Ash chuckled nervously again, "Don't worry, Misty. I'm sure she's just kidding." 'I hope.'

.

.

Muk – Enter Bulbasaur:

Why: I thought the end result worked better for the scene

Where: Bulbasaur vs. Gringey Poison-types / Bulbasaur was pitted against all of the grimer

.

"Bulbasaur, enter the fray!"

Bulbasaur emerged and glared. That turned to wide eyed shock upon seeing the massive army of Poison-types.

The Grass/Poison-type looked back at Ash in shock, "_Seriously?!_"

Ash sighed, "Yeah, I know and I'm sorry. But I don't have a lot of options. You're a Poison-type with Psychic-type attack and a sleep status move. Just be grateful they aren't Alolan."

"_Fair enough._" Bulbasaur said before glaring back at grimer, "_Take this!_" He formed a Hidden Power on his head.

.

.

Kangaskhan – deleted Pre and Post chats:

**Omega: Since when did we start putting ****these**** in here?**

**Ohirume: … Shut up.**

Why: This didn't really work alongside all of the in-chapter comments

Where: Self explanatory

.

**Illavera: Kangaskhan … Kangas … khan.**

**Faux: Are you okay Illavera?**

**Illavera: I'm just- is that actually how you pronounce their name**

**Faux: *raises brow* Uh … Yeah?**

**Nuevo: And you're not at all concerned with how similar it sounds to Genghis Khan?**

**Gem: Who?**

**Nuevo: … what?**

.

*Insert Kangaskhan chapter here*

.

**Mizuro: You've seriously never heard of Genghis Khan?**

**Gem: No. Why? Is he famous or something?**

**Nuevo: Wha- NO! He was a ******* monster! That tyrant killed forty million people!**

**Gem, Mewtwo, Faux, Pike, Luke, Laura: WHAT?!**

**Seishin: Yeah. And to make it worse, kangaskhan's original, Japanese name was Garura; a mix of the Japanese words for kangaroo and ruler. That horrible reference is all English.**

**Even ****I**** can't make a joke about that without feeling like a total *********.**

**Mizuro: *wide eyed shock* Yukiro … just cursed. Like, ****actually**** cursed.**

**Seishin: *GIR voice* I know. I'm scared too.**

**Omega: *sweat drops* And he's back.**

.

.

Kangaskhan – another deleted chat:

Why: Did NOT fit with the ending in any way shape or form.

Where: Post chat

**Mizuro: Huh. Y'know at first, I thought that that guy made Peter Griffin look like a good father.**

**Ohirume: *crazed laughing* *calms down* Wait. Are you serious?**

**Omega: I actually have to agree with the psycho. Griffin is apathetic, unsympathetic, abusive ************ who does whatever the **** he wants without caring about the consequences. Not even Ragyo Kiryuin can make him or Lois look like a decent parent by comparison.**

**Illavera: So, more like Stan Smith, then?**

**Seishin: Closer. But not by a lot. Stan's mistakes stem from total idiocy, ego, carelessness, and his inability to learn.**

**Mizuro: So, who would you compare him to?**

**Ohirume: Umm. I'd say he's like a slightly more arrogant Richard Waterson. Y'know, still stupid, but he legitimately cares about his kids … to the best of his ability.**

**Seishin: Which still isn't saying much.**

**Gem: Am I supposed to know any of the people you're talking about?**

**Ohirume: The fact that you just asked that means 'no.'**

.

.

Kangshan – telling Team Rocket where Frenzy Plant went:

Where: Right after Frenzy Plant leaves and Ash reappears

Why: I didn't like the idea of "Team Rocket finding out Ash can turn into aliens" as much as I first thought / Soot's reasoning was part of why I lost interest in the idea

.

HEY! Jessie shouted over a load speaker, Where'd the plant thing go?!

Jenny glared at them, "As if we'd tell y-"

"Actually, that was me!" Ash shouted back casually; causing Jenny and Tomo to look at him in shock, and his traveling companions and Pokémon to look at him apprehensively, "That was a mutant carnivine form that I put together a few years ago after I got a little too curious about my transformations! I just made sure to remember how to turn into it!"

Jenny blinked in confusion, "I'm sorry, what?"

Soot glanced at her, "Everything dad just said was a lie. We run into these guys regularly and they think dad is the phantom Pokémon. So, we keep up with the ruse because it's a lot more believable."

.

.

**Ohirume: Thank you all ****SO MUCH**** for your support and happy holidays!**

**And, here's one more important note: ****This will be the last comment response chapter posted in the story.**

**But don't fret. ****All future comment responses and deleted scenes will be posted in my other 'story' "Random-ish stuff on the side" alongside every third new chapter.**

**Thank you everyone!**


	40. Ch 34: Safari Zone (deleted ep35)

**Omega: So-**

**Ohirume: Filler.**

**Omega: Seriously?**

**Seishin: 'Fraid so. Although, the Safari Zone episode was removed from the English dub.**

**Nuevo: Why?**

**Seishin: Guns.**

**Nuevo: … Is that it? Didn't Trix get four guns pointed in his face in the turtle gang episode?**

**Illavera: And didn't a father try to knock his son out in the last chapter?**

**Ohirume: Americans are weird about these things. And that's coming from one.**

**…**

**Seishin: Ha Ha HA! First new Trix chapter of 2020! :DDDD**

**Ohirume: WOO!**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Into the SafaЯi … Zone**

.

After the touching moment between Tomo and his parents, Jenny invited everyone back to her tent for the rest of the night. There was still some daylight to burn, so everyone kind of went off to do their own thing. Although, not everyone really got to choose.

"Here we are." Jenny said as she plopped two large stacks of paper down on the table.

Tomo's mother stared in shock, "We- we have to go through all of this?"

Jenny shrugged, "It's mostly understanding the rules and a handful of formalities. It's not that often that we have humans moving in."

Tomo's father frowned, "That doesn't sound much better." He looked up at Jenny, "Tommy didn't have to go through all of this, did he?"

Jenny chuckled, "He was a bit of a special case." She gave him a mocking glare, "On account of being raised by the kangaskhan for most of his life."

Tomo's father sweat dropped, "I probably deserved that." He sighed and picked up a packet, "I suppose we should go ahead and get started."

Tomo's mother sighed and picked up a packet as well.

Jenny nodded with a smile, "Good." She stood up, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have something to take care of." She walked outside.

.

*A bit later; Outside the tent

"Remind me why I'm doing this again!" Jenny called out to Ash from across the clearing.

"It felt like I was running faster than normal earlier!" Ash called back, "I wanted to test my new top speed!"

Jenny sweat dropped, 'From that far away?' "Um, alright?!"

Ash nodded, "Thanks!" He crouched and got into a running stance, "Just tell me when!"

Jenny shrugged, "Go ahead!" She brought up the speed gun and started looking over it, 'It should still take him a few-' Her thoughts were interrupted by a large of wind forcing her to shield her eyes. She looked ahead in shock before jerking around to find Ash behind her.

Ash smiled, "How fast was that?"

Jenny stared at Ash in shock before looking back where he was twelve seconds ago, "Wha-" She looked back at him; wide eyed, "How did you do that?"

Ash blinked in surprise, "Wait. Have I not told you about Power Integration yet?"

Jenny raised a brow, "Power what?"

Ash sweat dropped, 'Misty might have a point.' "Sorry about that." He held up the watch, "So, it's like this-"

.

*Brock

The Pewter Gym Leader leaned against a tree with his arms crossed as he watched Ash and Jenny; a frown on his face.

Misty walked up to him with a sly smirk, "Let me guess. You're jealous that Jenny's talking to Ash instead of you."

Brock shook his head, "No." He stopped and reconsidered, "Okay, maybe a little." He looked back at the pair, "It's just- you heard what Ash said earlier, right?"

Misty frowned and glanced at the pair too, "Yeah. Soot seemed to know what he was talking about. It seemed like a sensitive subject."

Brock nodded, "Glad we agree. We'll wait until they're ready to tell us." He glanced at her with a soft smile, "Focus on being there for them, right?"

Misty nodded back with a soft smile, "Yeah."

As he was facing away, the pair failed to notice Ash shoot them a quick glance with a soft smile, 'Thanks guy.'

.

*Soot, Tomo, Pikachu, Clefairy, and baby Kangaskhan; another nearby clearing

Tomo looked at Soot in surprise, "_Really?_"

Soot smiled and shrugged, "Well, it makes sense. You're a human from a Pokémon's world and I'm a Pokémon from a human's world. You have to admit that it'd be an interesting matchup."

Pikachu frowned and his ears drooped, "_But isn't that kind of dangerous? You could really hurt him._"

Soot looked at the Mouse Pokémon with a smirk, "I sparred with dad all the time when he was in human form." She shifted her eyes to their banette design, "It's a simple matter of keeping my teeth and claws intangible. So long as I don't pick up a weapon, the only way I could hurt him would be through blunt force."

Clefairy frowned, "_But you're still really strong._"

Soot smirked, "Which just means he has to be faster." She looked back at the wild boy, "So, what do you say?"

Tomo raised a brow and held up his boomerang, "_Can I use my boomerang?_"

Pikachu and Clefairy looked at him in surprise.

Soot smirked with a raised brow, "Well, duh. You're still a human. You have to be able to fight back somehow."

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_So, we're seriously about to see a human -that's not Ash- battle Soot._"

"_This still seems really unfair._" Clefairy said; still frowning.

Kangaskhan looked at Clefairy with a raised brow, "_Why? Tomo battles with a few mankey all the time._"

Soot looked at the baby in surprise, "Wait. You can talk?"

Kangaskhan cocked her head, "_Why wouldn't I be able to?_"

Soot sweat dropped, "You haven't said a word since we met."

Kangaskhan rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "_Oh. Well- I, uh- I guess I'm just a teeny little bit-_"

"_She's shy._" Tomo jumped in with a smirk.

Kangaskhan glared at him and pouted, "_Hey!_"

Soot snickered.

.

*Back with Ash and Jenny

Jenny blinked in surprise, "Woah. Have you ever thought about becoming a Pokémon Ranger?"

Ash chuckled, "You'd be surprised how often I used to hear that. So, can we try again with the speed test?"

Jenny nodded with a smile, "Yeah. I'm kind of excited now."

Ash smiled and nodded, "Thanks." He turned and ran to the other side of the clearing and got into a running stance, "On your mark!"

Jenny held down on the trigger and pointed ahead before calling out, "Ready!"

About a second later, Ash shot past the ranger. Jenny closed her eyes and put a hand on her hat in response to the gust.

Ash skidded to a halt and looked back at her, "Did you get it?"

Jenny looked at the screen and jumped, "Woah!"

Ash hurried over and looked as well. He blinked in surprise upon seeing 45MPH printed on the screen, "Huh. Five miles faster. Not bad."

Jenny glanced at him warily, 'He can outrun my jeep's forest speed limit and that's his response?!'

A loud explosion rang out from beyond the bushes; causing everyone to flinched and look over in shock.

"What was that?!" Jenny said in alarm.

Ash grimaced, "Crag! That's where Soot and the others went!" He ran towards the bush, "Come on!" He disappeared through the foliage.

Jenny, Brock, and Misty followed. They stopped in their tracks when they saw Ash just standing there and staring ahead.

Misty walked up to him with a worried frown, "Ash. What's going-" She followed his gaze and stared in surprise.

Jenny and Brock looked as well and mirrored the others' expressions upon finding Soot in a tree, Tomo glaring at her from the ground, and the boy's boomerang caught in a branch next to the Dark-type.

Pikachu, Clefairy, and Kangaskhan where standing in front of the group and watching.

Soot grinned wickedly; eyes red, "Try this!" She detonated a pair of Shadow Balls from her hind paws and shot towards Tomo with a pounce.

Tomo grimaced before he jumped back towards a nearby tree.

Soot's grin became wider, 'Thought so.' Upon reaching the ground, she dug her right claw -which had become tangible again- into the ground. She positioned herself and detonated another Shadow Ball … between the zipper teeth on her foreleg.

**Seishin: BTW this is how she was able to do the 'shoot off her arm' thing against Arlequin.**

**Ohirume: And how she has able to rocket punch Squirtle back in Porta Vista.**

Tomo's eye widened in shock as Soot shot towards him. He brought up and crossed his arms in an attempt to guard.

'Oh, now he's not even trying.' Soot thought; still grinning. She detonated a series of Shadow Balls on the pads and back of her three paws to maneuver through the air and around the boy. Soot shot a sweeping kick at Tomo's side.

"Kang!" Tomo cried out as he was punted into the brush of a nearby tree.

Everyone else stared in shock as Tomo fell out of the tree and crashed onto the ground; limp.

"Dear Arc!" Jenny cried out before running over to the boy. She propped him up, "Tomo! Are you alright?!"

Misty glared at the canine, "Soot! What the Yvel?!"

Ash looked at Soot with a raised brow, "What's going on here?"

Soot smiled innocently and shifted her eyes back to normal, "Sparring match." She walked back over to and reattached her leg, "I thought it'd be an interesting matchup." Without looking, she formed a Shadow Ball on her tail and shot it at the branch holding Tomo's boomerang. It hit the ground a second later; the branch and the tool.

Brock sweat dropped, "Don't you think that was a little rough?" He looked over to see Jenny still trying to wake up the boy.

Soot snickered and started walking over to the wooden tool, "Ah, calm down. He's faking."

"WHAT?!" Tomo shouted in human as he sat back up; startling Jenny, "How you know?!"

Soot smiled slyly, "Do you really think this is the first time someone's used the 'play K.O.' tactic to catch me off guard? I watched you closely during the whole thing and figured out how much force I could put into my attacks without causing serious damage." She picked up the boomerang with her mouth and walked over to Jenny and Tomo.

Soot dropped the boomerang at his feet before smiling softly, "I have to admit, you're a lot tougher than expected."

Tomo raised a brow, "What you expect?"

Soot glanced upward thoughtfully, "Well, if you were an average adult human, that kick could have broken maybe … three ribs and hitting the tree like that would have most likely broken an arm."

Brock, Misty, Jenny, Pikachu, and Clefairy gulped. Ash sweat dropped.

Kangaskhan's eyes widened in shock, "_Huh?_"

Tomo sweat dropped, "Really? Tomo forget how fragile human can be sometime."

Soot snickered, "Yeah. Most of them." She crouched down and shifted her eyes again, "So, best two of three?"

Tomo grinned and picked up his weapon, "_You're on!_"

The pair ran back to the center of the clearing and stared each other down. After another second, Soot and Tomo kicked off and charged each other.

Tomo swung at Soot with his boomerang. Soot dodged effortlessly and shot the boy into a bush with a flying dropkick. Tomo reemerged and charged again. Same result.

Misty sweat dropped, "This still seems unfair."

Clefairy threw her arms up, "_That's what I've been saying!_"

Ash looked at Misty, "Clefairy agrees."

.

*Tomo's parents; later

The pair walked out tent; having finally finished everything Jenny gave them.

The father held his head in a daze, "Ugh. I never want to read that much again."

The mother sighed, "It certainly was a lot." She looked ahead and blinked in surprise, "Where is everyone?"

Tomo's father looked around with a frown, "You don't think they could have-"

He was cut off by a loud explosion coming from the bushes. The pair flinched and ran over. They ran through the bush and their eyes widened in shock when they saw a red-eyed mightyena clamping down on their son's arm.

"TOMMY!" Tomo's mother cried out.

Tomo blinked in surprise and looked over at the pair, "Mama? Papa?"

Tomo's father glared at Soot, "Unhand our son this instant you beast!"

Ash's eye twitched at the 'beast' comment but knew they were in the right. At least, given the lack of context.

Ash took a deep breath and smiled back at them, "Don't worry. Tomo isn't hurt."

The parents looked at him in surprise, "Huh?"

Tomo nodded, "That right. Soot not hurt Tomo at all."

Soot let go of his arm, "See?"

The parents looked over to find their son's arm completely unscathed. Covered in spit, but unscathed.

"It's the banette inheritance." Soot continued, "I turned my teeth intangible so that I could bite him without hurting him."

Tomo's mother blinked in surprise, "But … why?"

"Sparring." Tomo said with a smile, "We have battles for fun."

Tomo's father frowned, "Is that safe?"

Jenny shrugged, "More than if Tomo was your average human, apparently. The score's four to zero."

Tomo sweat dropped at that.

Soot smiled, "And your son's been the one asking for most of the rematches." She looked back at the boy, "Should we restart?"

Tomo nodded with a smile, "_Yeah. I'm not losing this time._"

Soot snickered, "We'll see about that."

The pair jumped back to either side of the clearing … again. They shot forward in yet another rematch.

Tomo's mother flinched when Tomo was struck by a Shadow Ball propelled axe kick and crashed into the dirt, "Are- are you sure this is safe?"

Misty sweat dropped, "This is actually the tenth time that's happened. Over half were in the same round."

Tomo's father gulped, "I- I see." He took a deep breath and looked up at Ash, "Excuse me, young man. Could we talk for a second?"

Ash blinked in surprise, "Uh, sure."

The pair moved back a few feet.

Ash sat down against a tree, "What did you want to talk about?"

The father looked down with a sad smile, "I wanted to say thank you for everything you said before."

Ash blinked in surprise, "Really?"

Tomo's father nodded, "You were right about what you said. I was a lousy father and a fool."

Ash looked at the man with a kind smile, "Maybe. But the fact that you realized that shows that you've learned. It may have taken longer than it should have, but you still learned your lesson."

Tomo's father chuckled softly, "Thank you." He back towards the group with a sad smile, "I just hope I can be a good father from here on."

Ash smiled softly, "It's like you said before. It'll take a lot of time and effort." He looked back towards the group, "But you've already taken the first and probably most important step. You admitted to your mistakes and you want to get better. Just don't be afraid to ask for help. Be it from Jenny, your wife, or any of the kangaskhan."

'She needs you now more than ever Ash.'

'*sniffle* B- but- Yena-'

'Ashton. I know it hurts. But, Soot's hurting too. Right now, you need to help her through this. … You're all she has left, sweetie.'

'*sniffle* A- alright, mom.'

Ash looked down with a sad smile, "You shouldn't try to do it alone."

The father smiled; still looking ahead and not noticing Ash looking down, "Thank you again. I must admit, you're very wise for your age. I'm sure you'll make a wonderful father someday"

Ash chuckled softly and looked ahead again, "Thanks."

.

*The next day

Ash, Misty, Brock, Soot, Pikachu, Clefairy, Tomo, and Kangaskhan waited outside in front of the tent as Tomo's parents 'got into something Safari-er,' as they put it. Nobody bothered to correct them that time. Jenny was away on patrol.

"How do we look?" The mother called out as she and her husband walked out of the tent.

Everyone looked over to find the pair wearing full body loincloths identical on Tomo's. The only real difference was that the father was still wearing his red bowtie.

**Omega: Say what now?**

**Ohirume: I forgot the bowtie in the father's description last chapter. Sorry.**

**Seishin: Oh. Like how you forgot that Kangaskhan can't learn Rapid Spin.**

**Ohirume: Hey! I already went back and fixed that! And how the Yvel was I supposed the know that the spinning move was Dizzy Punch?!**

Brock sweat dropped, "Uh, wild."

Tomo smiled, "Well, Tomo like it."

Soot sweat dropped as she shot him a sideways glare, "You would."

Tomo's mother smiled happily, "Oh, that's great!"

Tomo's father raised a brow; smiling like before, "So, where exactly do we-"

"KANGA! KAN-GA!/_TOMO! HATCHLING!_"

Everyone flinched and looked over to see the large, childless kangaskhan glaring at Tomo and the baby angrily.

Tomo and Kangaskhan flinched, "M_e_e_m_a_!_"

Soot blinked in surprise and looked at the pair in question, "Wait. You two are step siblings?"

The baby kangaskhan nodded, "_Yeah. Did we not mention that?_"

Kangaskhan stomped forward angrily, "_The entire herd gets attacked and you two just disappear for the night?!_" She stopped in her tracks with her hands on her hips; still glaring and towering over them, "_Do you have any idea how worried I was?!_"

Tomo waved his arms defensively, "_Wait, meema! I swear everything's okay! It's just,_" He gestured back to his birth parent, "_I was meeting my human meemas._"

Kangaskhan jerked and blinked in surprise, "_Y- your what?_" She looked where he was gesturing to find the adults wearing loins identical to Tomo's.

The pair chuckled nervously and waved back.

Kangaskhan stared at them in shock, "_The- these two are your real meemas?_"

Tomo looked up her at excitedly and nodded, "_Yeah! And they want to help protect the herd with me! They want to stay with us!_"

Kangaskhan perked up and looked down at the boy in shock, "_Wait, what?!_" She kneeled down and put a paw on his shoulder, "_So, you're not leaving?!_"

Tomo blinked in surprise, "_What? No. Why would you think I was?_"

Kangaskhan smiled softly, "_No reason._" She stood back up and looked at the parents with a kind smile, "_So, you'll be joining our herd from here on?_"

Soot ran over to the pair of parents and translated.

Tomo's mother nodded with a smile, "Yes. That's right."

Tomo's father nodded as well, "We look forward to living with you and our son."

Kangaskhan blinked in surprise; not actually expecting them to answer.

Soot noticed and snickered, "I speak human."

"_Oh._" Kangaskhan said in surprise. She perked up, walked over to the parents, and kneeled down to their level. She cocked her head, "_So you two are really Tomo's meemas, huh?_"

Soot translated again before adding, "Also, meema is what call Pokémon their parents. Regardless of gender."

The mother nodded again, "That's right." She looked down somberly, "We lost Tommy five years ago. We tried to find him ever since."

Kangaskhan raised a brow, '_Tommy?_'

The father looked down somberly, "It was my fault. I held him out of the helicopter and dropped him." He took a deep breath, "All I want now is to make up for it."

Kangaskhan raised a brow, "_Well, I'm not sure what a helicopter is._" She shifted to a kind smile, "_But, I think you'll have plenty of time to make up for … whatever you mean._" She held out a paw, "_Welcome to the family._"

Tomo smiled softly, "_Thanks meema._" He looked back towards his parents, "Meema Kangaskhan welcoming Tomo meema's to family."

Tomo's mother smiled softly and shook her paw, "Thank you, ma'am."

Tomo's father shook her paw as well, "Kanga Kanga Kangaskhan." He said; trying to speak her language.

Kangaskhan, Pikachu, Soot, and Clefairy flinched with a heavy blush. The baby cocked her head in confusion.

Tomo raised a brow, "_Wait. What does-_"

"_It's best you don't know, Tomo!_" Kangaskhan blurted out.

Soot chuckled nervously, "It might be best you leave the Pokémon language to your son."

Tomo's father blinked in surprise, "Huh? What did I say?"

Soot sweat dropped, "It's uh … probably best that no one repeats that. Ever."

Tomo's mother flinched with a heavy blush.

.

*Ash, Misty, and Brock

The group of humans watched from the sidelines.

Brock glanced at Ash, "You wouldn't happen to know what he said, do you?"

Ash shook his head, "I don't have kangaskhan catalogued." He sweat dropped, "Although, given everyone's reaction, that might be a good thing right now."

Misty looked up thoughtfully, "Come to think of it, what do you think would happen if you could turn into a kangaskhan? I mean, they're all female, right?"

Ash raised a brow, "Huh. Good question." He put a hand to his chin, "Normally, when I scan a new Pokémon, the watch reconfigures the form to male. Like when Clefairy or Ponyta touched it. But, kangaskhan DNA only has a female variant. A male kangaskhan is biologically impossible."

Brock considered something before looking at Ash with a raised brow, "And what about the baby kangaskhan? Do you think it would be an entirely new being or would there just not be one?"

Ash blinked in surprise before bringing up and staring at the watch, "Huh." He smirked, "Well, there's one way to find out." He started walking towards the other group.

Misty blinked in surprise, "Wait, really? What about your whole thing about not letting Pokémon touch the watch?"

Ash looked back at her, "Normally, I'd agree, but this could be a once in a lifetime opportunity. And I can say without a doubt that Professor Oak will want to study something like this." He turned back towards the group and raised a hand, "Hey, Kangaskhan! … No, the adult one."

.

**Time Skip**

After all was said and done, Ash and co. said their goodbyes to the newly wild family, Jenny -who came back just in time to see them off-, and the kangaskhan and continued towards the Safari Zone. As per the usual by this point, they broke for lunch.

Everyone stood around the clearing in front of Ash as he dialed up the new form.

Brock, Misty, Soot, Bulbasaur, Vulpix, and Muk waited in excited impatience; Muk more subtle than the others.

Pikachu, Clefairy, Charmander, Squirtle, Krabby, Onix, Goldeen, and Horsea waited at the normal level of excited that came with Ash showing them a new Pokémon form.

Mankey glared determinedly and was slowing getting into a fighting stance.

Pidgeotto and Geodude were looking at the extra excited ones warily.

Staryu and Starmie seemed excited … probably.

Zubat was still in his pokéball due to the time of day.

And Psyduck … was Psyduck.

"Come on already!" Soot called out with a bright smile, "It can't be that hard to find!"

Ash's eyes narrowed as he continued dialing, "I'm looking!"

Squirtle sweat dropped, "_I still don't get what's so special. It's just Ash showing off another new Pokémon form, right?_"

Muk smirked, "_It's more than that. We might be about to witness the birth of the world's first ever male kangaskhan. And that might end up being literal._"

"_It's incredible!_" Vulpix said excitedly, "_It's something that no one ever thought to be possible becoming a reality! … I hope._"

"_Like a human that has a watch that can turn him into Pokémon?_" Krabby asked; also sweat dropping.

Bulbasaur glared at him, "_It's not that sim-_"

"Found it!" Ash called out in triumph.

"Well don't keep us waiting!" Brock called back with a bright smile.

Ash nodded before hitting the dial and becoming engulfed in green light. It faded to reveal a parent kangaskhan with a child in its pouch.

"It worked!" Soot cheered before running over and looking up at the adult excitedly, "Dad, what's it like?!" She frowned and glanced at Ash warily, "Wait. You are still my dad right?"

Ash chuckled, "_Yes, Soot. I'm pretty sure I'm still male._" He stopped and reached up to feel his throat. He sighed in relief and nodded, "_Okay, now I'm sure._"

Soot snickered, "Good. That would have been confu-" She blinked in surprise when she realized she heard his voice … twice?, "Wait, what?"

Ash raised a brow, "_What's wrong?_"

Soot raised a brow, "Dad, how are you-" Her eyes widened in realization and looked at the infant in shock, "Dad?"

The younger kangaskhan raised a brow, and the older kangaskhan looked down at Soot and raised a brow, "_Yeah?_"

"Woah!" Soot jumped back. She looked up and down at the pair in shock, "What the Yvel?!"

The pair blinked in surprise, "_Soot, what are you-_" They stopped and blinked in surprise; each having finally heard the other voice. Ash looked up/down to find an adult/infant kangaskhan staring back.

"_Woah!_" The pair shouted before the infant jumped out of the pouch and revealed the watch's symbol on both of their stomachs; almost touching the pouch on the older one.

They pointed at each other accusingly and spoke in unison, "_Who are you?! What are you talking about?! I'm Ash!_" Ashs' eyes widened in surprise, "_Wait, what?_"

Misty looked back on forth between the Normal-types in confusion, "Uh, Soot? What's going on?"

Soot looked back towards the others, "I think we just found dad's weirdest Pokémon form. Or forms, I think."

.

**Short Skip**

**Omega: Warning. The following scene contains an entire cluster **** of bull **** grammar that makes little to no sense.**

**Seishin: What do you mean? It's just singular mixed with plural. What so weird about that? XP**

**Ohirume: Yeah. Sorry. But I thought it made sense given … well, you'll see.**

Everyone sat around the two Kangaskhan. Ash had himself in his lap and Ash was sitting in Ash's lap.

Brock back and forth between the Normal-types, "Wait, so which one is Ash?"

Ash pointed at himself and spoke in unison, "_I am._" He paused and looked up/down at himself, "_I think?_"

Soot blinked in surprise, "I think both of them are dad. Just, separate."

Bulbasaur raised a brow, "_Huh. That's … unexpected._"

Charmander walked up to them, looked at the back and forth between them, and tilted his head, "_So, there are two Ash's now?_"

Ash each shrugged, "_I guess._"

Mankey sweat dropped, "_Hey. Can you stop talking like that? It's creepy._"

Ash both sweat dropped, "_Sorry … Oh, right._" He looked at himself, "_I'll take care of the talking. No, I will._" Their eyes narrowed, "_Seriously! I'll handle it! Stop talking!_"

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_And now he's arguing with himself._"

"Both of you! Shut up!" Soot shouted; startling the pair. She sighed, "Give me a second." She looked down thoughtfully, 'Speaking in unison. Simultaneous mannerisms that are exactly like dad's. Their inability to break these habits can point towards an involuntary hive mind or mental link. Although, it could also just mean that dad's consciousness was copied from one form to the other. The synchronicity might just be a coincidence built from dad's usual reactions.'

Soot looked back up at them, "Okay, I have an idea to help us figure this out and possibly break the habit." She looked at the Pig Monkey, Seed, and Rock Pokémon, "Mankey, Bulbasaur, Geodude, take little dad out of earshot and use him to practice your Ghost-type Hidden Power." She raised her right paw, "When I raise my right paw, Geodude, stop firing, and, Mankey, hit him with one Pursuit."

Ash each blinked in surprise, "_Wait, what?_"

Geodude raised a brow, "_Okay, I understand me and Mankey._" He pointed towards the Seed Pokémon, "_But, why him?_"

Soot smirked, "He's going to keep Mankey in line."

Mankey glared at Soot, "_WHAT?!_"

Soot glared back, "You've been looking ready to pounce ever since dad started dialing. Can you honestly say that there is zero chance of you trying to stir up a real sparring match against him?"

Mankey crossed his arms and grumbled, "_Fine._"

Bulbasaur smiled, "_Good._" He brought out Vine Whip, wrapped them around the smaller of his trainer, and hoisted him onto his back, "_Come on, hatchling._"

The smaller Ash glared at him, "_Hey! You know fair and well that I'm not a hatchling!_"

Geodude smirked, "_Hah. They finally stopped talking at the same time._"

Mankey sighed, "_Finally._"

The Rock/Ground and Fighting-types followed the Grass/Poison and Normal-types.

Soot smiled, 'Well, that's one test down.' She looked up at Ash, "Are you feeling okay?"

Ash looked down at her with a raised brow, "_Yeah. Why?_"

Soot shrugged, "Just testing a theory." 'No built-in problem with separation.'

A series of explosions caught everyone's attention. They found Geodude unleashing a series green spheres towards Ash. The small Normal-type shook his head and blinked rapidly.

Soot glanced at Ash. He was watching them curiously.

The canine blinked, 'Doesn't react the same.' She raised her right paw.

Mankey noticed the signal and rammed into Ash without a second thought.

Ash flinched as Ash tumbled back. Ash sat up and held his head.

Soot noticed the flinch and looked at Ash in surprise, "Did you feel that?"

Ash frowned, "_Well no. It just felt kind of uncomfortable seeing that._"

Soot cocked her head, 'No Pain Split or Destiny Bond type thing. The uncomforting feeling might just be kangaskhan's parental instinct.' she jerked, and her eyes widened, 'Wait! Does that mean smaller version is like my younger-'

The symbol on the Normal-type started beeping and flashing red.

"_WOAH!_" Ash cried out as he jumped to his feet and started walking stiffly towards his larger self; symbol also flashing red, "_What's going on?!_" He cried out in alarm.

Before anyone could say anything, the baby placed a paw on the adult right before they became engulfed in a red flash and Ash emerged in normal form.

The boy grimaced and held his head, "Ow."

Brock frowned, "Are you okay?"

Ash blinked rapidly, "Y- yeah. My mind's just … settling, I think. I just got hit with two separate and complete memories of the last fifteen minutes."

Soot snickered, "Regardless, I think we found out everything we can without getting a Psychic-type to check for a link."

Everyone -except Ash- looked at her in confusion, "R_eall_y_?_"

Ash nodded, "Yeah." He raised a finger, "The thing is, both of the kangaskhan were me. When I transformed, my consciousness got copied into a second, completely equal version and each was placed in a form. Although, that seems to be the limit of the connection. They're both independent until timing out." He rubbed his arm, "And, although I do still feel the pain from that Pursuit, it doesn't seem to hurt as much anymore. The pain seemed to have evened out."

Soot deadpanned, "You figured all of that out immediately after timing out, didn't you?

Ash shrugged, "Pretty much."

Soot sighed, "So, those tests were for nothing." She shifted to a sly smirk, "Aw, whatever. I'll just take solace in the thought of what grandma's reaction to this will be."

Ash's eyes widened, "Oh. Crag."

.

**Time Skip**

"I'm still not sure I understand how you were both of the kangaskhan." Misty said with her arms crossed, "Or even why both kangaskhan are part of the transformation."

Ash shrugged, "If I had to guess, it's probably for the same reason that a parent and child kangaskhan can be caught in the same pokéball; even though they're separate being."

Brock put a hand to his chin, "I guess that makes sense." He looked at Ash with a raised brow, "But what about how you're both of them. I'm pretty sure Kangaskhan don't work like that."

Ash scratched the side of his head, "Maybe that's just the watch trying to accommodate for a second body without creating a new life. It might do the same thing if I scan something like a dugtrio, metagross, or doublade." He frowned, "Still, I think I prefer it like this. I don't even want to think about what would happen to the infant when I change back." He shivered.

Brock grimaced, "Good point."

Misty frowned, "But what about-"

"Guys." Soot interrupted in an annoyed tone, "We don't know either. Most of this crag is just educated guesses."

Brock and Misty sweat dropped, "Sorry."

Ash and friends continued towards the Safari Zone. After a few more minutes, they came up to a white and brown house sitting next to a wooden, decorated gate entrance. The sign above the gate read 'Safari Zone' in large red and yellow letters and the word 'Kantonian' above it in purple subtext.

**Ohirume: Truth be told, I couldn't find a translation for the purple part. So, I googled a Japanese (Katakana) keyboard, typed it out, and used google translate. For some reason, it came out as 'Pokmoso.'**

**I'm serious. Try it - ****ポクモソ**

"Oh, dear Arceus, finally." Soot said with a sighed.

Misty frowned, "I didn't think we were that annoying."

Soot shook her head, "It's not that. It's the fact that we usual end up going through at least three more … 'adventures' before we actually get where we want to be." She smiled, "It feels nice to get here so soon."

Brock raised a brow, "Huh. I never really noticed."

"What do you all want?" Came a rough voice.

They all looked over to see an older man with gray hair standing in front of the door and glaring at them.

He crossed his arms, "Well, are you gonna tell me? I don't have all day."

Misty glared back, "There's no need to be rude."

The man suddenly pulled out a revolver and pointed it at the group, "Do you want to get shot?"

Everyone flinched.

Soot's sweat dropped, "Isn't this a bit much? Someone talks back once and the first thing you do is pull a gun on them?"

The man aimed to gun at her, "I don't take kindly to-"

Ash ran up faster than the man could reacted; leaving Pikachu and Clefairy to fall to the ground. He grabbed the barrel with his left hand, moved it away, and glared with Intimidate. The man stared in shock.

"If you ever aim that at her again." Ash said threateningly before bringing out his remaining right claws, "Then, you're losing a hand."

Soot blinked in surprise, 'Woah. Guess we know what Kangaskhan integrated.'

Seishin: *whispering* Increased aggression during "parental rage mode."

**Omega: Son of a *****!**

Pikachu's ears twitched and he looked around in confusion.

The man gulped, "G- got it."

Ash let go of the pistol and let his eyes return to normal, "Good."

Brock and Misty shared a look before running up the stairs and getting between Ash and the man.

"Um, sorry about that." Misty said with a nervous smile, "Our friend is just very protective of his Pokémon."

Brock nodded, "How about we start over?" He gestured to himself and the others, "I'm Brock, this is Misty, and you've already met Ash and his Pokémon Pikachu, Clefairy, and Soot. We're here to visit the Safari Zone."

"I'm, uh, Kaiser." The man said as he put the gun away; warily glancing at Ash repeatedly, "I'm the Safari Zone's warden." He cleared his throat and turned around, "Let's go ahead and get you three in signed in." He walked back into the building.

Misty looked at Ash worriedly, "Are you okay?"

Ash took a deep breath to calm himself, "Yeah. I think I just need a minute to cool down."

Brock smiled, "Don't worry. We'll take of signing in. You just take it easy for now."

Pikachu and Clefairy jumped back onto his shoulders. The Electric-type smiled, "_And the two of us 'll keep you company._"

The Fairy-type nodded happily, "_Yeah._"

Soot nudged up against Ash, "Make that three."

Ash smiled softly, "Thanks."

.

*Inside

Brock and Misty stood at the front desk as Kaiser riffled through a cabinet. Ash sat on a couch and pet Soot as she laid on his lap. Pikachu and Clefairy were looking at the surrounding pictures curiously from the couch.

Kaiser turned back around and place a bucket of green pokéballs and three fishing rods on the counter, "Here. You all get thirty Safari balls and you're on a three-hour time limit. How you divvy up whatever you catch is up to you." He glared, "The Safari balls, these fishing rods, and whatever bait or fishing lures you have are the only things you'll be allowed to use to catch any Pokémon. No other types of pokéballs are allowed and none of your Pokémon can be used for battles." He motioned towards his holstered gun, "Breaking these rules will result in-" He froze up when and flinched as Ash flashed a quick Intimidate. Kaiser gulped, "W-well- just don't break the rules."

Misty sweat dropped with a nervous smile, "Understood."

Pikachu continued looking around the pictures before blinked in surprise and pointing at one, "_Hey, Ash. Isn't that a dratini?_"

Ash and Soot glanced at the picture. It was an old picture that depicted a younger Kaiser smiling and crouching down next to a dratini with an 'X' scratched into the developing horn.

Ash nodded, "Yeah. That's right."

Misty looked back in surprise, "What is it?"

Ash pointed at the picture with a thumb, "Look. There's a picture of a dratini."

Brock and Misty's eyes widened, and they hurried over.

Misty smiled brightly and pulled the picture down, "Oh, wow! That's so cool!"

The Rock-type trainer looked at the picture before smiling, "Oh yeah. I've actually heard rumors about some dratini being here. I guess they really were true-"

"No! They're all lies!" Kaiser shouted as he ran over and snatched the picture out of Misty's hands, "That was nothing more than a poorly thought out ruse to draw in patrons! This is a doctored photo!"

Misty blinked in surprise, "What do you mean poorly thought out?"

Kaiser grumbled and turned around, "Thirty years ago, I spread that rumor to draw in patrons; even though I knew it was false. The worst part is how well it worked. Trainers came flooding in and started catching every Pokémon they could just to try and find a dratini." He looked down sorrowfully, "My greed caused thousands of Pokémon to be caught for no reason and trashed this place. It took almost a whole year to fix and it still isn't what it used to be. It was after that that I set up the Safari Ball limit."

Brock frowned and nodded, "I understand. I'm sorry."

Kaiser took a deep breath, "I just don't want to make that mistake again." He started walking towards the entrance, "I need some fresh air. You'll be free to enter the Safari Zone when I get back." He closed the door behind him before anyone could respond.

Misty frowned, "Now I kind of feel bad for him."

Soot frowned too, "Same, but probably for a different reason."

Brock looked at her in confusion, "Wait do you mean?"

"She's means how he still blames himself for what happened back then." Ash responded.

Misty sweat dropped, "I mean, sure. But he did bring it on himself by lying like that."

Ash shook his head, "Oh, he didn't lie." He stopped and reconsidered, "Well, back then."

"W_a_i_t_, w_h_a_t_?" Brock, Pikachu, Misty, and Clefairy asked.

Brock followed with, "So, there really are dratini here?"

Soot snickered, "Yeah. Oak told us all about it. Kaiser befriended the one in that picture and came up with all of that to try and protect them."

Pikachu raised a brow, "_Why didn't he just say so in the first place?_"

Clefairy nodded, "_Yeah. We wouldn't have hurt them._"

Ash smiled softly, "Don't forget that we're still strangers to him. He has no reason to trust us." He looked back at the others, "So, if we do find Dratini, let's leave them alone and keep quiet about it."

Brock and Misty smiled softly and nodded, "Yeah."

Misty smirked and nudged Ash with a shoulder, "Besides, we do already have our very own dragonite."

Ash chuckled and rolled his eyes, "Yeah yeah."

Soot smirked, "And if we ever do want a dratini, we just need to find a female dragonite or ditt-"

"O-kay!" Ash jumped in with a blush, "I think that's enough of that, Soot."

Soot pouted, "Aww. And a would've liked having a little half-brother or sister." She smirked, "Especially a Pseudo-Legendary one."

Ash glared, "Soot. Stop. Please."

Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and Clefairy snickered.

.

**Time Skip**

Ash, Brock, and Misty stood before the main gate; Safari Balls and fishing rods in hand. Soot stood next to them with Pikachu and Clefairy on her back.

The gate creaked open and Kaiser looked back at them, "Like I said before, you have three-hours. I expect you to be back no later."

Ash nodded, "Thank you, Kaiser."

The group made their way through the gate and down the trail. All around, there were various Pokémon running around and playing. A few of them noticed the group, smiled, and ran away.

Misty blinked in surprise, "That's … different."

Soot snickered, "It's because of how this place works. All the Pokémon here know the drill inside and out."

Ash nodded, "Yup. No battles. They just like to make the chase interesting and show off. And, if not, they sometimes just come up and let themselves get caught. My kind of style." He heard something and looked over to see a herd of tauros heading in their general direction.

Ash smirked and pulled out a Safari Ball, "Watch." He reeled back and threw it, "Go! Safari Ball!"

The green ball shot towards one of the tauros and caught it immediately. The ball fell to the ground and stopped moving after barely a few beeps.

Ash walked over, picked up the ball, and smiled at his friends, "See? It's that easy here."

Brock smiled, "Huh. This could actually be a really good opportunity to expand our teams."

Soot nodded, "Yeah. Let's just hope Team Rocket doesn't show up."

Misty sighed, "No kidding."

.

*Rocketrio

**Ohirume: Haven't used that one in a ****long**** time**

"Twenty-two chapters OR twenty-eight story posts to be exact." Yukiro said with a smirk, "A.K.A. Squirtle Squad."

"Who are you talking to?!" Jessie shouted furiously from inside a giant cage.

"Why are we in here?!" James cried out fearfully; in the same cage.

Seishin spun around to face them; smiling innocently, "Oh, simple. Rob didn't want you three messing around with Trix at the Safari Zone." He glared and pointed at them accusingly, "And don't try saying you don't know what I mean! I know for a fact that you're all low brow fourth-wall breakers!" He then glared at the sky, "That goes for you too, Rob! I am not going through Gastly again!"

**Ohirume: Alright! Fine!**

Meowth glanced upward warily before looking back at Yukiro, "Dat was you talkin' to da autha, right?"

Yukiro looked at Meowth in surprise, "Did you hear Rob, too?"

James blinked in surprise, "You can hear them?"

Yukiro sweat dropped, "Okay, maybe not."

Jessie glared at Yukiro, "Whatever! Why can't we do our thing this time?! We already left them alone at Bill's lighthouse and the Charmander chapter! We got shot down in Saffron, Hypno, and Fuchsia! And we didn't even make an appearance in Pewter or Vermillion like we should have!" She glanced to the side and mutter, "Even if they were minor appearances." She glared back at him, "Why can't we have this one?!"

Yukiro snickered, "Dunno and don' care, Musashi. Ya'lls are-uh stayin' right 'ere 'til da enda da chapta."

Meowth glared at him, "Am I a joke ta you?"

Seishin smiled, "Meowth. Thank you." He reached into his deck box and pulled out a card, "Now, while I'm rigging Ashy-boys catches and throwing bulls." He glanced to side, "Literally." He looked back at the tRio, "I'll be leaving you three with this guy." He held the card up high, "Ability Card Activate! ¡DICE! Taylor Hogdson-Scott style!"

A large white flash lit up the area; making Team Rocket shy away. When it faded, they looked back.

Yukiro was nowhere to be seen and in his place was a guy with a mustache. He wore a full black mariachi suit with a red kerchief and wore a straw sombrero. His eyes were closed, he stood at attention, and his arms were behind his back as he stood next to a boombox.

James blinked in surprise, "Who's that?"

Meowth glanced around warily before looking back at the guy, "Hey! Think you can let us outa dis thing?!"

The man's eyes shot open; revealing them to be brown.

He started snapping rhythmically and dancing, "COMPLACIENDO PARA TODOS LOS BAILADORES CON ESTA ROLA QUE  
DICEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

He swiftly pulled a pair of maracas from out of nowhere, kicked the boombox, and it started playing a techno song.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

**Ohirume: Artificial Intelligence Bomb by Naruto … N-no. Not the anime.**

The rest of the following cannot be explained due to shear insanity, randomness, and sheer hilarity. I HEAVILY suggest looking up ¡DICE! by Taylor Hogdson-Scott on YouTube to at least get an idea.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

**Omega: Also, Rob is a lazy ******.**

Jessie stared in shock as the freak danced, "Oh, what sweet Yvel is this?"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

James started bobbing his head with a smile, "I kinda like it."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

Jessie and Meowth glanced at their teammate in wary shock.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

.

*Back at the Safari Zone

The group hid in a bush with a grazing rhyhorn in front of them.

Brock smiled, "A rhyhorn." He held up a Safari Ball, "This one's mine." He reeled back and threw ball.

Rhyhorn looked back in surprise as the ball shot towards them. And then a tauros herd ran into the ball's path.

Everyone blinked in surprise as another tauros was caught.

Brock sweat dropped, "Huh."

Misty chuckled nervously, "Better luck next time, I guess."

Brock pulled out another ball, "Well, I can still try with another-"

He stopped and stared in shock when Rhyhorn sped away rapidly in the form of a large drill spike.

Soot sweat dropped, "And he knew Drill Run."

Brock groaned and slumped forward, "Crag."

.

**Time Skip**

Soot's eye twitched furiously, "How the YVEL did manage to catch NINETEEN TAUROS?!"

Clefairy looked at her, "_Well, they kept getting in the way of the pokéballs._"

Ash sighed, "It was rhetorical, Clefairy." He looked ahead with a frown, "But, you do have a point, Soot. I don't even know how to explain it."

Brock was in a slump, "I missed out on three more rhyhorn and a chansey of all things. That's like the perfect Pokémon for a breeder."

Misty spun around to face them with a smile, "Well, this time, we shouldn't have to worry about any tauros. Because," She held out her hands towards a lake, "We're going fishing!"

Ash and Brock shared a look and shrugged.

The group moved to sit by the lake.

Misty opened up a box to Ash and Brock; revealing an array of lures, "Alright, take your pick."

Ash looked up at her, "What do you suggest?"

Misty smirked and reached behind her back, "Oh, I already have mine picked out." She pulled out and held up a lure resembling herself doing a double 'V' sign, "My Misty special."

Soot sweat dropped, "Right."

Misty gave a cocky smile, "Oh, you'll see Soot." She swiftly tied the lure on and cast her line, "I'll catch something on my first try!" The lure plopped into the water. Misty started reeling in the line slowly.

Clefairy pouted, "_She's not catching anything._"

Ash chuckled, "It's not simple, Clefairy. Fishing takes time and patience."

"Woah!" Misty called out; feeling a tug on the line. She smiled and started reeling, "Hah! I got a bite!"

Soot blinked in surprise, "But, apparently, not always."

Misty grimaced and pulled harder, "It's a real fighter!"

Brock ran over and grabbed the pole, "I'll help!"

The pair struggled as they tried to reel in the catch. They weren't making much progress.

"Ash! Help!" Misty called out.

"On it." Ash said as he jumped up, grabbed the pole, and yanked it upwards effortlessly.

The catch burst out of the water in a geyser and crashed onto the ground.

Brock sweat dropped, "Oh, right."

The fished-out water-type sat up and held their head, "_Ugh. What hit me?_"

Misty's eyes lit up, "It's a poliwhirl!" She pulled out a Safari Ball and immediately threw it, "You're mine!" The ball flew towards the Tadpole Pokémon when-

"_AHHHHHH!_"

Everyone flinched and looked over to see a tauros flying towards the pokéball and screaming at the top of their lungs. Their jaws all dropped as the tauros was caught. Poliwhirl jumped back in the water and swam away in the confusion.

"_How is that even possible?_" Pikachu said in a daze.

Soot stared in shock, "Before now, I didn't think it was."

"I- I-" Ash stuttered, "I think I'm done trying to catch anything for the day."

Brock and Misty nodded, "Ag-"

"ZA WARUDO!"

Everything turned gray -if not a shade darker than normal- and stopped moving completely.

Yukiro ran into the area, "Hey! I know it's impossible to tell because this is a fanfiction, but I'm talking really fast right now and not even taking a second to pause between sentences! The reason?! You ever notice how ten seconds in Za Warudo can take half a minute?! That's because, and I quote, talking is a free action." He quickly pulled out a pocket watch, held it up, and pointed at it, "For example, the last few seconds of me rambling hasn't even taken up a second. And unlike Dio, I'm going to abuse the Yvel out of this by speed singing 'This Song Doesn't Have Any Words (But These Ones) (And These Ones)' by Tobuscus on loop while I gather up the rest of the tauros. Okay bye!"

Yukiro sped away and started speed singing the ten-word song.

Over the course of the next zero seconds, Yukiro gradually brought ten more tauros into the clearing; continuously singing 'This Song Doesn't Have Any Words (But These Ones) (And These Ones)' like it was a Nightcore with the playback speed set to 2x.

**Mizuro: … Wow.**

He then proceeded to swipe the empty Safari Balls from Ash, Brock, and Misty and hurl them at the tauros; still singing. The balls remained suspended in midair in front of the tauros.

Yukiro stopped singing, ran where has before, and rambled again, "Okay! That's done! And it still hasn't been even one second!" He pointed to the side with his thumb, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've been singing like a sugar happy chipmunk for the past hour -even though it's only been a few lines to all of you- and I need to go pass out." He ran out of the area.

Ten seconds passed and everything went back to its natural coloration.

"-reed." Brock and Misty finished.

Everyone flinched when they found themselves surrounded by tauros. Their eyes all widened in shock when they were all caught simultaneously.

Silence swept over the field as everyone tried to process what in the literal freaking Yvel just happened.

And then Soot screamed, "HOW?!"

.

**Time Skip**

"I'm sorry." Professor Oak said in shock, "Could you repeat that?"

Ash chuckled nervously, "You, uh, definitely heard right, Professor. Thirty tauros."

Oak shook his head and blinked, "Wha- why did you catch so many?"

Misty sighed, "We didn't try to. They just- kept getting in the way of what we were trying to catch. Ten of them literally appeared out of nowhere."

Soot groaned, "I still think it was a rogue Psychic-type being a jerk."

Brock sweat dropped, "We can't think of anything else that explains … this"

Oak sweat dropped, "Regardless, you know you don't have to register all of them under Ash's trainer account. Right?"

Ash sighed, "Actually, we kind of did. Soot already talked to them and we found out that they all want to stay together as a herd. Neither the Cerulean nor Pewter Gyms have the free space to house a tauros herd. Your corral is our only option."

Brock and Misty shrugged, "Sorry."

Oak sighed, "I suppose I can't argue that." He perked up, "Still, how was everything else?" His smile brightened and he leaned in closer, "Did Kaiser introduce you all to Dratini?"

Kaiser visibly flinched from behind the desk.

Ash glanced back at the man and looked back at the professor, "I think you're mistaken, professor. Kaiser said it was all a myth." He nudged his head back towards the man.

Oak raised a brow; not catching on, "What? I thought he would have told-" His eyes widened in realization before he deadpanned, "Wait. You never told him you knew me, did you?"

Ash sweat dropped, "Professor. Nearly every Kantonian trainer with a Pokédex knows you."

Samuel sighed, "Not like that. Take me off speaker and put Kaiser on the phone, please."

The group shared an unsure look before Ash nodded, "Uh … sure." He looked back at the counter, "Hey Kaiser. Samuel Oak wants to talk to you."

Kaiser looked over with a raised brow. He got up, walked over to the phone, and Ash handed it to him.

Kaiser put the phone to his ear, "Hey, Sa-" he stopped and looked back at the group, "Do you mind?"

Ash waved his hands defensively, "Sorry." He and the others moved back a few feet.

Kaiser put the phone to his ear again, "Hey, Sammy. What do you want?"

**Gem: WHAT?!**

**Faux: … Gem, we told you back in the Fourth of July Special.**

Clefairy raised a brow, "_Sammy?_"

Soot looked up at her, "Old nickname."

Oak said something on the screen.

Kaiser jerked, "Seriously?!" He looked back at Ash in shock.

Misty's eyes widened in shock, "Did Professor Oak actually just-"

Soot shook her head, "Luckily, no." She sweat dropped and deadpanned, "Apparently, Oak told Kaiser that dad is a 'Pokémon whisperer in-training' and that he recently added the dratini line to the list of Pokémon he can translate for."

Brock stared at her in shock, "How did you-"

Ash tapped at his own ear, "We can hear the whole thing."

Clefairy blinked in surprise, "_Really?_"

Pikachu shrugged, "_Well, yeah._"

Ash sweat dropped, "What I don't understand, though, is why Professor Oak came up with that instead of just saying we were trustworthy so that Soot could translate."

Soot smirked, "Hey, I don't mind. It gets me off the translator bandwagon."

Ash sighed.

"Um, thank you, Sam." Kaiser responded before nodding, "Yes, I'll be sure to." He hung up before looking back at Ash and scratched the side of his head nervously, "So … about before-"

Ash raised a hand, "Don't worry about it. I know you were just protecting a friend."

Kaiser sighed in relief, "Thank you." He raised a brow, "So, you're really a Pokémon whisperer?"

Ash sweat dropped, "Well … in-training." 'Apparently.'

Misty raised a finger, "We can vouch for that."

Kaiser continued, "So, if I brought you all to Dratini, you could really translate for me?"

Soot smiled slyly, "That, he can."

.

**Time Skip**

With Kaiser leading the way, the group made their way towards the Valley of Dragons. It was a sparkling lake surrounded on all sides by gray rock walls with stone spikes littered all around the water.

Misty blinked in surprise, "This is where Dratini lives?"

Kaiser nodded with a soft smile, "That's right. It was right here that I met him." His smile became somber, "I just hope we find him."

"Well, wish granted." Soot stated; looking upward, "She's right up there."

Everyone looked at her in surprise before following her gaze.

Kaiser stared in awe upon seeing a dragonair hovering high above them with a dratini on their back. What really caught his attention was the 'X' shaped scratch in the side of the Dragon-type's horn.

Kaiser started tearing up with a small smile, "Dratini. You evolved." He flinched and looked at Soot in shock, "WAIT! SHE?!"

Dragonair giggled, "_I missed you too, Kaiser._"

Ash nodded, "Yup. Definitely a girl." He looked at the man with a smile, "And apparently, you're a godfather, now."

Kaiser stared at Ash in surprise before looking back up at Dragonair, "Huh."

.

*Yukiro

"Oniisan. Oniiiiiiiisaaaaan. Ugh. YUKI!"

Yukiro jerked awake and looked at the source of the shouting.

Sitting there with a sly smirk was a young boy with light pink hair and blue eyes. He wore a dark pink T-shirt, brown baggy pants, dark pink and white sneakers, and a pink hat with triangular ears poking out the top.

The boy waved; still smirking, "Morning, bro."

Yukiro blinked in surprise, "Miki?" He looked up and down the boy with a raised brow, "Why are you human?"

Miki shrugged, "Dunno. I was like this when I got here."

Yukiro looked at the sky, "Care to explain, Rob?"

**Ohirume: That, I do not.**

The younger Seishin giggled with a hand over his mouth, "Aw, don't worry, Yuki. Honestly, I'm just happy to be in a story again. Besides, the form's growing on me." He held up a hand and wiggled his fingers, "I forgot how nice it was to have five fingers … and actual fingers."

Yukiro chuckled and pet his head, "Fair enough. So, what about Seiichi and Juri? Are they gonna show up too?"

**Seiichi: Naw. Apparently, we're for later.**

**Juri: Ohirume said something about-**

**Ohirume: Sorry, kid. I don't want any spoilers on that.**

**Juri: *pouts* Aww.**

Yukiro snickered, "Don't worry Juri. You'll get your moment." He jumped back to his feet, "Alright. I guess it's time to let out the Rockies."

Miki nodded with a smile and stood back up too, "Yup. Main reason I'm here." He sweat dropped, "Kind of a bland cameo."

"Maybe." The older Seishin said before crouching down, "But, for now-" He held out his hands with a smile.

Miki smirked with raised a brow, "And you're the older brother, how?"

Yukiro shrugged, "Genetics? Now, come on." He gestured for him to come.

Miki rolled his eyes before walking up and hugging the white-haired guy.

The older Seishin hugged him back and smiled softly, "I missed you, little bro."

The younger Seishin smiled too, "Same, big bro."

After a few more seconds, the separated.

Yukiro stood back up and clapped, "Alright. I'm off." He stopped and looked at his brother with a raised brow, "Wait. How are you getting home?"

**Omega: Already on it.**

A grid like portal appeared in midair in front of them.

Miki smiled at the sky, "Thanks Omega!" He waved at his brother, "Bye Yuki." He jumped through the portal before it closed.

Seishin smiled softly before disappearing with a *pop*.

.

*tRio Also,

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Yukiro appeared in front of the cage with a happy smile, "Alright, Roketto-dan. I'm done at the Safari Zone. So, after I amnesia-fy you all, you're free to-" He stopped, stared in shock, and jaw dropped at the scene before him.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

Apparently, Mr. ¡DICE! let James out of the cage and he joined in with the dancing. Meowth was unconscious on the floor of the cage with his face covered in scratches. Having knocked himself out with Fury Swipes. Jessie was laying on her side in fetal position.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

Jessie noticed Yukiro and grabbed the cage bars, "HEY! Make it stop! Please! I can't take it anymore!"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

Yukiro glanced at James and ¡DICE! before looking back at Jessie. He smiled brightly and pulled out a pair of maracas.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

Jessie's hands slid down the bars as she whimpered, "No. No, please."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

Yukiro nodded, "Oh, yeah."

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

**Ohirume: No.**

Yukiro looked up at the sky and whined, "But, Rob!" His eyes narrowed, and he pointed at the sky, "Hey! That was not a whine!"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"

**Ohirume: Doesn't matter. We've had enough crazy and I need to wrap this thing up.**

Yukiro glanced to the side, "How this guy imagines me is beyond me." He held up two cards, "Return! And Ability Card Activate! JoJo 8! California King Bed!"

"EEEEEEEE-"

Another white flash lit up the area. It faded to reveal nothing but Team Rocket sitting on the ground and looking around in confusion.

Jessie blinked in surprise, "What just happened?"

Meowth held his head, "I'm not sure. Weren't we supposed ta be doin' somethin' to da twoip?"

James scratched the side of his head, "I … think so? Uh, our old Bike gang. Right?"

Jessie nodded slowly, "Yeah." She nodded a little faster, "Yeah. That sounds right."

Meowth looked at his teammates in surprise, "You guys were in a bike gang?"

James stood up, "We'll tell you when we get there."

.

.

**Gem: … Huh. Why don't I remember any of this?**

**Faux: What do you mean?**

**Gem: Kaiser. The Safari Zone. Dratini. None of this sounds familiar.**

**Ohirume: I know it doesn't. Because you also don't remember Porygon, a handful of jynx episodes, that whiscash on Jojo island, or the passimian episode.**

**Gem: … Huh?**

**Pike: Rob, what the Yvel are you talking about?**

**Ohirume: Gem's timeline doesn't include any of the episodes that were banned in the U.S.**

**Though, to be fair, some were banned for good reasons. Namely seizure inducing flashes putting over six hundred children in the hospital.**

**Everyone else except Seishin: *Wide eyes shock* WHAT?!**

**Seishin: :( Yeah. It was ****bad****.**

**Ohirume: And then there were those time where natural disasters occurred around the time the episode would air. Which also caused Earthquake, Magnitude, and Fissure to be permanently removed from the anime from then on.**

**Pearl: Really? *glances around thoughtfully* Huh. I never noticed.**

**Ohirume: And some were because people were too sensitive. Like gun play, Jynx's original design, and Ash wearing passimian style face paint for the U.S. Everything Japanese themed in South Korea. And some that have never been explained like Jigglypuff's debut episode in Turkey.**

**Faux … Wow.**

**Wait a second! Gem, if you never went to the real Safari Zone, where did your tauros herd come from?**

**Gem: … Uh-**

**Seishin: It's questions like that that cause people to look up the banned episodes.**


	41. Ch 35: Double - Bike Gang & Ditto

**Omega: Filler?**

**Seishin: Show-wise, even more so than the last chapter.**

**Faux: *raises brow* Show-wise?**

**Ohirume: Well, I am leading up to something … in the next chapter.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10**

.

.

**Trix Double Feature!**

**Part 1: Poké-sy Ride**

**(Omega: *cringe***

**Ohirume: *sigh* Yup.)**

.

"Oh!" Misty squealed as she cuddled the little Dragon Pokémon, "You're just so cute!"

Dratini squealed happily and nuzzled up against Misty.

Soot smiled, "Aww. He likes you too."

Brock reached over and pet the Dragon-type, "His scales are so smooth. Dragonair's really done a good job."

Misty nuzzled Dratini, "I really wish I could catch you."

Soot sweat drooped, "Uh, Mist?" She glanced over at Ash, Dragonair, and Kaiser.

Misty blinked in surprise, followed her gaze, and flinched when she saw Dragonair and Kaiser glaring daggers at her. Ash rubbed the back of his head and chuckled nervously.

Misty waved a hand defensively, "I didn't mean it like that! It's just- A girl can dream, right?" She chuckled nervously.

"Well keep it that way." Kaiser warned before turning back around.

Dragonair nodded; still glaring. She turned back to Kaiser and said something.

Ash sighed in relief before translating.

Misty sighed in relief, "Oh, thank Arceus." She smiled sadly, "Still, I just wish there was some way we could get a-" She stopped, her eyes widened, and she smiled slyly before whispering something to Dratini.

The little Dragon-type nodded happily and slithered over to Ash. He snuck up behind him and headbutted the watch.

Ash looked over in confusion before smiling softly and petting them.

Misty blinked in surprise, "Wait. Why didn't the watch turn yellow?"

Soot snickered, "Dragonite, remember? He can't scan the same species twice."

Misty frowned, "Oh, right."

Dratini slithered back to Misty and looked at her excitedly, "_Did I do it right?!_"

Soot smirked, "He wants to know if he did it right."

Misty smiled sadly and petting the Dragon Pokémon, "Yeah. Good job."

"_Yay!_" Dratini cried out before nuzzling Misty again.

Misty pet the Dragon Pokémon; still with a sad smile.

Soot snickered, "Well, look at it this way. Now we know where to find a female Dragonair."

Misty perked up, "Oh yeah." She smiled and pet Dratini, "How'd you like a little half-brother or sister?"

Dratini blinked in surprise and cocked his head, "_Huh?_"

Brock sweat dropped, "Do you really think Ash would be okay with that?"

Soot smiled slyly, "Maybe not immediately. But give it some time and we might just break him."

Ash's eye twitched, 'Son of a glitch.'

.

*Pikachu and Clefairy

The Electric and Fairy-types sat off to the side a few feet away from Soot, Misty, Brock, and Dratini. Albeit, begrudgingly. Well, for one of them mostly.

Clefairy pouted and crossed her arms, "_I still don't get why I have to stay so far away._"

Pikachu sweat dropped with a nervous smile, "_Dratini did freak out and wrap around Soot's neck when you got too close. He almost looked afraid of you._"

"_But why?_" Clefairy whined, "_I'm not gonna hurt him._"

Pikachu smiled sadly, "_I'm not sure. Ash or Soot might know, though._"

Clefairy groaned, "_It's so unfair. I just wanted to say hi._" She glanced at Pikachu with a frown, "_Y'know you don't have to stay with me, right? Dratini didn't seem afraid of you._"

Pikachu smiled and patted her back, "_Well, someone has to keep you company. What kind of friend would I be to leave you all alone?_"

Clefairy smiled and leaned against the Mouse, "_Thanks, Pikachu._"

.

*Ash, Kaiser, and Dragonair

"A gyarados?" Kaiser asked in surprise.

Dragonair nodded, "_That's right._" She raised a brow, "_What did you expect?_"

Ash translated as he stood next to them.

Kaiser sweat dropped, "I kind of expected another dragonair or a dragonite." He back towards Dratini and the others, "I mean, look at him."

Dragonair giggled, "_That'd be pretty difficult. Seeing as my hatchling and I are the only ones of our kind here._"

Ash relayed the message.

Kaiser looked back at her in surprise, "Really? What about your parents?"

"Meemas." Ash corrected.

"Right, sorry." Kaiser said, "What about your meemas?"

Dragonair looked down sorrowfully, "_I never knew them. I was brought here by accident with a shipment of rhyhorn and it was … rough._" She reached her tail up to rub the scratch on her horn, "_That's actually how I got this._"

Ash frowned before relaying again.

Kaiser looked at Ash in shock before looking back at Dragonair worriedly, "Dragonair, I-I'm so sorry. I never knew." Her looked up at the scratch, "All this time, I thought it just came from a bad battle." He looked down sorrowfully, "I wish I could have done more to help."

Dragonair looked at the man in shock, "_Done more? Kaiser. You're been there for me for most of life. Because of you, I was safe from those trainers all those years ago. I was able to live happily and peacefully._" She looked past him towards her hatchling "_And I was able to raise a beautiful hatchling._" She looked back at Kaiser, "_To do more, you'd have had to have __been__ a Dragonite._"

Ash smiled softly before translating again.

Kaiser smiled at the Dragon-type softly, "Thank you. Still, I sorry that that happened."

Dragonair looked at him kindly, "_Well, it wasn't all bad._" She reached forward and nuzzled him, "_Afterall. I got to meet you._"

Kaiser hugged her back; not needing the translation this time, "Thank you, Dragonair."

Ash smiled and took a step back; not wanting to interrupt.

After a few more minutes, they separated and Kaiser asked, "So, what else can you tell me about Gyarados? Like, how does that work for you? Do you get along or does he kind of live up to his Atrocious Pokémon species?"

Dragonair groaned, "_Oh, don't even get me started with him. It's like this-_"

Ash sweat dropped, 'Seriously?'

.

**Time Skip**

Ash and friends continued on their journey towards Cinnabar Island. That is, if Ash and Soot didn't have another detour in mind.

"Matcha City?" Brock asked in confusion.

Ash smiled and nodded, "Yeah. I was hoping to visit an old friend there. He's a renowned professor who actually invented the Pokémon Transfer System."

Misty stared at Ash in shock, "Wait, seriously?! You mean-"

Soot nodded with a smirk, "Yup. Franz Kogami Schaffer. So, what do you guys say? Wanna meet him?"

**Faux and Pike: Wait what?**

**Ohirume: *rolls eyes* Yeah yeah. I changed Akihabara's name. Can you seriously argue that the English Dub wouldn't have done this if the episode wasn't banned?**

**Mizuro: That, I cannot.**

**Faux: Why Franz Kogami Schaffer, though?**

**Ohirume: Code Lyoko and Yu-Gi-Oh! Vrains.**

**Seishin: Here we are!**

**Goin' far-**

**Ohirume: Yukiro, cut it out.**

**Seishin: :( But you love that song.**

**Ohirume: I do. Which is why we'll use it in the Porygon chapter like we did with Saffron.**

**Seishin: Woo Hoo! ****֟****\\(˚ 0 ˚)/****֟** ***points toward emoticon and whispers* It's meant to be the Homer Simpson thing.**

Brock sweat dropped, "Well, sure. But aren't you at all worried?"

Ash looked at him with a raised brow, "What do you mean?"

Brock pulled out his map, "Well, by the looks of it, going to Matcha City means that we have to cut through Sunny Town. And that puts us way off track from Cinnabar Island." He looked back at Ash, "If we keep up with these detours, you might end up missing the league."

Soot smiled, "I wouldn't worry. If he needs to get to a gym fast, dad can just zip there as Quick Attack."

Ash raised a finger, "Which, I will only do as a last resort if I really am low on time. Mainly because it'll involve leaving all of you behind for the battle."

Clefairy blinked in surprise, "_Even us?_"

Ash smiled sadly, "Only if you still don't want to go in your pokéballs." He shifted to a sly smirk, "Or if can handle moving at over five-hundred miles an hour."

Pikachu gulped, "_Got it._"

Brock looked back over the map, "Uh." He perked up, "Alright, then. Sunny Town it is."

Soot smiled, "Followed by Matcha City."

Misty raised a fist, "Let's go!"

.

**Time Skip**

Ash and friends travelled through … City(?) on route to Sunny Town. Along the way, the just talked amongst themselves. By this point, it came around to Clefairy.

Soot smiled sadly, "I'm afraid it was the typing. Some young Dragon-types are naturally afraid of Fairy-types. And there's not always a reason for it. They usually grow out of it after a year."

"_Oh. That's why._" Pikachu said.

Clefairy frowned, "_But I wouldn't have hurt him._"

Ash smiled sadly and pet her, "Sorry, Clefairy. It's just instinct."

Clefairy slumped over, "_Aww._"

Pikachu walked across Ash's back and patted her back.

Misty chuckled before noticing something and sweat dropped, "Hey, Ash? Didn't you say we would have to go all the way around or sail across to get to Sunny Town?"

Ash looked at her in confusion, "Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering," Misty said before pointing past him with a sly smirk, "is there any reason we can't use that bridge?"

Ash blinked in surprise, "Wait, what?" He, Soot, Brock, Pikachu, and Clefairy looked where she pointed to find a giant, zig-zagging suspension bridge spanning across the water.

Brock smiled, "Oh, wow. They already completed it." He pulled out a map and opened it, "The map says it's still under construction. I guess they must have finished pretty recently."

Soot blinked in surprise, "Huh. Neat."

Ash smiled, "Well, that definitely makes things easier. Especially with the huge storm rolling in."

Misty looked at Ash in surprise, "Wait, really?" She looked up to the clear sky and sweat dropped, "I'll take your word for it."

Brock looked at Ash, "How far away is it?"

Ash sniffed the air, "Um … one and" he sniffed again "a half hours."

Misty eyes widened, "Then, we'd better hurry."

Soot nodded, "Agreed." She ran ahead.

Everyone else followed.

.

*Bridge

"Well, I'm sorry to say," The bridge attendant said, "but the bridge isn't completely finished. Besides, it's only for vehicles."

Ash raised a brow, "So we can't just walk across?"

The attendant smiled sadly, "Sorry. But the bridge is over ten miles long. It'd be dark by the time you got there."

Soot sweat dropped, 'Geez.'

"Though, there is another option." The attendant said, catching the group's attention.

Brock looked at him, "What is it?"

"It's-"

"Hey Norman!" A man said as he passed the entryway on a bike. A woman followed, also on a bike.

Norman waved as they passed, "Ride safely."

Misty blinked in surprise, "Wait, what? I thought the bridge wasn't finished."

Norman looked back at the group, "Actually, it's just the rode that needs work. But the bicycle path's done."

Ash deadpanned, "They finished the bike path before the road?"

Norman sweat dropped, "Trust me, kid. I've been questioning that for a while too."

Misty sighed and crossed her arms, "Great. We'd already be on our way if someone hadn't destroyed my bike."

Ash glared at her, "Misty, you handed it to me so I could escape from a spearow flock. I'm sorry it got fried, but it's not just my fault. Besides, it was only a one-seater. We'd still need at least two more bikes or a dual-seater."

Misty pouted, "Still doesn't change the fact that you owe me."

Ash sighed, "I still can't pay for it. I'm sorry. But, right now, we need to find a way to-" He stopped, blinked in surprise, and looked back at the man in the booth, "Uh, Norman, right?"

Norman blinked in surprise, "Yeah?"

"Is there any rule against using a flying Pokémon to get to Sunny Town?" Ash asked.

Norman blinked in surprise and put a hand to his chin, "Huh. Now that you mention it, no. Though it'd have to be a pretty big one to take all of you across."

Ash smiled, "I have something in mind. Could you point us to the nearest Pokémon Center?"

Norman pointed into the distance, "It's just that way. It'll be the only building on a big grassy hill."

Ash looked where he pointed before looking back at the man and nodding, "Thank you, Norman."

He turned and started walking into the city. Misty, Brock, and Soot followed soon after.

After a few more minutes, the Pokémon Center came into view.

Misty blinked in surprise, "Wait, we're actually going to the Pokémon Center? I kind of thought you were talking about your Dragonite form."

Ash nodded, "I was."

"Then why are we actually going there?" Brock asked in confusion, "You said that a really bad storm was rolling in."

"I actually wanted to call Professor Oak and check up on the tauros before we left." Ash waved a hand, "And don't worry. I can definitely get us across in less than fifteen minutes."

Misty sweat dropped, "Well, if you're sure."

.

*Pokémon Center

The group -minus Ash- sat on a pair of couches while as talked to the professor. Misty and Brock each sat on a couch, Soot laid next to Misty on the same couch, and Pikachu and Clefairy were lounging next to Brock.

Misty sighed, "How long is this supposed to take?"

Pikachu smiled and put his hands behind his head, "_Eh. I don't mind._"

Clefairy mimicked the Mouse, "_Me neither. It feels nice to just sit back after a long time._"

Soot glanced at the pair with a sly smirk, "Sure. Because riding on someone's shoulders is so exhausting."

Brock looked at Soot, "Do have any idea what Ash wanted to ask the professor?"

Soot yawned, "Eh. I've got a few ideas. Can't say for certain, though."

Nurse Joy walked into the room with a worried frown. She quickly noticed the group and walked over, "Excuse me. If you could spare some time, would you mind helping me out?"

The quintet looked over in confusion, "Hu_h_?"

Brock immediately blushed, ran up to her, and took hold of her hands, "Please. Let me help. I just love caring for Pokémon. It's my life. Please. Ple-"

He was cut off by Misty hitting him over the head with Soot's leg.

Misty grabbed the back of his shirt and dragged him away, "Time and place, Brock." She said in an annoyed tone, "Time and place."

Brock pouted.

Soot looked over to the Water-type trainer, "Uh, Misty?" She nudged over to her right shoulder, "Forgetting something?"

Joy looked at Soot in surprise.

"Sorry." Misty called out before lobbing the leg over.

Soot caught and reattached it, "Thanks." She looked over to the Nurse, "Sorry about that. You said something about needing help?"

Nurse shook off the confusion before nodding, "Yes. There's a Pokémon in Sunny Town that's terribly sick. I need someone to deliver some medicine for it." She looked down shamefully, "Normally I'd do it, but I'm too busy over here."

Misty smiled and walked over, "Don't worry. We're planning on heading to Sunny Town anyway and would be happy to deliver the medicine."

Nurse smiled, "Oh, thank you. And, if you need bikes, I have some here that you can borrow."

Soot waved a paw, "Nah. We're good. My trainer's getting a big enough Flying-type to carry us across."

.

*Ash and Oak; moments before

"Of course, Ash." Professor Oak said with a smirk, "I'll be happy to check."

Ash smiled, "Thank you, professor." He raised a finger, "Just, one more thing. Would you mind sending over my pokéball?"

Samuel blinked in surprise, "Well, that won't be a problem. But why do you need it?"

"My friends and I are heading to Sunny Town and we don't have any bikes. By the way, they finished the bike path on the bridge." Ash responded, "So, I'll be needing 'Dragonite' go to across the canal. I just thought having 'his' pokéball would help keep from arousing suspicion." He shrugged, "Y'know, comparatively speaking."

Oak consider that and shrugged, "I suppose that makes sense. Still, you will have to transfer one of your Pokémon over to me."

Ash frowned, "Crag. I didn't think of that."

Oak smirked, "Well. I could just-"

Ash glared at the man, "You're not increasing my party limit again."

Oak waved his hands defensively, "I wasn't going to suggest that."

Ash raised a brow.

Oak sweat dropped with a nervous smile, "Okay, I was." He frowned, "But you have to admit that it would make this a lot easier."

Ash crossed his arms, "It's an unfair advantage, professor. You know I don't like those. Besides, how would I actually show up on my Pokédex? A human, one of ten random Pokémon that I can't show someone, or -Arceus forbid- one of the six non-Pokémon showing up on my list is really not gonna look good. Having my pokéball temporarily is the only option."

Oak put a hand to his chin, "I suppose you're right." He perked up and looked back at Ash, "Why don't you just send me Soot's pokéball? She's never in it anyway."

Ash blinked in surprise, "Is that allowed?"

Oak shrugged, "I mean- it worked with Butterfree. She just won't be allowed to participate in a sanctioned event until you get her pokéball back."

Ash looked down thoughtfully, "Huh."

.

*Back with the others; PKMN Center counter

"Here you go." Nurse Joy said as she placed a bag on the counter.

Misty smiled and took the bag, "Thank you Nurse Joy. We'll head out soon as our friends gets back."

Soot's ear twitched and she looked over before smiling, "Speak of the yveltal."

Everyone else looked over to see Ash walking back over to them.

Ash waved, "Hey, guys. You ready to-" He stopped and blinked in surprise upon seeing where they were, "Wait, what's going on? Is everything alright?"

Misty grabbed Ash's arm and started pulling him to the exit, "We'll tell you on the way. Come on. Let's hurry so we can beat the storm."

"Uh, okay?" Ash said in confusion as he was forced to follow.

Pikachu and Clefairy ran after them.

Brock ran over to the counter, "I'd be happy to stay and help if you need- WOAH!" Brock cried out as he fell through the desk.

"'Ice t'y 'Rock." Soot said while clapping down on his leg; inherent eyed. She started dragging him away; no slower than if she wasn't.

"Soot! Stop! This feels weird!" Brock cried out before Soot pulled him through the wall.

Joy just stared in shock after they disappeared. She shook it off and blinked in surprise, "Wait, storm?"

.

**Time Skip**

"WOOO!" Misty cried out from Ash's back as they soared high above the bridge, "This is awesome!"

"SPEAK FOR YOURSELF!" Soot yelled from Ash's arms. She glared up at the Dragon/Flying-type, "Why couldn't I just ride on your back with them?!"

Ash smiled down at her, "_And miss the opportunity to carry my little girl?! As if! I haven't been able to do it like this in public since you were a poochyena!_"

Soot groaned.

Pikachu and Clefairy held onto Ash's antenna; preferring not to say anything and just take in the view.

Brock smiled, "At this rate we should be there in no time at all!"

Soot pouted, "Good! The sooner we land, the sooner this can be over wi-" She stopped, and her eyes widened at seeing something below them, "DAD! LOOK OUT!"

Ash followed her gaze and grimaced when he saw a multicolored beam firing towards him, "_HANG ON!_/DRAG ON!"

Pikachu and Clefairy flinched and held onto Ash's antenna tighter. Misty and Brock flinched as well and wrapped their arms around Ash's neck.

Ash grimaced but ignored it and held on to Soot tighter before rolling out of the way of the Aurora Beam.

Ash managed to settle in the air and hovered in place; still grimaced, "_G-guys … choking._"

Pikachu overheard and looked at Brock and Misty. They were still holding on to Ash with their eyes shut.

Pikachu tapped their arms, caught their attention, and put a paw to his throat while sticking out his tongue like he was gagging.

The pair caught and moved to hold on to Ash's shoulders instead and pulled themselves up to his level.

"Sorry, Ash." Brock said.

Ash coughed and rubbed his throat with a forced smile, "_Don't worry. It was an emergency._"

Soot looked up at them, "No hard feelings."

Misty sighed in relief before looking below, "What the Yvel?"

Everyone followed her gaze. Below them were fourteen trainers in various outfits -some leather- on an even wider arrangement of bicycles. All of the bikes were designed like some kind of Pokémon and one of the trainers were on the back of another bike with a large purple flag with yellow fringe and an image of a pair of bat wings over a wheel. All of them were looking up at the group with sly smirks. Standing in front was a girl with green hair standing next to a cloyster.

Brock frowned, "Looks like a bicycle gang."

**Nuevo: That's a thing?**

Soot sweat dropped, "That's a thing?"

**Nuevo: Oh.**

"Hey!" Misty shouted down to them; making Ash grimaced since she was right next to his earhole, "What's the big idea, attacking us like that?!"

The … bicycler with red and yellow standing hair removed his shades and looked up at the group with a smirk, "Name's Chopper! And this bridge is our turf! No one crosses without battling us first!"

Brock sweat dropped, "Well, I'm sorry! But we really don't have time for this!"

The girl with the cloyster crossed her arms, "Oh, yeah?! Why's that?!"

"We're trying to deliver some medicine for a sick Pokémon in Sunny Town!" Misty called out.

The gang's smirks all faded, and they all looked at each other worriedly.

Chopper blinked in surprise, "Wait, really?!"

Soot nodded, "Yeah! Nurse Joy can't deliver it due to work!"

One of the other bicyclers blinked in surprise and looked at another member while pointing at Soot, "Did that Pokémon just talk?"

The green-haired girl frowned and looked at the leader, "Chopper, we can't just keep from helping with something like that."

Chopper looked at her and nodded, "You're right, Tyra." He looked back up at the group, "Hey! Sorry about that! Of course, we'll let you guys pass! We'll even escort you!"

Pikachu blinked in surprise, "_Wait. Really?_"

**Nuevo: Yeah. I'm with the mouse. What?!**

**Ohirume: That actually happened in the anime. The gang really did come around like that when Ash mentioned that they were delivering medicine.**

**Omega: Wow. Must have been a bland episode.**

**Faux: Well, um, *chuckles nervously* not really.**

**Gem: *rubs back of head sheepishly* We didn't really bring that up until after the storm hit and had to battle them.**

**Omega: *sly smirk* Ah. Yet another way Trix and his friends prove their superiority over you two.**

**Faux and Gem: *groan***

Misty sweat dropped, "That's really not necessary! I think we'll be fine!"

"We insist!" Tyra called out as she returned Cloyster, "It's the least we can do for attacking you like that!"

Brock and Misty shared an unsure look. Pikachu and Clefairy did as well.

"Thank you!" Soot called out, "But we need to hurry! There's a storm rolling in!"

Chopper smiled and nodded, "Sounds good!" He looked back at his gang and pumped a fist, "Alright, guys! We're gonna get 'em their style!"

The gang all cheered.

Brock looked over the Dragon-type at the Dark-type, "Are sure, Soot? What about when Ash needs to change back?"

Soot looked back up at him, "I know. But I don't think we can rid of them peacefully. And don't worry, dad already planned for that before we left."

Ash glanced at Brock and nodded.

"If you're sure." Misty said, still feeling unsure.

Ash smiled, "_Then, let's go!_"

Soot smirked, "Hang on, guys!"

Everyone braced themselves as Ash took off again. The bicycle gang followed from way below them.

After everyone disappeared into the distance, Jessie, James, and Meowth all rolled in on unicycles. The humans wore biker outfits, shades included, while Meowth was dressed like a circus ringleader and held a whip.

"Prepare for trouble." Jessie started; not realizing the clearing was empty.

"And make it double." James followed; just as oblivious.

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all peoples within our-" James stopped, pulled off his shades, and blinked in surprise, "Wait, where are all the people?"

"Huh?" Jessie said in surprise. She pulled off her shades and looked around in confusion, "What the- Where's our old bike gang?!"

Meowth sweat dropped, "You two sure dis is da right city?"

.

*Sunny Town Pokémon Center

Nurse Joy looked around with a worried frown. After a few more minutes, she noticed a dragonite carrying a mightyena and being ridden by two humans, a pikachu, and a clefairy. That and the large bike gang below them.

Joy stared in confusion as they approached.

Ash landed in front of the nurse and everyone climbed off.

Misty immediately jumped off and ran over to the nurse. She pulled out a bag and held it out, "Here you are, Nurse Joy."

Joy smiled brightly and took the bag, "Oh, thank you. I almost can't believe you got here so fast."

Brock patted Ash's side, "Well, we had a pretty fast flyer."

Ash stuck his tongue out playfully as his tail wagged.

Joy nodded again, "Thank you." She turned and ran into the Center.

Chopper smiled and pumped a fist, "Alright! We did it!"

The gang all cheered again.

Tyra walked up to Misty and held out a hand, "You're alright in my book. What're your names by the way?"

The Pewter Leader ran over to Tyra and shook her hand with a blush, "I'm Brock. But you can call me-"

Misty pulled at Brock's ear; smiling innocently, "Sorry about him." She let go and Brock rubbed his ear while pouting.

The Cerulean Leader shook Tyra's hand, "My name's Misty."

The canine walked up and smiled, "And, I'm Soot." She looked over to her teammates and father, "These guys are Pikachu, Clefairy, and-"

She was cut off when the watches symbol started beeping and flashing red. Because of course it did.

Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and Clefairy grimaced. The gang looked over in confusion.

Chopper blinked in surprise, "What's going-"

"Dragonite, return." Soot called out with her paw on top of a pokéball.

The group stared in slack jawed shock as Ash disappeared into the pokéball. The gang just stared in regular confusion.

Tyra blinked in surprise, "What was that?"

Soot sighed, "That thing on his chest was a prototype tracking device. Unfortunately, that beeping was a sign that it was malfunctioning. So, if you'll excuse me," She picked up the pokéball in her mouth, "I nee' ta send Dagonite back ta Pofessa Oak." She walked into the Center.

Brock pointed towards the Center, "Uh, we should go with her."

Misty nodded, "Yeah. Nice to meet you all. Bye!"

Pikachu and Clefairy raised a paw, "_Bye._"

The quartet ran into the Center.

Chopper blinked in surprise and waved, "Uh, bye?"

.

*Professor Oak

The old professor was minding his own business as he looked through a microscope.

"Hm, No." Oak mumbled to himself before he removed the sample, placed a new one in its place, and adjusted the scope.

He put a hand to his chin, "Hm. Still, no." He smiled, "But starting to show signs. Ash might be on to something about that Poké-"

Oak jerked, straightened up, and blinked in surprise, "Wait, did Ash say ten Pokémon?" He jumped and held his head, "Wait! SIX Non-Pokémon?!"

.

.

**Faux: Why did you change Akihabara's name but not Kaiser's?**

**Ohirume: Mostly because 'Kaiser' was a name that seems like it could have made it through translation without any problems.**

**Nuevo: So, they would have left it the same?**

**Seishin: Oh, Yvel no. The Eng Dub changed someone's name from James to Hobbes.**

**Illavera: Seriously?**

**Seishin: Yerp! XP Anyway, on to the second pseudo-chapter!**

**Omega: Wait, what?**

.

.

**Part 2: Ditto DNA And O.T.T. I.D.**

**(Omega: What does Oracle Think Tank Identification have to do with this chapter?**

**Ohirume: You try coming up with a palindrome sentence involving the word 'ditto'.**

**Nuevo: Why does it need to be a palindrome?**

**Ohirume: …)**

.

Ash and friends continued on their journey towards Matcha City. They were currently walking down a forest trail on a bright and sunny day. Didn't help with Soot's mood, though.

"Whyyyy?" Soot whined as Ash cradled her in his arms.

The Parent Pokémon smiled down at his real hatchling, "_Aww. Don't be like that, sweetie. I just had so much fun carrying you as Dragonite that I wanted to try it as Kangaskhan._" He scratched under her chin, "_You're just so cute when you're this little. It really is just like when you were a poochyena._"

Soot's eye twitched and she batted the claw away, "Stop it! And is the Shadow Claw really necessary?!" She gestured to the purple outlined black energy surrounding Ash's claws.

Ash chuckled up from the pouch, "_I just need to make sure you don't phase through me._" He stopped and blinked in surprise, "_Uh, him._" He cocked his head, "_Us?_"

Ash looked down at the infant and shrugged.

**Omega: See?! Even Trix can't figure it out!**

**Ohirume: Shut it!**

Pikachu and Clefairy laughed from Brock's shoulders.

Soot groaned, "This is so embarrassing."

Misty smiled slyly "How about I even things out." She hurried up to them and lifted Ash out of the pouch.

"_Wha- hey!_" Ash shouted as he flailed in Misty's arms, "_Cut it out!_" He glared at himself, "_Hey! Big me! Think you can make her stop?!_"

Ash snickered, "_Sorry, little me. But I can say for sure that you know I'm not._"

Ash pouted and crossed his arms.

Soot smirked, "Thank you, Misty." She sweat dropped, "Although, for future reference, NEVER do that to a real kangaskhan that you just met. She will murder you without hesitation and then turn your corpse into mulch."

Misty flinched and chuckled nervous, "Uh, good to know."

Brock sweat dropped, "Did you really have to describe it so violently?"

Soot nodded, "Actually, yes. Because that really happened once. One time, dad and I found an ancient Pokémon Almanac recreation -professionally verified- in the library and that harshly detailed warning was part of the kangaskhan entry." She sweat dropped, "As well a few other entries that became the backbone for most Pokémon protection laws today: how to prepare farfetch'd, ways to melt down soul-steel, the best kinds of Pokémon hides … My species was on the list." She shivered, "We did not sleep well that night … or the following two."

Each Ash sighed and nodded.

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy stared at the trio in shock and gulped.

Rumbling rang out from above and everyone looked up to see dark storm clouds rolling in.

Pikachu's ears drooped, "_Uh oh._"

Soot glared at the sky, "Seriously?! It just rained yesterday!"

Misty glared at down at the Ash in her arms, "Aaaash."

Ash flinched and waved his hands defensively, "_I didn't know! I thought the smell was just yesterday's storm passing!_"

Misty sweat dropped, "Right."

She placed back Ash on Ash's shoulder. The Ash's caught on, the big one put Soot down, and the little hit the symbol on their stomach. They both became engulfed in the green flash.

Ash emerged, flinched, and held his head, "Ow. I really need to find a way to get used to that." He looked at Misty, "Anyway. I said that I didn't know. I thought the smell was just yesterday's storm passing."

The rain started pouring heavily.

Brock frowned and put his arms over his head, "Crag! We need to get out of here!"

Everyone started running down the trail.

"_I don't like this!_" Clefairy cried out as she tried to shield herself from the rain.

Ash grimaced, "We need to find some cover!"

"Where are we supposed to go?!" Misty called out, "We're in the middle of nowhere!"

Soot glanced around before noticing something and coming to a stop, "What about that place?!"

Everyone stopped and followed her gaze. Before them was a white mansion with dark pink roofing and yellow flag décor. There was also a faded sign above the entry way.

Brock stared in confusion, "What the Yvel?"

Misty blinked in confusion, "Why is there a mansion all the way out here?"

Ash frowned, "Whatever the reason, I don't think we have a lot of other options. Come on!" He ran towards the building. Everyone else followed suit.

The group burst through the door. Brock and Misty slumped over to catch their breath. Pikachu and Clefairy jumped down from Brock's shoulders. Pikachu glanced at Ash.

Ash sighed in relief, "Thank Arceus. We made it." He felt something jump onto his shoulder and flinched about a second later. Brock, Misty, and Soot didn't notice.

Soot sighed, "No kidding." She shifted her eyes to their inherent state. All of the water fell through her in an instant.

Misty noticed, "Hey, can I get that too?"

"And me?" Brock followed.

Soot rolled her red eyes with a smirk, "Alright, fine. Anyone else?"

Pikachu jumped down as he and Clefairy each raised a paw.

Soot snickered and held out a paw, "Hands and paws in."

Brock and Misty each placed a hand on the outstretched paw. Pikachu and Clefairy jumped down from Ash's shoulders, ran over to Soot, and reached up a paw to Soot's.

Soot looked at Ash, "You want in, dad?"

Ash's eye twitched with a crooked smile; stream coming off his entire body, "I'm … good. Pikachu took care of that when we came through the door."

The Electric-type snickered.

Soot snickered too, "Alrighty then."

The Bite Pokémon's eyes narrowed, and she stared at her paw intently. A second later, all of the water fell through everyone touching her and splashed onto the floor.

Soot sighed before smiling, "And done."

Brock shivered, 'Still feels weird.'

Misty blinked in surprise and ran a hand through her hair, "Woah." She looked down at Soot, "You're good."

Pikachu rubbed his arms, "_It's completely dry._"

Clefairy felt her arms too, "_Wow._"

Soot smirked, "I try my best."

Ash smiled and walked over, "Still, we should probably clean up the water." He removed a glove, crouched down, and placed his hand in the puddle. All of the water started evaporating from the floor.

Soot smiled, "Nice."

Ash stood back up and looked back into the room. On the opposite side of the dark room was a large stage with a red curtain. A sign above the stage read 'IMITÉHOUSE.'

**Faux: Uh-**

**Ohirume: It works better with the pronunciation.**

"Hello?!" Ash called out, "Is anyone home?!"

Misty followed suit, "We're sorry for barging in! We were just looking for cover from the storm!"

No answer.

Brock looked around, "It looks like some kind of theater."

Soot looked up at the sign and cocked her head, "Imité House?"

Soot looked up at the sign and cocked her head, "_Imité House?_/ Gragraena Gra?"

**Omega: … Do I wanna know?**

**Seishin: *snickers* The English dub uses mightyena's Japanese dub for their language. A.K.A. Greana/Guraena.**

**Omega: Still doesn't explain the beginning of the line being doubled.**

**Ohirume: Patience, young walker.**

**Omega: *glares* Never call me that again.**

**Ohirume: *sweat drops* Sorry.**

Brock and Misty flinched and looked over in shock. Ash, Clefairy, and Pikachu blinked in surprise and looked over as well. Soot blinked in surprise and looked to the side.

Standing next to the banette Inherent mightyena was another mightyena with a face that better resembled one with quagsire inheritance.

Soot blinked, "Oh. A ditto."

Ditto -still in mightyena form- flinched, "_What?! How did you know?!_"

Soot smirked, "Last I checked, my kind didn't have faces like that."

Brock nodded, "Also Soot doesn't talk like that. We've only ever heard her speak human."

Ditto sweat dropped, "_Oh._"

Ash looked over to a doorway, "I'm guessing Ditto here is yours?"

Everyone else looked over to see someone with light blue hair and clothes identical to Ash's looking down; eyes covered by the hat. Their outfit even included the watch. Although, the paint still seemed to be drying.

The figure sighed; mimicking Ash's voice, "Aw man." They looked up to reveal brown eyes and frowned; this time speaking in a more feminine voice, "How did you know I was here?"

Ash tapped his nose with a smile, "Unnaturally strong senses. I could smell you and heard your footsteps."

The girl sweat dropped, 'Note to self. Start using scent masking perfume when I have guests and learn to walk quieter.' She perked up and smiled, "Fair enough. Now, who are all of you?"

Ash gestured to himself, "Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town."

Misty waved, "Misty Waterflower from Cerulean City."

Brock smiled, "Brock Slate from Pewter City."

Soot grinned, "Soot Ketchum from Pallet Town."

Pikachu raised a paw with a smile, "Pikachu."

Clefairy followed suit, "Clefairy."

The girl smiled, "I'm Duplica from the Imité House." She gestured to the simple faced mightyena, "And this is my partner, Ditto."

The 'Dark-type' lit up white and changed in shape. The light faded and the Transform Pokémon laid in front of them in and waved, "_Hi there._"

Misty crouched down and pet the blob, "Aww. How cute."

Brock put a hand to his chin, "Although, I'm kind of confused. I thought a ditto should be able to transform completely. Why did their face stay the same?"

Duplica smiled sadly, "We've been trying to break that habit for a while now."

"Well, to be fair, it's not that rare." Soot stated, "Young ditto usually have some trouble with their transformations. Namely in terms of features, size, or weight." She sweat dropped, "Although I have heard rumors about some that can't even match the color or number of limbs."

Ash chuckled, "However, they can imitate what matters in a battle. To my knowledge, there's never been a ditto that's failed at copying attacks or abilities."

"Ahem." Soot coughed.

Ash sweat dropped, "Except for that one that Soot mentioned."

Duplica blinked in surprise, "You sure seem to know a lot about ditto."

Ash shrugged, "I just read a lot when I was younger." He smiled, "Anyway, there's no reason to worry about the face thing. It doesn't affect Ditto's battling abilities in the slightest."

Duplica smiled sadly, "Thank you. But, it's not just that." She turned and gestured for them to follow, "Come look."

The others followed. Ditto slithered ahead and jumped onto their trainer's shoulder.

.

* Imité House; Back Room

Everyone stared in shock and/or awe at the massive selection of outfits before them. Against the backwall, there were shelves loaded with various belt, hats, and items. Against one of the side walls, there was a small work bench.

"Wow." Misty said, "Look at all this stuff."

Brock nodded, "This is really impressive."

Duplica smiled; still dressed like Ash, "Thanks. I've got outfits to imitate pretty much anyone." She sweat dropped, "Or so I thought."

Ash looked at her in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Duplica looked at him and held her fake watch, "I mostly mean this thing. I've never seen anything like it and kind of rushed making a replica." She pointed at Ash's watch, "Where'd you get it anyway?"

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy flinched slightly.

Ash smiled and held up the device, "It's actually a prototype Pokédex that Professor Oak worked on around five years ago. Waterproof, heat resistant, electrically insulated, and nearly indestructible. It's literally one of a kind."

Duplica smiled brightly, "Woah! Really?! How does it work?!"

Ash sweat dropped with nervous smile, "It, uh, doesn't. When I was five, I explored where I shouldn't have and put it on out of curiosity. The main problem was that Professor Oak wasn't finished with it."

Soot sighed, "Specifically, he hadn't uploaded the coding that makes a Pokédex … a Pokédex. Also, the port for that is under a cover that can only be accessed from under the strap."

Duplica blinked in surprise, "Why are you still wearing it, then?"

Ash looked down shamefully, "I broke the latch. Professor Oak had to suspend the project because of my screwup."

Duplica frowned, "Oh. Sorry."

Ash waved a hand with a sad smile, "Don't worry, I've gotten used to it."

Soot looked up at Ash with a smirk, "I mean, you kind of had to. You single handedly ruined a revolutionary advancement in Pokédex technology. It's only right that you have to live with that piece of scrap stuck on your wrist."

Ash grumbled.

Brock and Misty stared at the pair in shock, 'How the Yvel do they do that?!'

Pikachu and Clefairy stared as well, '_They make it look so easy._'

"Anyway." Ash said; acting like he wanted to change the subject, "You haven't really told us why you have all this stuff."

Duplica chuckled nervously, "Right, sorry." She smiled, "The thing is, I'm not really that interested in battling. What I really want is to be is a performer."

Misty blinked in surprise, "A performer?"

Soot raised a brow, "Like Showcases?"

Duplica giggled, "Not exactly. I mean a stage show." She looked up with a dreamy smile, "I started this Imité House because I liked imitating. People stop by here a lot and want to be able to entertain them with Ditto as my assistant." She snapped out of her daydream and looked down sorrowfully, "The only problem is that people don't want to see imperfect transformations. We actually got booed off the stage once because of it."

Ditto frowned and flattened on the ground in shame.

Duplica noticed and crouched down to pet them with a sad smile, "Hey. Don't think that means I blame you, Ditto. I know you're trying your hardest. We'll work together to figure it out someday."

Ditto looked up at her with a sad smile and nuzzled up to her hand.

Pikachu frowned and his ears drooped, "_Poor Ditto and Duplica._"

Misty frowned and crossed her arms, "I wish there was some way we could help."

Brock put a hand to his chin, "I know what you mean. But who would know enough about transforming to-" He stopped and perked up.

Misty and the Pokémon caught on and the four of them looked at Ash.

Ash noticed and sighed. He looked at Duplica with sad smile, "Sorry, but my friends and I need to take care of something really quick."

Soot nodded, "We'll be back in a bit."

Duplica nodded with a sad smile; still petting Ditto, "Alright."

Ash walked back towards the doorway and motioned for the others to follow.

They hurried after him.

.

*Stage room

Ash sighed, "Guys, I can't help like that."

Misty frowned, "But why not? Who else but you would know about transforming firsthand?"

Soot shook her head, "It's not like that. Ditto's transforming abilities stem from their naturally unstable biology. No matter how easy one can make it look, they still to concentrate at least a little bit."

Ash held up the watch, "Whereas this thing is all technology. My transformations are always seamless and happen in an instant. If there was something wrong with one of my forms, I wouldn't immediately know how to fix it and I would probably need someone to point it out in the first place."

Brock crossed his arms, "hmm." He perked up upon realizing something, "Even if you can't give pointers from experience, the two of you did still seem to know a lot about the subject before. Maybe, there's something in all of that that can help."

Ash smiled and nodded, "Right. I know Duplica said she didn't want to focus on battling, but -seeing as none of us are ditto specialists- that's actually the best way we can help." He raised a finger, "Like Soot said, ditto need to concentrate to some degree to be able to transform. Ergo, the more experience a ditto has, the easier and more precise their transformation will become."

Clefairy tilted in confusion, "_What about air going?_"

Soot snickered, "E-r-g-o. It's another way of saying 'therefore'."

Clefairy sweat dropped, "_Oh._"

Misty smiled, "So, if we just have a few training rounds with Duplica, it'll help perfect Ditto's transforming."

Ash shrugged, "More or less." He smiled sadly, "Still, it won't be easy. We can tell her this and help get her started, but it'll still take some time to fix something so minute."

Pikachu smiled and clenched a fist, "_Well then, let's get started right a-_"

The Electric-type was cut off by a massive explosion shaking the area. Everyone fumbled.

Misty recovered and stared at the doorway in shock, "What the Yvel was that?!"

"We've got you now, Phantom!"

Ash grimaced, "Crag!" He ran towards the back and everyone else followed.

They all ran into the room and stared in shock. The side wall had a gaping hole blown into it; right where the work bench was. Meowth was slowly standing back up; turned away from the others.

Soot growled, "You!" She charged forward.

Meowth flinched and looked back right as Soot pinned him to the ground.

Soot glared at the pinned Scratch Cat Pokémon, "What have you done with-" She stopped and blinked in surprise, "Wait, what the?"

Ash ran up, "Soot, what's wrong?" He looked at 'Meowth' and blinked in surprise, "Ditto?"

Everyone else jerked and ran over. They stared in surprise when they saw the quagsire-like face on the Scratch Cat Pokémon.

Ditto gulped, "_C-can I please get up now?_"

Soot chuckled nervously, "Sorry." She got off him and stepped back.

Ditto stood back up, "_Thank you._" They lit up and returned to normal.

"Ditto, what happened?" Ash asked worriedly.

"_Duplica's been kidnapped!_" Ditto cried out.

.

*Team Rocket

"What do you want with me?!" Duplica shouted at the tRio; still dressed like Ash and tied to a chair.

Meowth laughed, "Give it up, twoip. We know it's you."

Jessie pointed at her, "We know that get up anywhere."

Duplica's eyes narrowed, "It's just an outfit! I'm not Ash! What do you want with him anyway?"

Meowth smirked, "As if ya don' know Phantom."

Duplica blinked in surprise, "Phantom?" She shook it off and glared, "Whatever you're talking about, you have the wrong person! Just look at me! My eyes and hair are even similar and I'm obviously a girl!"

Meowth rolled her eyes with a smirk, "Ya point? You coulda just changed ya human disguise to try and throw us off."

Duplica just stared at them in confusion, "Huh?"

James frowned and put a hand to his chin.

Jessie noticed and looked at him, "What is it?"

James gestured away from Duplica, "Huddle up for a second."

Jessie and Meowth blinked in confusion but complied.

"What's on ya mind?" Meowth asked.

"I was just thinking," James started with a frown, "what'll actually happen when we hand the twerp over to the boss?"

Jessie glared at him, "What do you think'll happen?! We'll give him to the boss and be rewarded! How is that so hard to understand?"

James shook his head, "Not that. What if twerp just plays dumb and convinces the boss he's really human? We'd be a laughingstock for kidnapping some kid."

Meowth blinked in surprise, "Oh." He looked down worriedly, "Ya might have a point."

Duplica sweat dropped, 'They do know I can hear them, right?'

Jessie smirked wickedly, "Well then, we'll just have to fix that, won't we?"

"Huh?" James and Meowth asked in confusion.

She whispered something to her Teammates. James and Meowth smirked wickedly.

The three of them looked back at Duplica; still smirking.

Duplica gulped.

.

*Ash and Ditto

The pair soared high in the air in braviary form in search of any sign of Team Rocket. Pidgeotto and Zubat were sent in another direction to widen the search.

Ditto looked at the ground worriedly.

Ash noticed and pulled back, "_Don't worry, Ditto. I'm sure we'll find her._"

Ditto smiled sadly, "_Thanks._" They raised a brow, "_Hey, can I ask you something?_"

Ash chuckled, "_I can already guess what it is. Yes, I'm human. It's that weird watch that Duplica made a replica of that lets me do this._"

Ditto blinked in surprise, "_So, it's not a Pokédex?_"

Ash shook his head, "_No, it isn't. And I'm sorry for lying about that. I'm just warry about other humans finding out about it._"

Ditto chuckled, "_Trust me, I understand. I remember having to hide a lot before I met Duplica._" He frowned, "_But I don't get why they took her. Or what they meant about that Phantom thing._"

Ash frowned and looked ahead again, "_I'm afraid it's because of me. They heard about the cover story about my hatchling -the mightyena from before- that called her the Phantom Child. Meowth heard me talking in this form and they all came to the idea that I was the Phantom Pokémon. They're keeping it a secret for some reason, so we just let them believe that. Odds are, they took Duplica because they thought she was me._"

Ditto sweat dropped, "_Could they seriously have made that big of a mistake? You two don't look that much alike._"

Ash chuckled, "_I think it was mostly the clothing. Besides, I never said they were smart._"

Ditto blinked in surprise, "_Huh. Just, one more thing. The way you transform. I know you said it was that watch, but would you have any pointers for me?_"

Ash frowned, "_Sorry, but no. My watch is all technology; most of which I still don't fully understand. My transformations are always instant and take zero effort. Heck, I've accidently transformed in my sleep from rolling around too much._" Ash glanced at the simple faced, beakless bird, "_Your abilities are something your kind are naturally born with. You need to concentrate at least a little bit to pull off a transformation. It's a simple matter of focusing and reorganizing your DNA._"

Ditto blinked in surprise and looked down thoughtfully, "_Hmm._" They noticed something and stared in surprise, "_Who the Yvel builds a house like that?_"

Ash looked at them in confusion, "_What?_"

He followed their gaze and his eyes widened in shock upon finding a simple yet colorful house on the ground. What really stuck out was the giant inflatable meowth head and paw on the roof.

Ash glared at the house, "_That's Team Rocket's balloon!_"

Ditto looked at Ash in shock before glaring at the balloon, "_Let's go!_" They dove towards the house.

Ash shot forward and got in front of Ditto, "_Wait! We need to go back and get the others!_"

Ditto frowned, "_But Duplica could be hurt!_"

Ash shook his head, "_I'm sorry, but we need more than just the two of us. We can double up a Tailwind to get there faster._"

Ditto back at the house worriedly before looking back at Ash and nodding, "_Okay._"

The pair turned and shot back towards the Imité House.

Ditto glanced back worriedly, '_Please be okay, Duplica._'

"_TAILWIND!_" Ash and Ditto shouted.

.

**Time Skip**

Everyone regrouped and hurried towards Team Rocket's terrible idea of a hideout.

Ash ran up and trotted to a stop, "_There it is._"

"This is it." Soot translated.

Brock sweat dropped, "Seriously?"

Misty sweat dropped too, "Just when I thought their plans couldn't get any worse."

Everyone dismounted from the ponyta and Ash hit the symbol to change back to human. Everyone ran up to the house and crouched down around a window.

Soot shifted her eyes, turned invisible, and propped herself up against the window. The only sign of this was the soft 'clack' from her claws and the fact that they came up with this on the ride there.

"… huh." Soot said with a slight echo in her voice; sounding confused.

"What do you see, Soot?" Ash whispered.

Ditto frowned, "_They're not hurting her, right?_"

Soot sweat dropped; unseen by everyone, "No. She's definitely not hurt. James looks like he's begging."

Pikachu and Misty blinked in surprise, "_W_h_a_t_?_"

.

*Inside

"Please just change already!" James whined.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Duplica shouted back.

Turns out the tRio's idea of getting proof was to set up a video camera and beg for 'Ash' to transform for them.

**Omega: Okay, putting aside … that. If that actually was Trix, wouldn't he use that transformation to break free, destroy the camera, and bust out of the house?**

**Ohirume: It's the Team Rocket trio. They're plans always have holes. Or, in this case, meteor level craters.**

**Faux: True.**

**Pike: Very true.**

Jessie scratched her head furiously, "Augh! This is taking too long!"

Meowth crossed his arms and grumbled, "The mutt and the othas could already be on dere way here." He looked up at Jessie, "I t'ink it's time we cut our losses."

Jessie nodded, "Right." She looked back at her teammate, "Load 'em up, James! We're leaving!"

.

*Outside

"Okay," Soot said; still invisible, "Now, they're loading her into the balloon basket and- Uh oh."

Ditto flinched, "_What's wrong?!_"

Soot became visible again and ran away from the house, "MOVE!"

Everyone shared a concerned look and ran after the Dark-type.

A split second later, the house broke apart and crashed onto the ground around the balloon. Team Rocket started hovering; not having noticed the group.

"Hey!" Brock shouted.

Ditto glared at the balloon, "_Give back my trainer!_"

Duplica's eyes widened in surprise, "Ditto?"

The Rocketrio flinched and looked over the edge of the basket.

James flinched, "The twerps?!"

"How did dey find us so fast?!" Meowth cried out.

Jessie smirked, "It doesn't matter. There's no way they'll shoot us down while we have-" She noticed Ash with the others and her eyes widened in shock. She lurched forward and gripped the basket, "THE PHANTOM?!"

James and Meowth flinched and followed her gaze. They both grimaced.

"What?!" James shouted.

Meowth followed in a shocked tone, "Den dat means."

The three of them turned around and stared at Duplica in shock.

Duplica glared at them, "Told ya."

James slumped forward, "We did all that begging for nothing."

Meowth gulped, "We really messed up."

Jessie glared back at the twerps, "We still have plan B!" She held up a wired detonator.

The bottom of the balloon opened, and a large cannon sprang out of it.

Everyone flinched.

Soot grimaced, "Oh crag!"

Misty looked at Ash, "Please tell me you have an idea for this!"

Ash sweat dropped, "G- gimme a minute."

Ditto's eyes narrowed, "_I got it!_" They lit up and started changing in shape.

Everyone looked over and their eyes widened in shock upon seeing Normal-type emerge as a large, wheeled cannon; face nowhere to be seen.

"Woah." Misty and Brock said in awe.

"You can turn into a cannon?!" Soot shouted in shock.

"Yeah?" Ditto said in human ... somehow.

"B-but how?!" Ash asked in shock, "Your kind transform by altering your DNA to match a target form! Cannons don't have DNA! They're artificial constructs!"

**Omega: Thank you!**

"It's like turning into a bronzong, alright?!" Ditto argued. Their hatch open, "Now, someone get in! I can't make ammo!"

Ash's eyes narrowed and he pointed at the 'cannon', "Fine! But we are not done with this conversation!" He looked at his Fairy-type, "Clefairy, how do feel about being a Dazzling Gleam cannonball?"

Clefairy stared at Ash in shock before smiling brightly and trembling with excitement. The Fairy Pokémon ran into the cannon without a word and hatch closed behind her.

"_Be careful!_" Pikachu called out.

Jessie pushed down on the trigger, "Fire!"

Ash held out a hand, "Ditto! Fire!"

The cannons fired off simultaneously. Clefairy flew towards the balloon; shining brightly in a sphere of Rainbow energy. Team Rocket's net sprung open and shot towards her.

Soot deadpanned, "A net cannon? Really?"

Clefairy smirked as she tore through the net and through the balloon and shot out the other side.

Team Rocket screamed as they flipped around aimlessly.

"Jessie, we lose everything!" James shouted in a daze.

"Even all our hot air!" Jessie followed suit.

"Ya heads are full a hot air!" Meowth shouted.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Around the second flip, Duplica -still tied to the chair- fell out of the balloon.

Brock stared in shock, "Duplica!"

Ash grimaced, "Crag!" He brought up the watch and started dialing. He found Braviary and raised his hand to hit the watch "I'll get-"

He was cut off by a large gust of wind blowing past him.

Everyone looked up in surprise at the braviary shooting towards Duplica. The cannon was nowhere to be seen.

.

*Duplica

The impressionist held her eyes shut as she fell.

Her eyes shot open when she heard something metallic and felt the ropes loosen. She slipped free from the chair and stared at the ground in shock, 'What was tha-'

She was cut off when something grabbed her by the shoulders.

Duplica looked up at her savior and her eyes widened in shock at the sight of the braviary carrying her, "D- Ditto?"

Ditto looked down at Duplica with their black, pupiled eyes and a smile on their beak.

Duplica stared tearing up with a soft smile, "Ditto, you did it."

Ditto nodded; still smiling.

They pair flew towards the ground and Ditto put their trainer down gently.

Ditto returned to normal and jumped into the human's arms, "_Duplica!_"

Duplica smiled and caught the Pokémon, "Ditto!" She pulled them into a hug, "You learned how to transform completely!" She nuzzled the Normal-type, "I'm so proud of you."

Ditto hugged the girl back, "_I missed you, Duplica._"

Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and Soot watched from the side; deciding to give the pair some space.

Brock smiled, "Good to know everything turned out okay."

Pikachu nodded, "_Yeah._" He flinched, "_Wait! What about Clefair-_"

He was cut off when Clefairy appeared in front of everyone in a mild flash. She stared ahead in shock with her fingers pointed upward. Everyone stared at her in shock.

Pikachu blinked in surprise, "_Clefairy?_"

Soot stared in shock, "Did you just Metronome into a Teleport?"

Clefairy stared at her fingers in shock and blinked in surprise, "_I'm gonna be honest. I didn't expect that to work so well._"

.

**Time Skip**

Everyone moved back to the Imité House. Duplica got back into her usual attire -which consisted of blue jeans, a red shirt with a yellow star in the center, and her hair tied beck into pigtails- and decided to update the front sign. Ash and Soot offered to help.

Duplica finished hammering in the last nail and moved back a bit to admire her work, "There. The Imité House is reopened." She looked up at the Pokémon holding sign in place, "You can get down now, Soot!"

Soot's eyes shot open and she blinked rapidly, "Wha- huh? Sorry, I fell asleep."

Ash chuckled, "We're done, Soot!" He moved his fingers and Soot did a handstand dismount off the sign and -after a series of flips and spins- landed on the ground in a gymnast's pose.

Everyone else -except Ash- applauded.

Soot sweat dropped, "You all realize that I had no control over myself while doing that, right?"

Misty smirked and crossed her arms, "How do you we weren't applauding Ash?"

Soot snickered, "Touché"

Ash chuckled and brought Soot closer to close the zipper on her back.

Soot's body righted itself and she stood next to Ash.

Duplica waved at the group from the tip of the ladder, "Thanks for everything, guys! Come back and see us anytime, okay?!"

Brock waved back, "Well be sure too!"

Misty waved too, "Good luck!"

Ash waved last, "You two take care of yourselves!"

Soot smiled, "Watch after that trainer of your, Ditto!"

"_Bye!_" Pikachu and Clefairy called out from Ash's shoulders.

With that, Ash and friends left the Imité House and continued on their way towards Matcha City.

Duplica watched as they left; focused on Ash and mumbling, "Phantom Pokémon." She smiled softly, "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me."

Ditto sweat dropped upon hearing that.

.

.

**Omega: Huh. That was … new.**

**Ohirume: Yeah, sorry. But I couldn't think of much for the Bike Gang chapter.**

**Mizuro: Yeah. That would've been pretty bland for a 'full' chapter.**

**Ohirume: Exactly!**

**…**

**One more thing: The next chapter is the Porygon one and I was actually able to find the original Porygon episode (Subbed obviously) to make writing that chapter easier.**

**So, for those of you who haven't seen the episode or can't, ****I've already typed up a clunky Omake of the unedited Porygon episode and I posted it on "Random-ish stuff on the side" yesterday.**


	42. Ch 36: Porygon (deleted ep38)

**Ohirume: *excitedly trembling***

**Omega: The ****'s goin' on with you?**

**Ohirume: We're finally at the Porygon chapter!**

**Omega: … and?**

**Ohirume: AND, that means we finally- Crag, I can't say. I don't want to spoil it.**

**Omega: Can you just whisper it?**

**Ohirume: I'll do you one better. Yukiro.**

**Seishin: *snap* And just like that, everyone thinks I made an Infinity War reference. Or, they would have if I hadn't said this.**

**Omega: *flinches, shakes head and blinks rapidly* Oh. I was wondering when we'd get around to that.**

**Seishin: Alsooooooo-**

*******"****A World Without Danger" Instrumental***

**I don't own Pokémon, Ben 10, or Code Lyoko.**

.

.

**Code: PoЯygon**

.

Having reached Matcha City, Ash and friends decided to take a short break at the park before moving on to Dr. Franz Kogami Schaffer's lab. Ash, Brock, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Soot sat at a bench and ate. Misty was … dealing with Psyduck.

"Oh, come on!" Misty shouted at the flailing Water-type in her arms, "It's a water fountain! How the Yvel can you be afraid of water in general?! You know Water Gun for Arc sake!"

Psyduck just continued flailing as he stared at the light stream frightenedly.

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_I knew psyduck headaches could be bad but … wow._"

Ash chuckled nervously, "You might have had a point him evolving, Soot."

Soot's ears flattened, "Yeah. That's what I'm afraid of."

Brock looked at Ash, "So, how much farther is it to Dr. Schaffer's place?"

Ash looked back at him, "About a half-hour walk. But I'm thinking we should head to Pokémon Center first."

Brock raised a brow, "Really? I didn't think we're that low on supplies."

Ash shook his head, "It's not that." He stopped, reconsidered, and shrugged, "Okay, it wouldn't hurt to top off a few things." He looked back at the Pewter Leader, "I mostly mean that we should head there for-"

He was cut off by Clefairy yawning and rubbing her eyes.

Ash chuckled, "That. I'm thinking we could use some real rest, first. We can head to Franz's a little bit after."

Pikachu yawned too before smiling tiredly, "_Fine by me._"

"PSYYY!"

"OW!"

Everyone flinched and looked over to find Misty sitting on the ground and holding her head while Psyduck ran away from her; also holding his head.

Misty groaned, "Son of a glitch." She pulled out a pokéball and returned the fleeing Water-type. She sighed, got back up, and walked back over to the others, "I know psyduck aren't the easiest to train, but geez." She looked at Ash, "I don't suppose you'd know a way to make things a little easier?"

Ash shrugged with a sad smile, "Sort of. Psyduck are able to learn Calm Mind. Though, I can't really guarantee that'll help with" He glanced at the pokéball warily, "this."

Misty held up and looked at the ball, "Well. It's worth a shot." She looked back at Ash, "Do any of your forms know that?"

Ash shook his head, "I'm afraid not." He put a hand to his chin, "Although, I could start working on it in my Clefairy form." He looked back at Misty, "Still, it'll take some time."

Misty smiled softly, "Thanks. I really appreciate it."

Ash grinned, "Hey, what are friends for?"

.

**Time Skip**

The group left the park and headed towards the local Pokémon Center. They walked through the front entrance.

"WHAT?!" Nurse Joy cried out over the phone, "Another Pokémon didn't show up?!" She picked up another phone, "Yes, we sent Ninetales recent- What do you mean it turned into a magikarp?!" She propped the first phone against her shoulder and picked up a third. After a second, her eye twitched and she shouted into the phone, "I KNOW SOMETHING'S WRONG! HOW COULD IT BE RIGHT?!" She sighed, "I'm sorry, sis. It's been a long day. We're looking into it."

It was louder than they expected.

Brock stared in confusion before looking at Ash, "This Center isn't always like this, right?"

Ash frowned, "No. It's usually not. What's going on h-"

"THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE!"

Everyone flinched from the sudden shouting.

Ash and Soot snapped out of it and perked up, "Franz?"

**Ohirume: There is a world**

**That is virtual and different**

**Seishin: It can be so cold**

**Makes us stand up for what's right**

**Mizuro: Our hope through our lives**

**If we reset it to the start **

.

*PKMN Center Backroom

A man with green-ish blue hair and spiraled glasses glared at a computer angrily, "How the Yvel is this possible?! This system is designed to fend off any form of attack! There can't be anything wrong with it!"

Nurse Joy stood over his shoulder, "Well, I'm sorry to say Dr. Schaffer, but there is. Complaints have been coming in all morning."

"Mind if I take a look?"

Franz perked up and turned around in shock. Joy blinked in surprise and looked back as well.

Ash smiled and waved, "Hey, Franz."

Soot smiled, "Long time, no see."

The scientist stared in shock before smiling brightly, "Wha- Ash?! Soot?! What are you two doing here?!"

Soot shrugged, "Casual visit." She sweat dropped, "Or so we thought."

Ash gestured to the Gym Leaders, "That and I wanted to introduce you to my friends. This is-"

"Yes yes, nice to meet you." Dr. Schaffer interrupted hurriedly before gesturing for them to come, "Now, get over here already. I need a second set of eyes on this."

Joy flinched and looked at Franz in shock. Brock and Misty sweat dropped.

Ash looked back at his friends and chuckled nervously, "I swear he's not normally like this." He and Soot ran over to the computer.

Ash looked over the screen and put a hand to his chin, "I see. It looks like a virus is messing with one of the channels."

Franz frowned, "But that's just it. You know for a fact that the system isn't that susceptible to a virus. The firewalls and circuitry are too advanced."

Soot frowned, "Hm."

"Wait a second!" Nurse Joy blurted out; catching everyone's attention, "Dr. Schaffer, what the Yvel is going on here?! You never let anyone help you with … ANYTHING!" She pointed at Ash while still looking at the scientist, "Who on earth is this?!"

Franz smiled casually, "Oh, this is Ashton Satoshi Ketchum. He helped me develop the latest update to the system."

Joy's jaw dropped in shock.

"Seriously?!" Brock and Misty blurted out.

Ash looked back at them, rubbed the back of his head, and chuckled nervously, "I mean, sort of. It was mostly … y'know." He tapped the face of the watch.

Dr. Schaffer flinched at looked at Ash in shock, "What?!" He pointed at Brock and Misty, "You mean they know?!"

Brock and Misty jerked and pointed at the man, "He knows?!"

Soot sighed, "Yes." She looked at the Gym Leaders, "Brock and Misty; Franz knows." She then looked at the professor, "And Franz; Brock and Misty know." She looked back and forth between all of them with an annoyed expression, "And I highly suggest you all cool it before the rest of the city finds out!"

All three of them sweat dropped, "Sorry."

Nurse Joy looked around the room in shock, "Wha- What are you all talking about?"

"I'm afraid that's classified." Franz stated matter-of-factly, "Could you please leave to room for the next ten-"

"Fifteen." Ash jumped in.

Franz looked at Ash in surprise, "Really?" He smiled, "Nice." He looked back at the nurse, "Could you please leave to room for the next fifteen minutes and shut off the security cameras in this room?"

Joy frowned; feeling unsure, "Can I ask why?"

"Also classified." Franz responded, "If you want this problem fixed, we need privacy."

Joy glanced around the room warily before sighing and nodding, "Alright."

With that, the nurse left the room. About a minute later, the lights on the surrounding security cameras turned off.

Franz smiled before looking at Ash, "Alright, Ash. Go ahead."

Ash smiled and nodded, "Right." He brought up the watch, dialed, and slammed down on the face.

The green light faded to reveal-

Misty blinked in surprise and looked around, "What the- Where's Ash?"

"Aim your visual receptors downward!" Called out a high-pitched voice.

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy flinched and looked down.

Calm Mind waved up at them with both hands, "Greetings!"

Misty blinked in surprise, "Woah."

Clefairy smiled happily, "_Aww, she's so tiny._"

Pikachu raised a brow, "_Uh, yeah. Not what I expected._"

Brock looked at Soot, "Calm Mind, right?"

Soot grinned, "Bingo. Small stuff here has an IQ that rivals an alakazam's. His Power Integration is basically the reason dad knows … probably anything."

Misty looked at Soot in shock, "Wait, what?"

Soot snickered, "Yeah. This guy upped dad's mental capacity, memory, and mental prowess two hundred-fold. You should have seen dad before Power Integration came into effect. He struggled in every non-athletic subject."

Everyone -except Ash and Franz- stared at Soot in shock.

Ash sighed, "Regretfully, I must concur with that statement." He pointed up at the computer, "Now, I require assistance. My current stature is rather inconvenient in correspondence to the objective at this point in time."

Pikachu and Clefairy stared down at him in confusion, "_Huh?_"

Soot snickered, "He needs help getting to the computer." She walked over to the computer and propped herself up against the desk with her tail touching the ground.

Ash smiled, "My appreciations offspring." He climbed up Soot's tail and up her back before jumping off her head. He ran up to the keyboard and looked over the screen. Calm Mind put a hand to his chin, "Very peculiar." He looked at the scientist, "Franz, I require assistance in accessing this Central Processing Unit."

Dr. Schaffer nodded, "Right." He walked back over and took a seat.

Ash looked back at the screen, "Appreciations. Now, input my instructions as I relay them and do not approach leisurely. I have little intentions of communicating at a moderate rate given the state of emergency."

Franz smirked and put his hands over the keyboard, "Good. I've been waiting for another speed test."

The pair got to work immediately. Everyone else looked at Soot in confusion.

Soot noticed, "Calm Mind's personality glitch is similar to Frenzy Plant's. The main difference is that he mostly uses big words and/or over explains stuff in a way that tends to make sentences more complicated than you'd think possible."

Ash stopped talking and looked back at the group, "As I have previously relayed at multiple opportunities, that statement is lacking in an insurmountable amount of factual data."

Soot sweat dropped, "Case and point."

Clefairy sweat dropped, "_I'm not sure I like this one._"

Calm Mind rolled his eyes and looked back over the screen. He sweat dropped, "Franz. That statement regarding my communication ability was part of the required input."

Franz flinched and started rapidly deleting what he typed, "Sorry."

Misty crouched down next to Soot and whispered, "You're weren't actually serious about that, were you?"

Soot nodded, "Yeah. Calm Mind's really that smart."

Misty shook her head, "No, the whole- Ash used to be dumb thing. You had to be exaggerating a little. Right?"

Soot sighed, "Nope. Dad really was that dumb. If it weren't for the watch, odds are you'd all just be wandering around Kanto aimlessly. Heck, you'd probably wind up at the North Pole at some point."

Brock sweat dropped, "Short of teleporting, that doesn't sound possible."

Soot snickered, "Exactly."

Brock and Misty sweat dropped.

"Hmm." Ash said with a hand under his chin, "I believe that I have discovered how this complication came to originate."

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy looked at Soot.

Soot sweat dropped, "He found the cause of the problem."

Ash nodded, "Precisely." He raised a finger, "The reprobate of our technical difficulty is showing unnaturally immense symptoms-"

"Dad." Soot interrupted in an annoyed tone, "Human. Now."

Calm Mind sighed, "Understood." He jumped to the ground, reached around, and touched the watch's symbol on his back. He lit up green as usual and reverted as himself.

Ash shook his head and muttered, "Ugh. Calm Mind." He looked around the room, "Anyway, the problem is actually showing off free-willed and spontaneous actions."

Soot blinked in surprise, "Wait, what?"

Misty sweat dropped, "I don't get it."

"What I mean" Ash continued, "is that they're acting on their own in real time with no singular goal. That kind of programming is impossible to do in such a short amount of time and trumps any sort of remote operating."

Brock raised a brow, "What if someone's actually been working on it for that long?"

Ash shook his head, "Not likely. It would take decades of work and research to perfect something this advanced."

Misty frowned and raised a brow, "So, what does that mean? It sounds like your saying this virus is impossible."

Ash nodded with a smile, "Right. Because it isn't actually a virus."

Everyone stared at Ash in confusion, "… h_u_h?"

Ash smirked, "It's not a virus. Or even a real computer program for that matter." He raised a finger, "It's a set of living consciousnesses that have been uploaded directly into the transfer's system's network."

"So, what does that mean?" Brock asked.

"Put simply." Ash started before pointing backwards, "Team Rocket's in the Transfer Network. Literally."

"W_H_AT_?_!" Everyone -except Franz- blurted out.

Franz raised a brow, 'Team Rocket?'

Soot took a step forward, "But, for that to happen, they would need a-" She stopped and glared at the scientist, "Fraaaanz."

Dr. Schaffer flinched and waved his hands defensively, "I swear I didn't do this! And I sure as Yvel didn't let anyone use the-" He perked up, "Wait. These people wouldn't happen to be a blue-haired man, a red-haired woman, and a human-speaking meowth, would they?"

Misty blinked in surprise, "How the actual freaking Yvel did you know that?"

"I'll tell you on the way." Franz said before he pointed at the doorway dramatically, "To the lab!" He ran through said doorway and out of view.

Brock sweat dropped, "Is that normal for him?"

Ash sweat dropped, "One-hundred percent." He ran after the man, "Come on."

Everyone else ran after him.

**Ohirume, Seishin, Mizuro:**

**Here we are, going far, to save all that we love**

**If we give all we've got we will make it through**

**Here we are, like a star, shining bright on your world today!**

**Make evil go away!**

.

*Pokémon Center front desk

Nurse Joy stared at the blank monitor and tapped her fingers as she impatiently waited for the fifteen minutes to pass. After the ninth minute, she received an unpleasant update.

"To the lab!"

Nurse Joy perked up and looked over right as Dr. Schaffer ran past and out the front entrance.

She jumped to her feet, "What the- Dr. Schaffer, the problem still isn't fixed!"

"Franz, wait up!" Ash called up as he and the others ran past Joy and out the automatic doors.

Joy's eye twitched and she groaned, "Schaffer." She groaned and picked up a phone, "Plan B it is."

.

**Time Skip**

The group made their way towards Franz's lab with the professor leading the way.

"Ash, I still don't understand what you mean." Brock said worriedly, "How exactly could Team Rocket literally be in the Network? "

Soot spoked up, "Franz has an oversized Transfer Machine that can send beings directly into the Network without requiring a pokéball. It's big enough to fit five to maybe fifteen adult humans if they all bunch up."

Franz frowned, "And I'm sorry to say, but these Team Rocket people broke into my lab and used it. Even worse, I can't use any kind of vaccine program to stop them. The only one that would work would also destroy their coding."

Misty blinked, "Destroy their coding?"

"Since their bodies are in the network," Ash said before his eyes narrowed, "it would destroy them for real."

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy looked at Ash in horror. Soot and Franz looked down somberly.

Pikachu gulped, "_S-so, how do we get them out without hurting them?_"

Soot spoke up; staring ahead, "It's actually pretty simple. Go in and get them out."

Brock frowned, "Is that safe?"

Ash frowned and crossed his arms, "No more than it is for Team Rocket. We'd be putting ourselves at the exact same risk to both stop and save them."

Brock and Misty shared a worried look. As did Pikachu and Clefairy.

Ash smiled sadly, "Guys, I promise it'll be okay." He held up the watch, "I'm letting anyone get hurt. That's not a promise. It's a guarantee."

The Gym Leaders smiled softly and nodded, "Thanks."

Pikachu and Clefairy sighed in relief before nuzzling up to Ash's head; causing him to chuckle.

Franz glanced back at them with a soft smile, 'You're a good man, Ash. But don't worry.' His glassed glinted as he smirked, 'The new system will make sure you'll all get out fine.' He sweat dropped, 'I hope.'

He stopped and looked up at his lab with a smile, "Here we are."

Everyone followed his gaze. The building resembled a mansion with a pink roof. The walls of the front gate had heavily chipped plaster.

Misty sweat dropped, "Really?"

Soot snickered, "Don't let the outer appearance fool you. The lab is in the back and loaded with more tech than you'll know what do to with."

Brock smiled, "Oh, I get it. The outside is like this, so it won't look like a lab."

Ash shrugged with a smile, "Pretty much."

Franz sweat dropped, 'What's wrong with the outside?'

**Ohirume: Code Lyoko! We'll reset it all**

**Seishin: Code Lyoko! Be there when you call**

**Mizuro: Code Lyoko! We will stand real tall**

**All three: Code Lyoko! Stronger after all **

.

**Short Skip**

A pair of automatic double doors slid open to reveal the group. Pikachu and Clefairy watched the doors curiously. Brock and Misty stared in shock at the high-tech computer lab before them.

Ash walked forward and turned around to face the others. He held out his hands and smirked, "Guys, welcome Kogami Laborator- GAH!" He was cut off when something pink and blue crashed into him and knocked him to the floor; knocking Pikachu and Clefairy off in the process.

Brock and Misty flinched, "Ash!" They each pulled out a pokéball and glared at the attacker.

Pikachu and Clefairy recovered and got into their fighting stances. Soot's eyes widened in shock upon seeing-

"Porygon!" Ash cried out happily before pulling the Normal-type into a hug, "I haven't seen you since you were a cluster of executable files!"

Porygon nuzzled the boy the happily.

Soot smiled brightly, "I can't believe it! You actually finished him!" Soot raised a brow, "Her?" She looked at Franz, "Them?"

Franz nodded with a smile, "Them. Porygon's genderless."

Everyone else just stared in confusion, "_W_ai_t, w_ha_t?_"

Ash stood back; still smiling. Porygon floated next to him.

Ash gestured to the Normal-type, "Everyone, this is Porygon. The-" He stopped and blinked in confusion. He looked at Franz, "Actually, how about you do it? It's been a few years."

Franz smiled, "Thank you." He looked around the room and gestured to the Pokémon, "This is Porygon. The Virtual Pokémon. They're Genderless Normal-types from the Mineral Egg Group. They're man-made Pokémon that consist entirely of programming code. They're capable of moving freely in cyberspace."

Brock looked at Franz in shock, "Wha- Man-made?! You created a Pokémon?!"

Franz nodded with a smile, "Correct."

"How is that even possible?!" Misty blurted out.

Soot sweat dropped, "Guys. This is far from the first time something like this has happened."

Pikachu and Clefairy looked at her in confusion, "_Really?_"

Ash nodded, "Yeah. Voltorb, baltoy, castform, trubbish, golett, and grimer were initially created by human influence a few centuries and/or millennia ago." He pointed a thumb at the Virtual Pokémon, "Porygon here is just one of the more recent and high-tech examples."

Soot followed; still sweat dropping, "There are also rumors that banette are artificial and the result of a cursed, vengeful doll. The only problem with that concept is the fact that they evolve from shuppet."

"O_h_." Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy said; all sweat dropping.

Misty snapped out of it and looked at Dr. Schaffer, "Still, that is impressive."

Franz smiled, "Thank you. But -now that Ash is here- there is something I wanted to test. As you all know, the artificial Pokémon Ash listed are capable of reproduction -albeit with the help of a ditto more often than not- and have organic DNA despite what one might think."

Brock nodded, "Right."

"So," Franz continued, "the most sure-fire way to prove that a Pokémon is genuine is to test if they actually have DNA."

Misty raised a brow, "How do plan to figure that out? A blood test?"

Franz shook his head, "No. Porygon doesn't have blood or cells." He smirked and his glasses glinted, "What I'm getting at is a special device that can scan DNA."

Ash's eyes widened in shock, "Wait, what?! You're asking me to scan Porygon?!" He smiled brightly, "Oh, Yvel yeah! Let's try it!"

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy looked at Ash in shock, "HU_H?_!"

"Well, yeah." Ash said with a smile, "Remember when I scanned kangaskhan? Compared to this, that will have been like scanning a pidgey."

Franz jerked and looked at Ash in shock, "You scanned a kangaskhan?!"

Soot nodded with a bright smile, "Yeah! The watch even reconfigured their DNA to male! And get this: both the adult and infant are part of transformation! Dad's consciousness gets split between them!"

"WOAH!" Franz called out with a bright smile. He perked up and shook it off, "Sorry. I got off track. Go for it, Ash."

Ash nodded with a smile, "Right." He held out the watch to the levitating Normal-type, "Porygon, would you mind touching this?"

Porygon nodded happily. They moved closer, placed the tip of their face on the watch, and backed up.

Ash blinked in surprise at seeing the watch still green. He frowned, "Oh."

Franz frowned as well, "Hmm. I was worried about this. I managed to program DNA for Porygon, but I guess that isn't enough for the watch."

Soot frowned and her ears drooped, "Aw man. I would've like seeing an organic porygon."

Porygon looked down somberly.

Ash noticed and pet them with a soft smile, "Don't worry, Porygon. It's not your fault."

Misty sweat dropped, "Uh, guys? Isn't Team Rocket still in the Transfer Network?"

Franz flinched, "O-oh. Right."

Soot chuckled nervously, "I guess we got a little sidetracked."

Pikachu deadpanned, "_I'd say more than a little._"

Ash chuckled nervously and looked back it the professor, "Lead the way, Franz."

Pikachu and Clefairy jumped back onto Ash's shoulders and Franz lead the group out of the room and down a hallway.

After a few second, Ash stopped and blinked in surprise, "Wait. Didn't we just pass the Transfer Machine?"

Franz smirked, "That, we did."

Soot raised a brow, "So, how are we getting into the Transfer Network?"

Franz's glasses glinted said before he pushed a button next to a door, "With these."

The doors slid open to reveal three massive, metal tubes with a huge cluster of thick wires stretching from each one to the ceiling.

Ash's eyes widened in shock, "What the- Franz what are these things?"

Schaffer grinned, "These are Virtualization Chambers. They're not only more advanced than the transfer machine, but safer too. They're designed to digitize your body and even DNA to transport you directly into the internet." His smiled brightened, "The best part is the built-in failsafe. If you're body takes too much damage -even self-inflicted-, you'll immediately be removed from the system and reappear in one of the Chambers. This can even be done remotely."

Everyone's eyes widened and looked at the machines in shock, "Woah."

Soot looked at the man with a raised brow, "How the Yvel did you come up with these?"

"That's actually the strange thing." Franz said with a frown, "They came to me in a lucid dream where I was actually being taught how to construct them by… by…" He groaned and held his head, "I can't describe them. It's the only part of dream I can never remember."

**Omega: *glares at Seishin***

**Seishin: What? (ΦωΦ)**

Everyone stared at him in confusion.

Misty put a hand to her mouth and whispered to Ash, "Do you swear this guy doesn't have a few screws loose?"

Ash frowned and whispered back, "Franz may be a little … eccentric. But he knows what he's doing. I trust him."

Brock sweat dropped, "If you're sure." He perked up upon realizing something, "Wait a second." He looked at the professor, "If that's all true, why can't you just pull Team Rocket out normally? Or send in Porygon to attack them?"

Franz looked at him; still frowning, "I would if I could. They didn't actually use the Chambers to get in. They used the Transfer Machine in the other room. It doesn't have the same fail-safes and requires anyone who uses it come back out the same way they got in."

Ash blinked in surprise, "So, we won't be putting ourselves in as much danger as Team Rocket."

Franz nodded with a smile, "Correct. All you have to do is knock them out or restrain them and bring them to the gateway I'll open for you."

Soot deadpanned, "And you decided to wait until now to tell us that part." She sighed, "So, how do we use them?"

Franz raised a finger, "Only one being in a Chamber at a time; not counting any Pokémon you have in your pokéballs." He crossed his arms, "Aside from that, just sit back and wait while I take care of things in the control room." He turned towards the door, "I'll go set everything up. You all wait until I call you."

Ash nodded, "Understood, Franz."

With that, Franz left the room with Porygon following him.

Ash walked up to a Chamber and put a hand against it with a smile, "I've gotta admit, Franz really has outdone himself on this one."

Misty sweat dropped, "I guess." She looked at Ash curiously, "How do you know Dr. Schaffer anyway? And why did you tell him about the watch?"

Soot smiled, "Actually, that's the funny thing. There was a time where we thought Franz made it."

Brock looked at her in surprise, "Really?"

Ash nodded, "Yeah. Professor Oak thought it was one of his crazier gadgets and called him up to ask about it." He chuckled, "He immediately became interested and wanted to study it firsthand." He looked down at the watch with a soft smile, "I actually have him to thank for Power Integration."

Everyone else -except Soot- jumped in surprise, "_Wa_it, _wh_at_?_"

Ash nodded, "It was a few months after I found the watch. The first new non-Pokémon popped up and the form was," Ash looked unsure, "weird. And I mean by non-Pokémon standards. The silhouette looked human and I didn't look any different when I turned into it. The only real change was the watch's symbol ending up on my chest. Anyway, we called up Franz again to get his opinion. We ran some tests and they went … poorly."

Brock frowned, "How, so?"

Soot sighed, "Dad got violently electrocuted."

Misty and Pikachu raised a brow, "A_n_d_?_"

Soot rolled her eyes, "Guys, this was before any of Power Integration came into effect. Dad was a completely regular, five-year-old human back then and wound up in the hospital for a week."

Clefairy tilted, "_But, Ash is right here and isn't hurt. So, things had to have turned out alright._"

Ash blinked in surprise, "Uh- Okay, fair enough." He held up the watch, "After that, I couldn't find the human-looking being in the watch anymore and Power Integration kicked in a few days later."

Brock put a hand to his chin, "Huh."

The Virtualization Chambers lit up around them and opened.

Franz's voice came up over a speaker, Alright, we're ready. Ash, Brock, and Misty, you go first. Just step in and I'll take care of the rest.

Ash looked up and nodded with a smirk, "Can do!"

Pikachu and Clefairy jumped down from Ash's shoulders before Ash walked into the center Chamber and turned around. Brock and Misty followed suit and started looking around their pods curiously.

Franz spoke up again, Transfer Ash. Transfer Brock. Transfer Misty.

As he said this, the Chambers closed on each trainer. Pikachu and Clefairy jumped slightly.

Soot raised a brow, 'He came up with code phrases?'

Scanner Ash. Scanner Brock. Scanner Misty.

The trio were forced to close their eyes as the pods lit up brightly.

Virtualization.

They all flinched as a massive gust of wind blew upwards and they became engulfed in a blinding white light.

The Chamber's whirring subsided, and they opened up a few seconds later. All three were empty.

Pikachu's eyes widened, "_Woah._"

Clefairy stared in shock, "_They're gone._"

Soot smiled, "Okay. Now, I'm interested."

**Omega: A world of machines**

**It can shadow human nature**

**Faux: And all that we need**

**Is the way to find the answer**

**Luke: And one thing is sure**

**You can count on us for good **

.

*Pokéball Transfer Network

Ash woke up in midair above a network route and fell down to it. He landed in a crouch and stood back up.

Ash smiled, "Happy to see he fixed that thing with the landings."

"OW!"

Ash jerked and turned around to find Brock and Misty sitting on the ground uncomfortably.

Ash sweat dropped, "More or less." He ran over and helped them up, "Are you guys alright?"

Misty held her head, "Yeah. Just had a rough landing."

Brock looked around in awe, "Woah."

Misty looked around as well and her eyes widened, "You can say that again."

Ash chuckled, "Yeah. Wel-"

Welcome to cyberspace!

Everyone flinched and looked over to see Franz's face on a screen. A massive Porygon floated in place behind him.

Franz smiled, Hello.

Misty flinched, "Woah! How did Porygon get so big?!"

Franz smiled, Don't forget that is Porygon is made of data. Their base size and weight may be set, but -with enough strength- they can still alter it at will.

Porygon nodded happily.

Ash frowned, 'Size alteration? Aw man, that would've been cool.'

Brock stared at the Virtual Pokémon in awe, "Wow." He looked at Franz, "So, I guess they'll take us to team Rocket?"

In a second, Franz responded, I'm still sending Soot and the others. He started typing, Scanner Soot. Scanner Pikachu. Scanner Clefairy. Franz smirked and they heard a click, Virtualization.

Everyone heard an odd sound and looked up to see three wire frame silhouettes of the Pokémon appear above them. They started to fill into their natural coloration before they fell to the 'ground.'

Soot landed normally while Pikachu and Clefairy screamed and landed face-first.

"_ow._" Clefairy whined.

Ash blinked in surprise upon realizing something and looked at the screen, "Wait, can we still feel pain?"

Franz stared at Ash in confusion, Did I not mention that?

Misty deadpanned, "No, you didn't." She jerked and blinked in surprise, "Wait. How much will that damage eject thing hurt?"

Franz chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head, That probably depends on how you're your Life Points are drained.

Soot's eyes widened in shock, "Wha- Probably?! You mean you haven't tested this?!"

Franz remained silent for a moment before blurting out, There's no time to waste! You need to stop those Team Rocket people as soon as possible! With that, the screen went blank and sank into Porygon's side.

Soot glared at spot the screen sank into, "Seriously?"

Misty smirked slyly, "It sucks when you have to find about something like that, doesn't it?"

Ash groaned, "You have no id-" His eyes widened; as did Soot's, "Oh." He looked down, "Oh, that's where we get it from."

Soot chuckled nervously, "Sorry."

Brock chuckled, "We've gotten used to it."

Ash sweat dropped, 'I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment.' He shook it off and ran over to pick up his Fairy and Electric-types, "Come on. Franz did have a point."

Everyone nodded and loaded onto Porygon before they started moving along the virtual highway.

After a few minutes, Team Rocket came into view on the highway tube. They all stood in front of an exit and admired a massive pile of pokéballs being held back by a line of traffic barricades. Behind the tRio was a tall rectangular sign with "STOP" printed in the middle of a burst effect.

Pikachu glared at them, "_There they are!_"

Soot pawed at Porygon's back, "Hey, Franz! We found them!"

A compartment on Porygon opened and Dr. Schaffer's screen slid out of it.

Franz looked over at the group and frowned, Yes. It's seems you're right.

Brock raised a brow, "Are those traffic barricades?"

Misty looked at Franz, "That actually works?"

Franz started typing, Hm. Ah, I see. It looks like those are actually visual models for a blockade program. Still, it looks like they have the properties of regular barricades. Moving them out of the way or destroying them should fix things.

Soot smiled, "That sure makes things easier."

Franz frowned, Perhaps. But you'll still need to play this out carefully. I think your best plan of attack would be to-

"Or, we can do this." Ash interrupted before shouting, "Hey! Team Rocket!"

The tRio flinched, looked towards the group, and grimaced.

Soot grinned, "You didn't think we'd actually let you get away with this, did you?!"

Dr. Schaffer sweat dropped and he mumbled, I suppose that works.

Jessie and James pulled and threw a pokéball, "Go Arbok!" "And you too, Weezing!"

The Poison-types emerged and glared at the group.

James held out a hand, "Weezing, use Smog!"

Weezing shot towards Porygon as he emitted a green smoke from his body.

Ash grimaced, "Jump!"

He jumped off Porygon to 'ground' below. Soot followed immediately. The pair landed in a crouch.

Ash looked around and his eyes widened, "What?! Where are they?!"

Soot looked back up at Porygon and grimaced, "Crag! They're still up there!"

Ash followed her gaze and grimaced when he saw Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy looked over the edge of the Normal-type warily.

"Guys!" Ash called out, "You need to hurry before-" His eyes widened, "Look out!"

Pikachu's ears twitched and looked back to see Weezing flying behind them; still spewing Smog. The Poison Gas Pokémon slung around to shroud Porygon in the gas.

Ash grimaced, "GUYS!" His eyes narrowed and he pulled out a pokéball, "Pidgeotto! Enter the fr-"

He was interrupted by a purple, weezing-like Porygon shooting out of the cloud and Tackling the real weezing. The Poison-type shot towards the ground, hit Arbok, and they both fell right on top of their trainers. Jessie and James cried out as they're Pokémon drove them into the ground.

"Woah!" Soot blurted out in shock.

Porygon flashed back their regular colors and floated down towards the tube. Everyone else climbed off, and Ash and Soot ran over.

"Are you guys okay?" Ash asked worriedly.

Misty nodded and patted the Virtual Pokémon, "Yeah. Thanks to Porygon."

Brock looked at Ash in confusion, "But, what was that move they used? I've never seen anything like it."

Ash raised a brow, "I was actually hoping for an answer, myself."

Conversion 2! Franz shouted out excitedly; startling the group, It's one of Porygon's signature moves! It allows them to randomly take on a type that resists the type of the last move the opponent used! In this instance, they became Poison-type! The other is Conversion which changes their type to that of one of their own moves!

Clefairy's eyes lit up, "_Coool._"

Soot smiled brightly, "Seriously! That's awesome!"

Ash pouted, 'They even have free-willed type changing.'

"Don' think you've won yet!" Meowth shouted at them, "We still 'ave one more trick up our sleeves!"

Jessie -dazed- held up a pokéball and tossed it, "Go, Porygon Zero."

The pokéball burst open. The group's eyes widened in shock at seeing a second Porygon emerged. This one had a white '0' on their head and small black flag with a red 'R' attached to their tail. They immediately lit up and started growing to match the other porygon's size.

Ash flinched, "Wha-" He glared at the scientist's screen, "Franz! What the Yvel?! Why didn't you tell us they stole a porygon?!"

Soot glared as well, "Or the fact that there even was a second one!"

Franz sweat dropped with a nervous smile, Oh. I failed to mention that as well, didn't I?

Soot groaned, "Freaking Yvel, Franz."

Brock looked at the others determinedly, "Still, we can work on getting rid of the barricades while Porygon holds off the other one."

Everyone else nodded, "Right."

Ash looked at the Normal-type, "We're counting on you Porygon!"

Porygon nodded with a determined glare and shot towards Zero.

The group all ran towards the barricades.

They heard the Porygon clash in mid-'air' and glanced over at them. Porygon Prime's entire body was in the shape of a shield. Porygon Zero's head was in the shape of sledgehammer as they attacked Prime. Prime blocked with ease.

Ash stared in shock, 'Non-move based structural shape-shifting?! Oh, come on!'

They all got to work on pushing away the barricades. Ash and Pikachu went to one, Soot and Clefairy to another, and Brock and Misty to a third.

Ash and Pikachu started pushing theirs forward. As soon as they did, the pokéballs started levitating before shooting off down the highway.

Team Rocket were already back on their feet and in the middle of returning their Poison-types.

Jessie glared at the twerps, "Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"

"Those pokéballs are ours!" James shouted at them, "We stole them fair and square!"

"That's right!" Meowth shouted.

The tRio ran towards the group; dodging zooming pokéballs.

Misty glared at them, "Crag!"

"Pikachu!" Soot called out.

"_On it!_" The Electric-type called out before unleashing a Thunderbolt on the Rockets.

The tRio cried out as the bolt swept over them. The electricity faded and the three of them stood their dizzily.

"_Alright!_" Clefairy cheered.

Soot glared at the tRio, "We still need to restrain-"

She was cut off by a crashing sound above them. Everyone looked over right as Porygon Zero plummeted towards Team Rocket and they all shot away down the highway.

Soot stared in shock, "Or not."

Brock grimaced, "Crag! How are we supposed to get them out now?!"

Franz looked around, We'll worry about that later. Right now, you need to focus on getting rid of those- A phone started ringing on his side and he looked to the side, Huh? I'll be back in a second. Finish with those barricades. The screen went blank.

Soot sweat dropped, "Okay?"

**Omega, Faux, Luke:**

**Here we are, going far, to save all that we love**

**If we give all we've got we will make it through**

**Here we are, like a star, shining bright on your world today…**

**Make evil go away!**

.

*Franz; real world

"You did what?!" Franz shouted over the phone.

Nurse Joy glared at him, "Well, you didn't give any other choice, Dr. Schaffer. The Transfer System is still messed up and you're not here to fix it." She looked back at the man sitting at the computer, "Calling in an expert to upload the vaccine program is our only option."

Franz grimaced, "Wait, Nurse Joy! You don't understand!"

Nurse Joy glared at him again, "Oh, I understand plenty. We're getting things fixed one way or another." She hung up before he could respond.

Franz gulped, "Oh crag."

.

*Cyberspace

Ash sighed before smiling, "Alright, where almost done." He looked at the larger 'STOP' sign in front of them, "Just one more to go."

Misty sighed in relief, "Finally."

Brock looked at the sign and put a hand to his chin, "This one could be tough. It might be easier to just destroy-"

There's no time! Franz shouted as his screen lit back up, You need to hurry and get those three out of there! Asap!

Clefairy raised a brow, "_Uh-_"

Ash looked back at her, "A. S. A. P. It stands for 'As soon as possible'." He looked back at the man, "And what are you talking about?"

The Pokémon Center has uploaded the vaccine program! Frans shouted worriedly, You need to get Team Rocket out of their before it destroys them!

Soot grimaced, "What?!"

Everyone heard what sounded like an ambulance siren and looked back to see what looked like a hovering ambulance shooting towards them from the highway tunnel. The side of it opened to reveal needle-tipped missiles; aimed at the STOP sign.

Brock grimaced, "The vaccine!"

"We have to find them! Quick!" Misty shouted.

Ash nodded, "Right." He looked towards their Virtual Pokémon, "Porygon!"

Porygon shot down towards them. Everyone loaded onto them and the Normal-type flew away from the vaccine.

Everyone looked around for the tRio.

Clefairy perked up and pointed towards the 'ground', "_There they are!_"

Everyone followed her gaze to find the tRio glaring at them. Jessie and James were on standing on the highway while Meowth was on Zero's back.

"Hey!" Jessie shouted, "Where do you think you're going?! The fight's just getting started!"

James shook his fist angrily, "Get back here you cowards!"

"Give it a rest!" Soot shouted back, "If you ever want to see the light of day again, you need to get on Zero's back and run like Yvel!"

Jessie raised a brow, "What are you talking about?!"

The tRio flinched when they heard a massive explosion and looked back to see the remains of their stop sign flicker out of existence and a wave of pokéballs shoot towards them. Jessie and James grimaced and hurriedly climbed onto Zero before they took off high above the highway.

"Oh, thank goodness." James sighed in relief.

Jessie looked back at the ambulance in shock, "What the Yvel is that thing?!"

"It's a vaccine program!" Ash shouted; catching the tRio's attention, "If that thing destroys your bodies here, then you're GONE! Forever!"

"WHAT?!" Team Rocket cried out.

"I don't wanna die in a computer!" James whined.

"Then hurry and follow us!" Misty shouted.

Jessie looked at Zero, "You heard the twerpette! Follow them!"

Zero nodded and shot forward. The tRio caught up to Ash and the others.

Meowth looked at the group in a panic, "How are we supposed ta get outa here?!"

Give me a second! Franz called out while typing, I'm opening the portal to the Transfer Machine now! Aaand … Done! They heard a click on his end. His screen looked ahead, Right there!

Everyone followed his gaze and found a metallic, spinning portal ahead of them.

Franz spoke up again, You need to get to that portal!

James smiled brightly, "Alright! We're saved!"

Ash jerked when he heard shifting metal and looked back. He grimaced, "Not just yet!"

Everyone looked back too and flinched at the sight of the vaccine program; now in missile form.

Misty gulped, "Uh oh."

The vaccine unleashed a swarm of missiles towards them.

Jessie grimaced, "Evasive maneuvers!"

Zero complied and flew off to the side. A handful of the missile split off and went after them.

"Wait!" Brock shouted at them, "We need to stick together!"

"Worry about that later!" Ash called out, "Right now, we need to take out those missiles!"

Misty looked at Ash in surprise, "Huh? I thought we'd be okay we got hit."

Soot looked at Misty, "Well, sure. But, if we get taken out, then those three are on their own."

Ash nodded, "Right!" He held out a hand, "Pikachu, Thunderbolt the ones heading our way! Soot, Shadow Ball the ones targeting Team Rocket!"

The pair nodded, "R_i_g_h_t_!_"

The fired off their respective attacks and destroyed/detonated the missiles with ease.

"_Alright!_" Clefairy cheered.

Misty looked at the vaccine in surprise, "Wait, what's it doing?!"

Everyone looked over. The head of the vaccine rocket had been split open with a large metal cannon now poking out. It was aiming for Zero.

Franz stared in horror, They- they actually executed that command.

Brock looked at Franz worriedly, "What are you talking about?! What command?!"

A massive burst of white fired from the vaccine. Team Rocket screamed as they were struck. Everyone else had to shield their eyes from the resulting flash.

They all looked back to find Zero smoking and plummeting towards a hole that was appearing in the middle of nowhere.

"Team Rocket …" Soot muttered in shock.

Misty stared in shock, "Are- are they-"

They're alive! Franz called out while typing. He grimaced, But they're on their last legs and Zero's down for the count! And to make things worse, that thing they fell in is a bug-hole! It's top priority for those to be closed immediately!

Brock looked at the man determinedly, "Then we need to go and get them out!"

Franz frowned, I'm afraid it won't be that easy. Porygon's nearing their weight limit and they can't grow anymore. If they get on with you, you won't be able to outrun the vaccine.

"So, what? We need another Porygon?" Ash said in alarm.

Frown looked at him; still frowning, That or most of you will need to be devirtualized first.

Misty gritted her teeth, "Crag. There has be another way, right? What about a Flying-type or Ash's Dragonite form?"

Fran's jaw dropped, Ash has a dragonite fo- He stopped, shook his head, and said to himself, No! Worry about that later! He looked back at the group, That won't work. The virtual world doesn't have all the same laws of physics as the real world. Any form of flight that requires air or wind won't work there.

Ash grimaced and put his right hand to his head, "Crag! There has to be something we can-" He glanced at the watch in front of him and moved his arm to looked at it. His eyes narrowed and he muttered, "Virtualization…" His eyes widened in shock, "That's it!"

Everyone else flinched at looked Ash in surprise, "Wha_t?_"

Ash looked at Franz with a determinedly glare, "Franz! You said the Virtualization Chambers turn our bodies and DNA into data, right?!"

Frans raised a brow, Well, yes, but- He stopped and stared in shock, You mean- The screen turned to face the back Porygon's head, Do you really think it'll work?

Ash looked at Porygon as well, "It's, at least, worth trying."

"Ash, what are you talking about?!" Misty asked in alarm.

Soot glanced around thoughtfully before her eyes widened in shock, "He's gonna try scanning Porygon again!"

Everyone -except Ash and Franz- looked at her in surprise before looked at the pair.

Ash nodded, "That's right. There's a chance that the watch couldn't scan them before because their DNA wasn't compatible enough." He smirked, "But here, our bodies digital, just like Porygon's. It might work now."

"But what if it still doesn't?" Brock asked worriedly, "What do we do then?"

Ash frowned, "Then half of us will have to devirtualize and leave it up to the others to save those three."

Pikachu frowned, "_I really don't like that idea._"

Ash sighed, "Neither do I." He held up the watch, "So, let's hope this works."

He crouched down and placed the face of the watch on Porygon's back.

He pulled his arm back and everyone looked over the face of the watch.

**Omega: Code Lyoko! We'll reset it all**

**Faux: Code Lyoko! Be there when you call**

**Luke: Code Lyoko! We will stand real tall**

**All three: Code Lyoko! Stronger after all**

.

*Team Rocket

Jessie slowly stirred awake and sat up while holding her head, "What happened?"

Meowth frowned, "We fell in a hole." He looked to the side, "Also, James has been doin' dat."

Jessie followed The Scratch Cat's gaze to find her human teammate sliding down a wall.

Meowth sweat dropped, "James, I keep tellin' ya da wall's too smooth. Dat ain't gonna work."

James looked back at him frightenedly, "Well, we have to try something! If we don't, that vaccine thing will get us!"

Jessie raised a brow, "What about Porygon? Can't they just us out?"

Meowth sweat dropped, "About dat." He pointed to the side.

Jessie looked where he pointed and grimaced when she saw Zero laying on their side; back to normal size and their eyes in swirls.

Jessie scurried over and picked up the Normal-type, "Porygon! Porygon, come on! Wake up!"

Porygon's head fell back.

Jessie gulped, "Oh no."

James frowned, "Don't say that! There has to be something we can do!"

Meowth's ears twitched and he looked up. He grimaced, "Too late."

The others looked up and their eyes widened at the sight of the vaccine rocket above them and aiming down into the hole.

Jessie fell to her knees, "This is it. Isn't it?"

"Looks like it." Meowth muttered in horror.

James started tearing up and forced a sad smile, "At least, if we're going out," He got on his knees and pulled Jessie into a hug, "it'll be together."

Meowth looked over in surprise. He started tearing too and nodded with a worried frown.

He walked over and hugged Jessie too, "Togetha."

Jessie stared in shock before sniffling and pulling them into a group hug, "Together."

The tRio huddled closer together as the vaccine started whirring.

Meowth sniffled, "It's been nice knowin' ya guys."

Jessie nodded with a somber smile, "Yeah."

James nodded, "You were the best friends I've ever had."

"Wow. I didn't know you actually cared about each other that much."

The three of them nearly jumped out of their skin before looking over in shock.

Soot smiled, "Maybe, you three aren't as bad as we thought."

"Wha-" Meowth stuttered before shouting, "WHAT DA YVEL ARE YA DOIN' DOWN HERE?!"

Soot raised a brow, "Uh, saving you?"

Jessie jumped to her feet and wiped away her tears before glaring at Soot and shouting, "Why didn't you say so earlier?!"

James glared as well; tears still in his eyes, "Do you have any idea how scared we were?!" He stopped and blinked in surprise, "Wait, how are you getting us out of here?"

Soot shook her head, "Oh. I'm not." She glanced upward with a smirk, "He is."

The tRio raised a brow before flinching at the sound of a large crash. They looked up in shock to find a porygon hovering above them and the vaccine spiraling out of view.

The Virtual Pokémon looked down at them; revealing a green symbol in the center of their forehead, "_Are you guys alright?!_"

Meowth's eyes widened in shock upon hearing the electronic voice.

Soot smiled at Ash, "We're good! Nice timing, dad!"

Jessie and James looked at her in shock and before staring back at Ash in shock. He was already descending into the hole and landed in front of them.

"T- twerp?" James stuttered.

Ash sweat dropped, "_Do you really have to call me that all the time?_"

The tRio just stared; frozen in place.

Soot rolled her eyes, "Can you just get on him already? The vaccine will be back soon."

Team Rocket snapped out of it and hurriedly got on to Ash's back; Zero still in Jessie's arms.

Soot jumped on as well and smiled, "Alright, dad! Let's get the Yvel out of this Crag-hole."

Ash nodded with a determined glare, "_Alright!_"

He started hovering and shot out of the bug-hole instantly.

The tRio looked back as the vaccine moved back into place over the hole and fired a pair of missiles into it. A geyser of light burst from hole before it collapsed in on itself.

Jessie gulped, "Okay. That was too close for comfort."

James sighed in relief, "Oh, thank goodness."

"I wouldn't celebrate just yet."

The tRio flinched again and turned around to see Brock, Misty, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Franz-on-screen on Porygon's back.

Brock pointed a thumb towards the portal in the distance, "We still need to get you out of here before the vaccine recovers."

"Well, what are we waitin' for?!" Meowth shouted, "Move it, Phantom!"

Franz raised a brow, Phanto-

"We'll tell you later." Misty jumped in in a harsh whisper.

The pair of porygon shot towards the portal.

Soot, Pikachu, and Meowth's ears twitched and they looked back.

Meowth grimaced at the sight of the four missiles shooting towards them, "Seriously?!"

Soot glared, "Freaking Yvel!"

Pikachu jumped forward and unleashed a Thunderbolt. He hit and blew up one of the missiles and set off two more in the process. The area lit up in a massive flash from the resulting explosions.

"Nice one Pikachu!" Misty cheered.

Brock grimaced, "Wait! There's still one left!"

Ash's eyes narrowed, "_Brace yourselves!_"

Meowth looked at Ash in shock, "Wait, what do ya mean brace-"

Ash held out his left wing and barrel-rolled to fling Soot and the tRio over to Porygon and the others. Soot landed with a skid and the tRio screamed and landed in a heap.

Misty smirked, "Welcome aboard."

James sat back up and held his head, "What the heck was that about?"

Brock pointed towards Ash, "That, I assume."

Team Rocket looked back and their eyes widened when they saw Ash shooting towards the last missile. He rammed into it head-on and detonated it. The Normal-type was engulfed in the massive explosion.

"TWERP!" Team Rocket cried out in alarm as Ash exploded.

Ash reappeared from the explosion in human form as he was flung backwards; eye closed.

As he fell, sections of his body fell away in the form of pixels; leaving nothing but a wireframe silhouette. The silhouette blipped out of existence soon after that.

Misty blinked in surprise, "Woah."

Soot cocked her head, "Huh. So that's what getting devirtualized looks like."

The tRio didn't hear them. They stared at where Ash was in absolute shock.

"T- twerp." James muttered.

"He's-" Meowth followed in shock.

Jessie just stared in stunned silence.

Porygon disappeared into the portal before it collapsed in on itself.

**Laura and Illavera: We'll do our best,**

**To never let you down**

**Nuevo and Pike: We're up to the test,**

**To turn this world around!**

.

*Real world

Franz's massive Transfer Machine whirred to life. A handful of bolts stretched down from the ceiling of it and traveled upwards; reforming Porygon Prime, the unconscious Porygon Zero, Pikachu, Clefairy, Meowth, Soot, Misty, Brock, James, and Jessie one-by-one, in that order.

Jessie, James, and Meowth were still staring off into space in shock.

Soot blinked in surprise and looked around curiously, "Huh. I didn't think we'd come out of this one."

Brock put a hand to his chin, "Yeah. I kind of expected us to reappear in the Chambers."

Misty shivered, "I think I would've preferred that. That felt weird."

Pikachu chuckled, "_Yeah. I guess Ash got off easy._"

Meowth jerked and stared at the Electric-type in shock.

Soot snickered and translated; causing Jessie and James to mirror Meowth's expression.

The group laughed.

"H-how?" James muttered; catching the group's attention.

Misty raised a brow, "How, what?"

"Wha- What do you mean 'what'?!" James blurted out, "The twerp just sacrificed himself to save all of us! I thought you were supposed to be his friends!"

Soot chuckled, "James, calm down. It's not that bad."

"Not that bad?!" Jessie shouted at them, "The twerp just gave up his life to save all of you and you're LAUGHING?! What the Yvel is wrong with you?!"

Meowth joined in by pointing at Soot accusingly, "And you! He was your meema for Arc sake! How can ya be so nonchalant about losing h-"

The door to the Transfer Machine's room opened and everyone looked over. Jessie, James, and Meowth's eyes widened in shock as Ash walked into the room with Dr. Schaffer by his side.

Ash smiled with a raised brow, "Are you kidding me, Franz? Did you seriously think I wouldn't let you study my porygon form to help you upgrade the others?"

Franz shrugged with a smile, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay with it first." His smile brightened, "After what I say in the Transfer Network, I can't wait! Just imagine it! Free-willed processing! DNA that registers in the real world!"

"Uh, Franz?" Ash said while sweat dropping.

"Biological reproduction!" Franz stopped and raised a finger, "Note to self, get a ditto."

"Franz." Soot called out.

Franz smiled brightly again, "Vocal communication!"

"FRANZ!" Ash, Soot, Brock, and Misty called out.

Dr. Schaffer flinched and looked over at everyone in the tube, "Oh, right" He smiled, "Welcome back to the real world, everyone."

"Wha-" James muttered.

"T-twerp?" Jessie stuttered and she stared at Ash like she was staring at a ghost. Which, in her eyes, see thought she was.

Ash raised a brow, "What?"

**ALL: **

**Here we are, going far, to save all that we love**

**If we give all we've got we will make it through**

**Here we are, like a star, shining bright on your world today…**

**Make evil go away!**

.

*One explanation later

Jessie's eye twitched as she glared at Ash, "So, we weren't in any real danger."

Ash waved a hand, "No." He pointed at the tRio in front of his "You were." He pointed towards himself and his friends next to him, "We weren't."

James glared at Ash, "So you let us think you were gone for nothing?!"

Brock stared in surprise, "Did we never tell you about the fail-safe we had?"

Misty flinched and grimaced, "Oh, dear Arceus. Franz is rubbing off on us too." She looked at the man in question, "No offense."

Franz sweat dropped, "Some taken."

Jessie grumbled and crossed her arms, "Great." She sighed and looked back at Ash, "Still, thanks for … that. I guess."

Meowth sighed too, "Yeah. Thanks for … savin' us and junk."

Soot smiled, "No worries."

Ash smiled too, "Still, how about I make it up to you for the whole missile scare-thing." He held up four fingers, "You have four minutes to get out of the lab."

James stared in shock before glaring at him, "What?! We thank you for saving us and you respond by threatening us?!"

Ash waved a hand, "I didn't mean that." He pointed towards Dr. Schaffer, "Franz called the cops on you. They'll be here in four minutes."

Franz jerked and stared at the boy in shock, "Ash!"

Meowth blinked in surprise, "Oh. Well, thanks twoip."

Jessie looked around, "Uh, how do we get out of here?"

Ash raised a finger, "One thing, first." He held out his hand, "Zero's pokéball."

Jessie grumbled before reaching around, pulling out the pokéball, and putting it Ash's hand, "There. Now, how do we-"

Ash raised a finger again, "Wait." He pointed the pokéball at the unconscious porygon, "Return." The beam shot from the pokéball towards the Normal-type. They disappeared a moment later.

Soot smiled, "Alright, then." She gestured to the door, "Out that door, take a right, run down the hall like the house is on fire, and you'll be outside in about half a minute."

Franz jerked again and stared at the Dark-type in shock, "You too, Soot?!"

James smiled and nodded, "Thank you."

With that, the tRio ran out the door, "Team Rocket's running off again!"

Misty sweat dropped with a smirk, "They still found a way to do that."

Brock chuckled, "Old habits, I guess."

Franz stared in shock as the tRio left. He glared at Ash, "Did you really have to tell them that? We could have gotten them arrested for breaking and entering."

Ash shrugged, "Eh. Like, I said, I owed them for the scare. Plus, they've kind of grown on us."

Soot sweat dropped, "More or less."

.

**Time Skip**

After the calamity in the Transfer Network, Franz invited the group to stay the night in his lab. Partially out of kindness and mostly to have him and Ash pull an all-nighter to study Ash's Porygon form. Everyone else had the privilege to sleep soundly in their choice of the many sound-proof rooms in the house.

Soot, however, decided to stay with Ash and Franz down in the lab on account of not needing as much sleep as the others and the fact that she actually had ways of sleeping through whatever noise they made. Also, to make sure there wasn't a repeat of the Power Integration incident.

The next day rolled around and Ash called everyone back down to the lab.

When they entered, they immediately noticed the heavy bags under Ash's eyes.

Brock sweat dropped, "So, uh, what did you want to tell us about?"

Franz smiled brightly, "Allow me to introduce," He held his arms out wide, "My new and improved Porygon Prime and Porygon Zero!"

The pair flew into view from around his back.

"_Good morning everyone!_" Prime called out cheerfully.

Zero chuckled nervously, "_Uh, hi. Sorry about yesterday._"

Pikachu and Clefairy smiled brightly, "_Woah!_"

Ash smiled, "Yup. They can talk now." His smile brightened, "And there's something else."

He held up the watch, "Porygon's Power Integration came into effect this morning and it's been letting me see machines in a whole new light." He looked back towards a computer. He started seeing countless figures, charts, and algorithms. The computer began to break apart in his literal Point of View.

Ash smirked, "I'm thinking of calling it Technopathic Clairvoyance. It lets me mentally dissect any machine that I look at and figure out everything there is to know. If I stare long enough, I can even see their coding." He looked back at the other and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "For example, I think I found out how to hack my Pokédex."

Brock stared at Ash in shock, "I- I thought that was impossible."

Ash smirked, "I thought the same thing before today. I stared at my dex for a whole freaking hour and found a miniscule flaw in the security system that takes a couple billion lines of code to break into." He cleared his throat, "Which a porygon has the ability to do in five minutes."

Soot snickered, "Oak's gonna go crazy over this."

Misty sweat dropped with a smirk, "So, you mostly called all of us in here to brag about the watch making you even smarter?"

Ash chuckled nervously, "A little, I guess. But, there's something else." He smiled sadly, "Something that, I'm sorry to say, I've been keeping a secret."

Soot and Franz looked at Ash in confusion.

Misty's eyes narrowed, "Ash, you promised not to do that anymore."

Ash waved a hand defensively, "I know I did, but please here me out. It wasn't a matter of trust, this time. It's that," He smiled sadly, "I didn't want to get your hopes up if I failed. Again."

Misty blinked in surprise and shared a confused look with Brock.

They looked back at Ash, and Brock asked, "What do you mean?"

Ash smiled, pulled off his backpack, and reached into it. He pulled out a thin, rectangular, red case and opened it. He reached in and pulled out two thin lens. Each was surrounded by a thin black ring with four green bumps around them.

Soot perked up and stared in at the disk in shock. Franz did as well.

Misty raised a brow, "Camera lenses?"

"No." Franz said; still staring in shock, "Th-those are-" He looked at Ash; still shocked, "You actually finished the Change Lenses?! When?!"

Ash chuckled, "Actually, I haven't. Not yet, anyway." He smiled brightly, "But, by the looks of it, the Clairvoyance has finally given me the edge I've been needing."

Soot smiled brightly, "Dad, that's incredible!" She shifted to a frown, "But, are you positive?"

Ash nodded and put the Lenses back in the case, "I am. With the help from Porygon's Integration, I've been able to figure out more about the watch than we've ever been able to before." He brought up and stared at the watch before smirking, "DNA recognition, Transformation Matrix, what happens to my clothes when I transform." He looked up with bright smile and held up the watch, "Nanomachines."

Misty glanced at Brock. He noticed and shrugged.

They jumped when Franz excitedly shouted, "I knew it!"

Ash and Soot gave him a disappointed look.

Franz cleared his throat, "Okay. Maybe I didn't know exactly." He pointed at them, "But it was one of my theories!"

Ash rolled his eyes while smirking, "Anyway." He looked back at the others and pointed at the watch, "I also found out that this thing has a battery that will outlive the next twenty generations. I'll never have to worry about recharging it."

"WHAT?!" Franz shouted, "How could something have that much power?!"

Ash looked at him with a smile, "That's just it. The power-supply is self-renewable and dying at a rate so slow that it makes a slowpoke look like they're moving at lightspeed in comparison."

Soot's eyes widened in shock, "Woah." She blinked in surprise and raised a brow, "Wait, when did you have time to figure all that out?"

Ash looked at her with a smile, "Actually, I got all of that just now." He put a finger to his temple, "This Clairvoyance is insane."

Clefairy put a hand to her mouth and whispered to Pikachu, "_Are you understanding any of this?_"

Pikachu sweat dropped and whispered back, "_Not even a little._"

"That's neat and all," Misty said; catching their attention. She gave them a deadpanned expression, "but what about the lens-things?"

Brock sweat dropped, "Yeah. You still haven't told us what they do."

Ash chuckled nervously, "Right sorry." He perked up, "Put simply." He smiled slyly and brought up the watch, "They let other people use this."

"W_H_A_T_?_!_" Brock, Pikachu, Misty, and Clefairy blurted out.

Brock stared at Ash in shock, "Ash, a-are you serious?!"

Ash nodded before pulling out one of the Lenses again, "Once there complete, I just have to dial up a form and place the Lens on the watch." He placed the Lens on the watch's dial; as per his explanation. He removed the Lens and held it up. It looked no different, "The silhouette will show up on the Lens." He flipped it like a coin towards Misty.

The Cerulean Gym Leader flinched and caught it.

Ash smiled and pointed at the Lens, "And then anyone can use that to turn into the selected form."

Misty and Brock looked at the Lens in shock; speechless. Pikachu and Clefairy looked at Ash and grimaced at what they saw.

"I can't say for sure when I'll have them done." Ash said; catching the human's and Soot's attention. They flinched when they saw him grinning wickedly, "But with how close I'm getting, it won't be more than a day or two. I'm ten billion percent certain."

Everyone else -except Soot and Franz- sweat dropped as they stared in Ash in shock, 'Wh_at_'s _wi_th _th_at _cr_ee_py_ lo_ok_?'

Soot blinked as she and Franz stared at Ash in confusion, 'Ten billion?'

Ash shook his head and blinked rapidly, "What the- Where the Yvel did that come from?"

Everyone else crashed to the ground.

**ALL minus Ohirume:**

**Here we are, going far, to save all that we love**

**If we give all we've got we will make (Ohirume: Evil go away!) it through**

**Here we are, like a star, shining bright on your world today…**

**Make evil go away!**

.

*Later; outside the lab

Dr. Schaffer frowned, "Do you have to leave so soon? I was really hoping to get the Lenses in action."

Ash smiled sadly, "Sorry, Franz. But we need to head out and I still need a little more time. Besides, I'd feel a little more comfortable if the field test is in a forest." He gave a sly smirk, "Y'know, instead of the place that three idiots broke into."

Franz chuckled, "Alright, alright. Fair enough. I'll update my security system." He gestured to the Virtual Pokémon on either side of them, "And with their help, it'll be a breeze."

Prime nodded with a determined glare, "_Yeah! We'll set up all kinds of superpowered and high-tech traps! Once we're done, no one will even be able to make it through the front gate alive!_"

Zero blinked as they stared at Prime in shock, "_Uhhh…_"

Pikachu, Clefairy, and Soot gulped.

Ash chuckled nervously, "That sounds like it'll be a bit much. How about adding nanoscopic security cameras and maybe some more frightening and believable holograms. Like Tyranitar or Gyarados."

Prime pouted … well, a porygon's version of a pout, "_Fine._"

Soot sighed in relief, "Good." She looked at Franz with a smirk, "You might also want to add in that 'damage eject' protocol into the older Transfer Machine."

Franz looked down at her with a smile, "Oh, don't worry about that. I've been considering dismantling that thing ever since finishing the chambers. And now I know they work."

Misty's eyes widened, "Wait. You weren't even sure they would work and still sent us through those things?"

Franz chuckled nervously, "I, uh- I suppose that is what I just said." He looked back at Ash, "Anyway, next time we meet, I wanna take that porygon form out for a spin." He grinned wickedly and rubbed his hands together, "I can only imagine the advancements I'll be able to put together with that kind of power."

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy grimaced. Ash sweat dropped. Both porygon backed up slightly.

Soot deadpanned, "Franz, stop. You're scaring everyone."

Franz rubbed the back of his head and chuckled nervously, "Sorry. I just got excited." He looked back at Ash, "But, you will let me try it out next time, right?"

Ash smiled and nodded, "I promise. And I'm positive I'll be finished with them long before then."

Soot glanced at Ash with a sly smirk, "Would you saw your ten-billion percent positive?"

Ash glared at her, "Soot, cut it out. I still have no idea where that came from."

Franz smiled, "Still, I like it." He put a hand to his chin, "I think I'm gonna make that my catchphrase."

Soot sweat dropped, "Why do you need a catchphrase?"

Franz shrugged, "Why not?"

**Seishin: Oooo. I really wish we could tell him the bad news. :(**

Ash perked up upon realizing something, "Oh, uh, one more thing before we go." He walked up and whispered something to Franz.

Franz almost broke into laughter before saying, "Okay, deal. But only if you get his reaction on video."

Ash smirked, "Trust me. I am not passing up a chance like that."

**Gem: Hey! Sorry we're late! Now we-**

**Ohirume: Too late. You missed it.**

**Mewtwo, Gem, and Gem's Pikachu: O****_h_****, c****_o_****m****_e_**** o****_n_****!**

**Pearl and Peridot: *shrug* Meh.**

.

*The next day; forest clearing

Everyone stood in a clearing with all of their Pokémon out.

Misty and Brock stood across from the group and stared at the glass disks in their hands in awe. These Lenses were currently filled in green and had a black pikachu silhouette in the center. Theirs and Ash's backpacks and pokéball were propped up against a tree.

Brock and Misty's Pokémon looked at their trainers anxiously. Ash's Pokémon watched in interest.

Ash smirked with his arms crossed as all of the Pokémon stood around him, 'After all this time. Over two years of painstaking work. I almost can't believe it.'

Brock looked up at Ash, "So … this is it?"

Ash smiled and nodded, "Yeah. All you have to do is put it somewhere on your body and hit it."

Misty looked at him too, "And you're sure it'll work?"

Soot snickered, "Oh, please. Dad knows what he's doing." She shot Ash a sideways glance, "Right?"

Ash chuckled, "Positive." He put a finger on his temple, "I've run the scenario countless times as myself, Calm Mind, and Porygon and made every possible modification imaginable to make sure they're safe." Ash stopped, blinked, and raised a finger, "Though, I should mention a few minor glitches I couldn't find a way around."

Misty and Brock flinched.

Brock gulped, "G-glitches?"

Ash smiled softly and waved a hand, "It's nothing big."

He raised a finger, "First, the symbol on your new form will be in the same relative place that you put it on your human self. I suggest putting it on your chest, stomach, forehead, or even your back. It doesn't matter whether you put it on your clothes or skin."

He brought up a second finger, "Second, the transformation isn't perfect. The new form will definitely be from the species on the Lens, but you'll be easier to tell apart from others. Namely, your eyes will stay the same, your hair will mirror your human hairstyle, and your headgear -like hats or hairpins- will remain and resize to your new form." He sweat dropped, "I think that's the nanomachines again but I'm still not completely sure."

He brought up a third finger, "And this third thing applies to me as well. The Lenses and watch synchronize a bit too much when at least one Lens user and I use the same form. Specifically, the eyes and hair glitch will apply to me as well and if I Lockdown, you'll Lockdown too with the same time limit as me."

Misty perked up, "That doesn't sound bad at all."

Ash smiled and shrugged, "I never said it was. I'm just letting you know what to expect." He chuckled, "Y'know. Start trying to break Franz's habit."

Brock and Misty chuckled as well before sharing a look and nodding.

Misty placed her Lens on her stomach. Brock placed his Lens in the middle of his chest. They pulled back their hands and disks stuck to them.

Ash smiled, "Now, you just need to tap it. It doesn't matter how hard you hit."

Misty took a deep breath and looked at Brock, "Ready?"

Brock nodded, "On three?"

Misty nodded back, "One."

"Two." Brock continued.

"Three!"

The pair slapped their respective Lenses and flinched as they became shrouded in green light. The light faded to reveal Brock and Misty with their eyes closed and arms in front of their faces. The Pokémon's eyes all widened in shock.

Ash smiled brightly and whispered, "Incredible."

Misty's ear twitched and she slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes shot open as she saw her hands. Or, paws now. She stared in shock and looked down at her new form. The Lens glowed pure green on her stomach.

Misty wiggled the digits on her paw in awe, "_Woah._"

"_Misty?_"

Misty looked over and her eyes widened upon seeing a male, spikey-haired, squint-eyed pikachu staring at her; an identical Lens on his chest, "_Brock?_"

"_WOW!_"

The pair flinched at the unfamiliar voice and turned towards the source.

Clefairy smiled brightly, ran over to Misty, and held her paws, "_Misty, look at you! You're so pretty!_"

Misty stared at her in shock.

Pikachu walked over and put a paw on Brock's shoulder; startling him.

The natural born mouse grinned, "_So, Brock. How does it feel to understand us for the first time?_"

Brock just stared at him; speechless.

"_Woah._" Charmander said in awe.

Bulbasaur stared in shock, "_I can't believe it actually worked._"

Muk blinked in surprise, "_Never a dull day with this kid._"

Pidgeotto smiled, "_Still, this is pretty cool._"

Starmie drooped slightly, "_Sure. But why did our trainer have to turn into an Electric-type of all things?_"

Geodude chuckled and crossed his arms, "_I don't mind. We still have an advantage over our trainer._"

Goldeen looked at Geodude from the pool, "_Still, couldn't he have given her the vaporeon form?_" She looked at the Duck Pokémon, "_You agree, right Psy-_" She stopped and blinked in surprise.

Turns Psyduck fainted when the pair changed.

Staryu turned towards the duck and sweat dropped, "_Seriously?_"

Onix just stared down at the pair in shock, "_I- I- Uh-_"

Brock and Misty looked around the group in awe.

A green flash caught everyone's attention and they turned towards Ash. They found a hat wearing, brown-eyed pikachu with tufts of fur poking out the sides of his head.

"_So,_" Ash said to his once-human friends before giving a fanged grin, "_What do you guys think?_"

.

.

*******PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING*******

**Ohirume: The new comment response will be posted on "Random-ish stuff on the side" on 2/5/2020 at approximately 11:00 p.m. Central Standard Time.**

**Part of the reason I'm saying this is in regard to the Change Lenses. I know that not everyone may like the idea of them.**

**I've seen reviews in other stories that are exclusively negative towards a single concept that's too abstract or too 'Deus Ex Machina'. Y'know, too Overpowered or convenient.**

**I'm not exactly sure if the Lenses qualify as something like that or if those people were hating for the sake of hating, but … I still know that this concept won't to everyone's liking. Everyone has their own opinions.**

**That said, I have no interest in scrapping the Lenses. And, I sincerely apologize to anyone this upsets.**

**If you want my reason for including them, I'll happily answer whatever questions you have … within reason. And by that, I mean no major spoilers.**

**Omega: *sly smirk* So, you'll actually explain how they work?**

**Ohirume: Remember that episode from the Second Season of the Classic Ben 10 series where Ben used a screwdriver to pop the faceplate off the Omnitrix? It's a similar (but not exact) concept. Aside from that, it's fictional science that I can't explain.**

**Omega: *Blinks in surprise* Honestly, I didn't expect an answer.**

**Seishin: Also, bonus points to anyone who can figure out what the deleted form's species was.**

**Omega: WHAT ARE THE POINTS FOR?!**

**Seishin: … :P**


	43. Ch 37: Pikachu Tribe part 1

**Seishin: Hey readers! Rob's got commentator's writers block!**

**Omega: *sweat drops* I'm not sure that can happen to Fanfiction writers.**

**Seishin: Don' matter! He got it!**

**Ohirume: What that basically means -in this context- is that I can't think of anything to write in the pre/post chats of this chapter.**

**Although, that isn't why this chapter took so much longer to post. That was something else …**

**But I did think of something. ****In this chapter's post chat, we're doing a pseudo-comment response.**

**Yugo: 'Pseudo' because we're only answering reviews and/or portions of them that are relevant to the "deleted form" mystery. ****We'll do this in the future Post-chats until someone gets it right.**

**Gem: YUGO! You're finally in a chat with us!**

**Ohirume: Only because of the context of this chat.**

**I'm doing this topic because I sure as Yvel don't wanna wait three chapters to give you guys an answer to your guesses.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Chu-pika Ka-pi  
****_Good Morning World_**

.

It was an experience unlike anything the Gym Leaders could've imagined. The world itself was bigger, clearer, and even seemed brighter. New scents, new sounds, some new appendages that they were still getting used to.

Their fur was incredibly soft to the touch and the wind blowing through it felt so refreshing. The electric sacks on their cheeks sent a literal surge of energy through them after messing with them a little too much.

The tails … they were still adjusting to the tails. They weren't exactly used to having … anything poking from their tail bone. Right now, they mostly were trying to get the appendage to stop randomly slapping them in the back of the head.

And, thanks to Staryu and Starmie, they finally found out what a genderless voice sounded like when you can understand it. It was not what they expected.

**Seishin: *snickers* Ain't that a kick in the teeth. ;P**

The craziest part was the new rush of energy they felt every second. Electricity literally coursing through their bodies like blood. And in a way that they could painlessly feel! It was exhilarating!

Soot sweat dropped, "It's like watching infants play with their feet."

Squirtle snickered, "_Or hatchlings chasing their own tails._"

Misty's ear twitched and she glared at them, "_Hey! I heard that!_" She stopped and blinked in surprise upon seeing how far away they were. She grabbed and rubbed her pointed ears, "_Wow. These things really pick up on a lot._"

Vulpix smiled slyly, "_Definitely hatchlings._"

Misty glared again and hissed. She flinched and covered her mouth in shock, "_D-did I just-_"

Ash chuckled, "_Yeah. Hissing can feel weird at first._"

Geodude looked over at Brock's backpack and smirked.

Brock was still feeling his new form in awe.

"_Hey, Brock! Catch!_"

Brock looked over and caught what Geodude threw at him with both paws. He opened them to reveal a piece of Pokémon food.

He raised a brow, "_Huh?_"

Geodude smirked and called out, "_I think it's about time you got to try your own recipe._"

Brock frowned and his ears drooped, "_Are you sure about that?_"

Ash smiled, "_It'll be fine, Brock. Trust me, I know._"

Brock glanced back at the piece and took a deep breath before popping it into his mouth.

"Chaaa!"

Brock flinched and covered his mouth.

Pikachu snickered, "_Yeah. That's involuntary._"

Brock chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. He stopped when he heard something beeping. Two somethings, really.

Brock looked down to see the Lens on his chest flashing red. The one of Misty's stomach was the same.

Ash frowned, "_Oh, right. The Lenses have a time limit of_"

A pair of red flashes covered the pair and they reemerged as themselves. The Lenses fell to the ground; back to their clear state.

"Pi Pikachu" Ash finished.

"Five minutes." Soot translated.

Ash blinked in surprise, "Pi?" He looked at Brock and Misty and his ears drooped, "_Oh._"

He hit the symbol on his stomach and changed back to himself. He walked over and picked up the Lenses, "Sorry about that. I'm still working on the time limit."

Brock smiled brightly, "Still, that was … I'm not even sure what to call it."

Misty looked at Ash curiously, "Do the Lenses have to recharge like the watch?"

Ash gave an unsure expression, "Sort of." He brought out, opened the red case, and placed the Lenses back in it, "They become inactive after timing out and remain like that until they spend at least half a day in the carrying case." He smiled, "But the cooldown is a lot more instant than the watch. You don't even have to wait a full second before you can use another one."

Brock raised a brow, "Cooldown?"

Ash nodded, "Yeah. When I was working on the Lenses, I found out that the watch isn't actually recharging after a transformation. It's cooling down to separate the form's DNA from the user. Which kind of explains why I need to wait so much longer after a Lockdown." He smirked, "But Power Integration makes that a lot easier. Since a portion of the DNA is already in me."

Misty perked up, "That's right! Power Integration!" She smiled brightly, "Is stuff like that gonna happen to us too?!"

Brock sweat dropped, "Wait, do you want something like that to happen?"

Misty looked at him; deadpanned, "You mean understanding Pokémon?"

Brock perked up and looked at Ash, "Will anything like that happen?"

Ash rubbed the back of his head with a frown, "I'm afraid not. Power Integration wasn't something I could replicate."

Misty frowned before smiling again, "Still, that was really cool." Her eyes widened upon realizing something, "Wait did you say 'another one'?"

Ash smirked and opened the case to them. It held six Lenses; four of which had a green light under them, "Well, I did make more than to two."

Brock and Misty smiled brightly.

.

**Short Skip**

On their second go with the Change Lenses, Brock and Misty took the time to relax with their Pokémon and get to know them a little better.

Brock and his Pokémon moved off to the side to talk about ways he could improve his dishes and talk about breeder … stuff with Vulpix. He almost couldn't believe how smart she really was. It put Suzie on an even higher pedestal than before.

Misty and her team relaxed in the pool. Except for Psyduck. What is it with that guy and fainting? The Water trainer was ecstatic to have a portable pool that she could actually swim in instead of just having to lay around.

"_OW! Stupid tail!_" Misty cried out as she rubbed the back of her head and glared at the lightning shaped appendage.

Also, that was still happening.

Goldeen pouted, "_This wouldn't happen if that guy just gave you the vaporeon form._"

Horsea tilted his head, "_Huh? I thought vaporeon had super big tails._"

Starmie made a snickering noise, "_She's still just annoyed that Misty became an Electric-type again._"

Goldeen glared at them, "_Oh, like you're not?!_"

Misty just looked around the group with a soft smile and started tearing up some.

Staryu noticed and turned to face her, "_Everything alright, Mist? Your tail didn't hurt you, did it?_" '_Still not used to saying that._'

The other Water-types overheard and looked over in worry.

Misty wiped her eyes and shook her head, "_It's not that. I just- I almost can't believe it._"

Horsea blinked in confusion, "_Huh?_"

Misty smiled softly, "_Actually getting to hear all of you. Knowing what you have to say. I never knew how much I was really missing out on._"

Starmie chuckled, "_Well, of course you've been missing out._" They said in a playfully smug tone, "_You humans have terrible language skills._"

Misty chuckled, "_Yeah. I guess._"

Goldeen smiled softly, swam over to Misty, and nudged up against her; minding the horn, "_But we won't have to worry about that anymore, will we?_"

Misty nodded -still with a soft smile- and hugged her, "_Yeah._"

Goldeen pulled back and smiled, "_Plus, when that trainer finally wises up, we can all do some deep diving._"

Misty smiled brightly, "_Oh, Yvel yeah! I've always wanted to try breathing underwater!_"

Staryu chuckled before speaking in a sly tone, "_We know. Seel told us stories about how her meema had to save you from the pool. Weekly._"

Her team laughed. The Electric-type blushed and turned away with a pout. Misty's ears twitched and she looked over to see Psyduck recovering.

Misty smiled at seeing her subject change, "_Hey look, Psyduck's awake._" She swam over to the edge, pulled herself up to it, and smiled at the Duck Pokémon, "_Hey, Psyduck. How are you feeling?_"

Psyduck looked at her with a blank expression. He held his head and titled it, "Psy Duck?"

Misty sweat dropped and spoke to her other Pokémon without looking back, "_Does he just not talk or something?_"

Horsea sweat dropped, "_We've been wondering that for a while too._"

The Cerulean Mouse Pokémon just stared at the non-swimming Water-type in confusion, '_I sure hope Ash hurries with that Calm Mind._'

Her thoughts were interrupted by her tail whacking her again.

.

*Brock and co.

Brock rubbed the back of his head and groaned, "_Ow._" He looked at Vulpix, "_You wouldn't happen to have any pointers on how to control this thing, would you?_"

Vulpix gasped before glaring at him, "_I can't believe you, Brock! Don't you have any idea how rude it is to ask my kind about their tails?!_"

Brock grimaced and waved his paws defensively, "_N-no! I'm so sorry Vulpix! I-I really didn't know! I just- I-_"

Vulpix started cracking up, "_Oh dear Arceus! I can't believe that actually worked!_" She looked at Geodude with a wide smirk, "_I'm so sorry for doubting you._"

Geodude snickered, "_Told ya._"

Brock stared in shock before looking at his Rock Pokémon disappointedly, "_Geodude…_"

Geodude laughed, "_Aw, calm down, Brock._" He moved closer to him, "_We were just havin' some fun now that you can understand us._" He patted the Electric-type on the back.

"_Wah!_" Brock cried out as he was slammed into the ground; face first.

Zubat flinched, "_Woah!_"

Vulpix and Onix stared in shock.

Geodude's blinked in surprise, "_Oh. Sorry, Brock. I guess I'm a little more used to you being bigger._"

Brock gave a thumbs up; voice muffled by the dirt, "_I'll live._"

Onix chuckled, "_I got ya Boss._" He used his tail to get under the Mouse Pokémon and get him back to his hind paws.

Brock smiled up at the Rock Snake, "_Thanks Onix._" He perked up and raised a brow, "_Wait, 'boss'?_"

Onix frowned, "_Oh, sorry. Would you rather I call you master or teacher? I could also go with something like G.L. for Gym Leader._"

Brock frowned and shook his head, "_No, I mean- You know you don't __have__ to call me any of that stuff, right?_" He smiled softly, "_We're friends, aren't we?_"

Onix's eyes widened in shock, "_W- we are?_"

Brock's stared at him in shock before looking at him sadly with his ears drooping, "_Onix … of course we are. Did you really think we weren't?_" He walked closer and put a paw on him, "_You were my first Pokémon. My start-_" He shook his head, "_No. You're my partner. And my best friend._" He flinched -ears perking back up- and looked back at his other Pokémon with a nervous smile, "_That's not to say I don't think of all of you as friends too._"

Geodude blinked in surprise before deadpanning, "_Seriously, dude? You've known this snake since you were ten. Honestly, I'd be questioning your sanity if he weren't your favorite._"

Brock frowned, "_Okay, wait a second. I don't have favorites. I care about you all the same._"

Vulpix raised a brow, "_So, you're saying that you -A Rock-type Gym Leader- care about me -a __Fire-type__ you've known for about a month and who belonged to someone else- in the exact same way that you care about a Rock-type who you've known for five years and practically grew up with?_"

Brock sweat dropped, "_Well… I mean… I'll still take good care of you and give you the same amount of attention._"

Vulpix chuckled, "_Brock, you're hopeless._"

Brock pouted and his ears drooped, "_Hey._"

Onix looked down at Brock, "_You really mean it, Bo-_" He jerked and shook his head, "_I- I mean, Brock?_"

Brock smiled up at him, "_Of course, I do._" He hugged the Rock-type … as best he could with the stubbier arms, "_I'm so sorry for never telling you that._"

Onix smiled softly and moved his head down to nuzzle the Electric-type, "_There's nothing to apologize for, Brock. You never did anything wrong._"

Brock smiled softly, "_Thanks, partner._"

Vulpix, Zubat, and Geodude just watched the pair with soft smiles; not wanting to interrupt.

.

*Ash and his Pokémon

Ash, Soot, Pikachu, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Muk sat/laid a few feet away from the groups and watched them all enjoy themselves.

Ash, Charmander, Pidgeotto, and Clefairy were playing around a few feet away from them.

Mankey tried to drag Muk away to use as a punching bag again. This time, Muk refused and remained steadfast. So instead, the Pig Monkey Pokémon just laid on side; bored out of his mind.

If those first two lines were misinterpreted as a typo, Ash is in kangaskhan form(s).

Soot smiled softly, "It's nice to see all of them enjoying themselves so much."

Bulbasaur smirked, "_Well of course their enjoying it. They're a pair of humans finally getting to have a real conversation with their Pokémon. Not a lot of trainers get to have that._"

Muk snickered and nudged Ash with an 'elbow', "_Except for this freak, that is._" He glanced up at the Parent Pokémon and flinched when he saw tears in his eyes, "_Ash, I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean the freak thing seriously! I was just joking around!_"

Everyone else looked up at him alarm.

Ash chuckled softly and wiped the tears away, "_It wasn't you, Muk._" He looked back ahead with a soft smile, "_I just- after all this time, we're finally at this point. I'm finally able to share this with them._"

Pikachu looked up at Ash and blinked in confusion, "_All this time? I thought you just started on the Lenses a few days ago._"

Soot smiled sadly, "Not exactly. He didn't have a way to finish them until he got Porygon." He ears drooped slightly, "But, he's actually been working on them for over two years."

Bulbasaur jerked and looked up at Ash in shock, "_Wait. Seriously?_"

Squirtle put a paw to his mouth and whispered to Muk, "_Hey, what's a porygon?_"

Muk shrugged, "_Yvel if I know._"

Ash smiled sadly and nodded, "_Yeah. I came up with the idea over two years before starting my journey._" He looked down sadly, "_But, I gave up a little while before we left home. I didn't want them to draw my focus away from traveling._"

Mankey glanced over with a raised brow, "_Then what got you started again?_"

The adult kangaskhan frowned, "_I overheard Brock and Misty talking about being jealous. Not in an angry way, more … left out. And I hated making them feel like that._" He looked back at the groups and put a paw to the watch's symbol just above his pouch, "_I've been waiting for so long to be able to share this thing with them._" He chuckled lightly, "_Or anyone, for that matter._"

Pikachu, Soot, Bulbasaur, and Muk smiled softly and nuzzled up around him. Ash smiled and pulled them all into a group hug.

*sigh* And then Squirtle-

"_Um…_" Squirtle spoke up with a raised finger; catching the others attention, "_Sorry to interrupt the moment-_"

Soot's eyes narrowed, "Then, why do it in the first place?"

Squirtle chuckled nervously, "_Just, uh, speaking of sharing,_" He looked up at Ash, "_do you think I could try one of the Lenses too?_" He clenched and paw with a determined smirk, "_I wanna see what that Overheat thing can really do._"

Mankey overheard, sprang to his feet, and ran over with a determined glare, "_Oh, Yvel Yeah! Dibs on Hammer Arm!_"

Ash frowned, "_Uh, sorry guys. They're only designed to work on humans and can only access Pokémon forms._"

Squirtle's eyes widened in shock, "_What?!_"

Ash sighed, "_I mean currently. The Lenses are still in their prototype stage. They function and everything, but I'm working on upgrading them._"

Bulbasaur blinked in surprise, "_So, we __will__ be able to use them some day? Like, to turn into other Pokémon._"

Ash put a paw to his chin with an unsure expression, "_Maybe… I can look into it, but I'm not sure I can promise anything like that._"

.

*Ash and his Pokémon … no, the other Ash

Charmander blinked in surprise while looking at the other group before turning back around to look at Ash, "_Hey, are you alright?_"

Ash cocked his head, "_Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?_"

Charmander shook his head and pointed back, "_No, I mean that you. You- uh, he, looked like he was crying._"

Clefairy flinched, "_What?!_" She ran over to the infant and put her paws on his shoulder, "_Ash, what's wrong?! You're not hurt, right?!_"

Ash blinked in surprise, "_Uh…_"

Pidgeotto sweat dropped, "_Clefairy, they don't act the same. Remember?_"

Clefairy chuckled nervously, "_O-oh, right._"

Ash chuckled nervously, "_Yeah. I can't say for sure why he was crying._" He looked over at himself and smiled softly, "_But, if I had to guess, he's probably just that happy to share the watch with Brock and Misty._" He glanced over at the pair of groups and put his paw on the watch's symbol, "_I know I am._"

Pidgeotto smiled softly and nuzzled the baby Normal-type, "_Yeah. Sounds like you._"

.

**Time Skip**

Night rolled around and the group set up camp. Using the last two Change Lenses -for the next seven or so hours- everyone kicked back to do some stargazing.

The three male pikachu, Vulpix, Charmander, and Clefairy laid against Soot as they looked into the night sky. The female pikachu laid back on an innertube in the currently half-buried pool with Goldeen and Horsea next to her; also looking into the sky.

The rest of the Pokémon were returned; either feeling too tired to stay awake and join in and just not interested.

"_Wow._" The viridian-eyed pikachu with a ponytail said in awe, "_Even the stars seem brighter._"

Pikachu blinked in surprise as he continued looking into the sky, "_Really? They seem normal to me._"

Soot snickered, "That's because you're always a pikachu."

Misty chuckled, "_Still, Ash. Best. Invention. Ever._"

Ash smiled at her, "_I'm glad you guys like it._"

"_It's incredible. It feels like all of my senses are on overdrive._" The squinting pikachu said before looking at Ash, "_Is this really how it feels every time you transform?_"

The brown-eyes, hat wearing pikachu chuckled, "_I guess._" He looked into the sky and smiled softly, "_Due to Power Integration, everything actually seems a little duller._"

Pikachu pouted, '_Really?_'

Misty looked at Ash in shock, "_This is dull to you?!_"

Ash chuckled lightly, "_I mean, kind of._" He put a paw on watch's symbol on his stomach, "_I've had this thing for so long, that I've gotten used to it all._"

Goldeen sighed, "_Okay, sure._" She glared at Ash, "_But seriously, is it that hard to just let Misty use vaporeon?_"

Ash looked at her and frowned, "_That's not really the issue._" He looked back and forth between Brock and Misty, "_This is still kind of new to you guys. _ _I'm thinking we should stick to the pikachu forms for a while so you can adjust._"

Brock looked over at Ash in confusion, "_'Adjust'? You mean to transforming?_"

Ash smiled, "_Kind of, yeah. Pikachu's probably the easiest to adjust to form that I have and can help ease the two of you into the others._" He raised digit on his paw, "_Pikachu are dual-pedal so you can ease into walking on all-fours. Their reasonably enhanced senses help make it so you're not overwhelmed. And the massive, balance reliant tails help you adjust to … well, having a tail. Physically speaking, they're the whole package deal._"

"_Woo! Chu's for the win!_" Pikachu cheered.

Soot snickered, "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Ash, Brock, and Misty chuckled.

Ash looked back at Goldeen and continued, "_Once they get some practice in, we can move on to some other forms. Like vaporeon._"

Goldeen sighed again, "_Fine._"

Vulpix smiled, "_Hey, it's not that bad. No matter the transformation, they can still understand us._"

Horsea nodded happily, "_Yeah. I think that's my favorite part about them._"

Goldeen smiled softly, "_Yeah. I'll give you that._"

"_Look! A shooting star!_" Charmander called out as he pointed up.

Everyone looked into the sky to see the star shoot past.

Clefairy smiled brightly, "_Wow!_"

Pikachu put his paws together, "_Make a wish!_"

Misty smiled softly, "_I think I'm good._" She reached over to pet Horsea, "_I already had a wish come true today._"

Horsea nuzzled up against her happily. Goldeen smiled and followed suit.

Brock smiled and put an arm behind Vulpix's back, "_Agreed._"

Vulpix smiled and nuzzled up against him.

Ash looked at the pair in surprise. He smiled softly before looking back into the sky.

Brock leaned closer to Vulpix and whispered, "_Hey. You weren't really upset about the tail thing before, were you?_"

Vulpix snickered, "_Nah. I was just messing with you._" She sweat dropped, "_Still, my kind can be a little sensitive about our tails. While you'll actually have to put effort into it to insult me, I wouldn't complain about the tails of any others of my kind. Most will make you regret it._"

Brock frowned, "_Do I want to know how?_"

Vulpix chuckled nervously, "_They'd probably burn your … well, in this form, it'd be your throat._"

Brock raised a brow, "_This form? What do you mean by th-_" He caught on, paled, and gulped.

Vulpix cleared her throat, "_Yeah…_"

.

*The next day

Continuing on their journey to Cinnabar Island, the group stopped to take a break in a peaceful spot of the forest. Ash and Brock were lying against a tree with Soot and Misty lying on the ground next to them … that last part will make more sense in a few lines.

Pikachu was climbing around some nearby berry trees. Clefairy was at the base of the one he was currently in and looking up at him.

Soot smiled, "Fresh air, clean and calm water, great shade and sunbathing pots." She stretched, "We really found a good spot."

Brock smiled as he laid down with his hands behind his head, "Yeah. It sure is nice to kick back and relax after traveling so much."

"_Hey, speaking of the water,_" The viridian-eyed pikachu said before looking at Ash, "_Are you sure I shouldn't try vaporeon yet? There wouldn't really any risk of me drowning._"

Ash looked back at her with a frowned. "That's not really the-"

"Wait." Soot interrupted before looking at the Water trainer with a sly smirk, "How about this? If you can make it to the water on your own four paws, dad'll give you Vaporeon."

Misty smirk cockily, "_Ha! Easy!_"

The Mouse Pokémon stood up and slowly got on all fours. Her forepaws were wobbling like crazy.

Misty frowned, '_Okay. Already harder than expected._' She shook it off and glared at the stream ahead, '_Doesn't matter. You've waiting for this moment for a long time Waterflower._' She stared moving a forepaw forward, '_Just one step at a-_'

"CHU!" She cried out as she fell flat on her stomach.

Soot laughed wildly, "Freaking Yvel! I at least expected you to make it a few steps!"

Misty glared at the Dark-type, "_I hate you._"

Soot rolled her eyes with a smirk, "If you wanna insult me, say it when I don't deserve it."

Brock sweat dropped, "Are you alright, Misty?"

Misty got back to her hind paws and glared at him, "Chu pikachu?!"

Brock sweat dropped, "Uh…"

Ash glanced at him, "She said 'what do you think?'" He looked over at Misty, "Sorry Misty but it's like I said earlier. You'll need a little more practice. This doesn't come naturally for humans."

Misty groaned, "_Crag._" She walked back over to the tree, sat down with a pout, and her arms crossed.

Ash looked at Brock, "Are you sure you don't wanna use a Lens? The other five should be active by now."

Brock smiled, "Yeah. I'm good."

Misty put her paws behind her head and laid down with smile, "_Well, you're missing out._"

Soot snickered, "Yeah, he is."

Ash rolled his eyes with a smirk.

Brock sweat dropped, 'Starting to think I should have taken the offer.'

"_Hey! Wait up!_"

Ash jerked and blinked in surprise. He, Misty, and Soot looked over to see Pikachu running into a bush with Clefairy chasing after him.

Ash got up and ran after him, "Wait Pikachu!"

Soot ran after him and Brock followed soon after.

Misty flinched and jumped to her feet, "_Wait a second! I can't move that fast like-_"

She was cut off by the Lens on her chest blinking red and beeping.

Misty blinked, "_Oh. That works._"

.

*Pikachu and Clefairy; earlier

"_Any luck, Pikachu?!_" Clefairy called up to the Mouse Pokémon.

Pikachu continued looking around the branches, "_Almost!_" After a few seconds, he bound over to a small cluster of berries and sniffed them.

Pikachu smiled blissfully, "_That's the good stuff._"

He picked a handful of the berries and jumped down from the tree.

He handed one of them to Clefairy, "_Here you go._"

Clefairy smiled and took it, "_Thanks._" She bit into it and smiled brightly, "_mmmm._"

Pikachu smiled, "_I know, right?_" He bit into one too, "_I can't believe we could actually find them out here. Maybe the geezer was right._"

Clefairy looked at Pikachu and tilted in confusion, "_What? Geezer?_"

Pikachu chuckled, "_The major elder from my old tribe. He said that if you find these of berries, then you're probably really close to another tribe._"

Clefairy blinked in surprise, "_Is that true?_"

Pikachu shrugged, "_Before now, I wasn't sure. He was always super vague. But these did actually grow around my old tribe grounds. Who knows, we might actually run into some of my kind out here._"

Clefairy blinked again before looking around curiously. She stopped on a bush and smiled, "_Oh. Now, I see._"

Pikachu looked at her in surprise, "_Wait, what?_" He followed her gaze and saw a pichu looking at them curiously from the bush.

Pikachu smiled and waved, "_Hey there!_"

Pichu flinched and ran away into the bush.

"_Hey! Wait up!_" Pikachu called out before running after them. Clefairy followed soon after.

.

*Ash, Brock, Soot

The trio ran after the Electric and Fairy-type. Soon enough, they came up to a clearing and their eyes all widened in surprise. Standing before Pikachu and Clefairy were a large group of pichu, pikachu, and a raichu.

All of the Electric-types were either relaxing, eating, or playing in the wide-open clearing. The raichu seemed to be keeping a lookout.

"Woah." Brock said with a smile, "Look at them all. I've never seen so many in one place."

Soot smiled, "Yeah. It looks like a tribe."

Ash perked up and looked down at Pikachu, "Wait, this couldn't be your old tribe, could it?"

Pikachu looked back and sweat dropped, "_Ash, do you have any idea how overly convenient that would b-_" He stopped, blinked, and deadpanned "_Okay, never mind. I just remembered our track record._" He shook it off, "_No. This isn't my old tribe. Mine was super deep in Viridian._"

Soot frowned, "Aww, really? We could have visited them."

Brock looked at Ash.

Ash looked back at him, "He said-" He stopped upon realizing something. He smirked, "Actually, I have an id-" He stopped again and blinked in confusion, "Wait, where's Misty?"

He heard panting and looked over to see Misty with her hands on her knees.

She glared at them, "You … forgot … me." She held up the inactive Change Lens, "And this."

Ash smiled, "Nice timing." He looked down at his Mouse and Fairy Pokémon, "You two go mingle for a bit. We'll be back soon." He grabbed Brock and Misty's wristed and dragged them away before anyone could respond.

"WAH!" The Gym Leaders shouted from the sudden force.

"Wait up!" Soot shouted before chasing after them.

Clefairy blinked in confusion before looking at Pikachu, "_What do you think that was about?_"

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_No idea._"

Clefairy smiled, "_Well, whatever. Let's go say hi._" She ran through the bush towards the Electric-types.

Pikachu flinched, "_Clefairy wait!_" He ran after her.

Clefairy continued running and waved her arms, "_Hi there! Nice to meet you a-_" She stopped and stared in confusion.

All of the tribe had stopped whatever they were doing and were staring at her either fearfully or warily. Raichu was glaring at her.

Clefairy frowned, "_Is everything alright?_"

"_Intruder!_" Raichu called out to the tribe.

Clefairy's eyes widened in shock as all of the Electric-types ran to the other side of the clearing.

Clefairy blinked in shock, "_Wh- what the-_"

"_Clefairy…_" She turned around to see Pikachu looking at her somberly.

Pikachu sighed, "_I'm sorry about that. Sometimes, my kind are shy like this._"

Clefairy looked down sadly, "_Oh, sorry._"

Pikachu smiled sadly and patted her shoulder, "_Hey, don't worry. We're not usually that stubborn._" He walked in front on her and called out, "_Hello! I'm sorry for intruding like this! I'm from the Viridian Forest tribe!_" He gestured to Clefairy, "_My friend here really doesn't mean any harm! She just got excited!_"

"_Sorry!_" Clefairy called out.

The pikachu all stopped glaring and looked at each other warily. The pichu perked up and blinked. A few tried to run towards them but were stopped by some of their upper evos.

Raichu broke from the tribe and walked towards the pair. The other mice all watched anxiously.

Raichu towered over Pikachu and Clefairy and crossed their arms, "_You say you're from the Viridian tribe._" His tail swiveled around to point at Pikachu, "_Then prove it. Sparks don't lie. Right?_"

Pikachu smiled and nodded, "_Sparks don't lie._" He turned around and held his tail against the other one. The pair let out a small jolt of electricity.

Raichu chuckled lightly, "_Alright._"

Clefairy frowned, "_Do I have to do that too? I don't know any Electric-type moves._"

Pikachu looked at her with a smile, "_Don't worry. 'Sparks don't lie' is a tradition from my tribe._" He looked back at Raichu with a raised brow, "_How did know about that, anyway?_"

Raichu smiled at him, "_I've made sure to figure out that kind of stuff for when we have guests._" He looked back towards the next of the tribe and raised a paw.

The Electric-types all shared a look before smiling and bounding over to the pair. The pikachu and some of the pichu all gathered around Pikachu and started greeting him. The rest of the pichu gathered around Clefairy.

"_woooah._" One of the pichu said while looking up at Clefairy in awe.

Another's eyes lit up, "_So cool! What kind of Pokémon are you?!_"

Clefairy smiled, "_Oh, I'm a-_"

A female pichu put a finger to her chin, "_She kinda looks like a pink pikachu._"

Clefairy sweat dropped with a nervous smile, "_Uh, actually-_"

Another pichu cocked her head curiously, "_But I thought different colored pikachu just had darker fur._"

The first pichu gasped before smiling brightly, "_Maybe she's like raichu from alolo!_"

The female pichu looked at him, "_Alola._"

Clefairy frowned, "_I- I'm not a-_"

"_Yeah! Like a pinkachu!_"

"_Pinkachu! Pinkachu!_"

Clefairy sweat dropped, '_I can't get a word in._'

One of female pikachu laughed and walked over, "_Hatchlings, she's not a pikachu. She's a clefairy._"

The pichu cocked their heads in confusion.

"_Cle_"

"_Fa_"

"_Ry?_"

The female chuckled, "_Yeah. They're Fairy-types._" She glanced at Clefairy, "_Rather rare ones if I remember correctly._"

Clefairy blinked in surprise, "_I'm rare?_"

Pikachu chuckled before looking at her with a raised brow, "_Well, yeah. You never knew that?_"

Clefairy deadpanned, "_I didn't know I could float until Ash told me so._"

The pichu all perked up and looked at her in awe, "_YOU CAN FLOAT?!_"

Raichu blinked in surprise before looking at Pikachu, "_Who's Ash?_"

Pikachu jerked, '_Crag! That's right! Trainer!_' He rubbed the back of his head nervously, "_W- well, Ash is-_"

"_Over here._" Came Ash's voice came from behind.

Pikachu and Clefairy looked over and flinched. Ash, Brock, and Misty stood their; all in pikachu form. What concerned the two of them the most were the blue symbol/disks on all of their stomachs.

The pair ran over and Clefairy asked, "_What's going on? Why'd you guys Lockdown?_"

Misty shrugged, "_Well, why not? We thought it'd be fun._"

Brock nodded, "_Plus, this'll give us a chance to closely observe a Pokémon society without alarming them._"

Ash smirked and patted Brock and Misty on the back, "_And It'll give these two a chance to practice._"

The Gym Leaders chuckled.

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_I guess. So, how long are you all stuck like this?_"

Misty rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "_Weeeell-_"

.

**Flashback**

Ash smiled, "_you guys, ready?_"

The Gym Leader-mice nodded excitedly, "_Yeah!_"

Ash nodded back and started rotating the symbol on his stomach. After a few more seconds, he hit the rotated symbol. It turned blue; as did the Lenses on Brock and Misty's stomachs. Three overlapping, electronic voices rang out in the clearing.

Lockdown Mode Engaged, Approximate time until release: one-hundred and twenty hours

Ash's smiled disappeared as he stared at the symbol in shock.

Misty blinked in surprise, "_Di- did I hear that right?_"

Soot stared in shock, "If you heard five days, then yeah."

"_What?!_" Brock blurted out, "_I thought you said it only lasted up to eighty-four hours!_"

"_I thought it did!_" Ash blurted back, "_It's never been this long before!_"

.

**End Flashback**

Pikachu and Clefairy's jaws dropped in shock.

Ash sweat dropped, "_Yeah. It could have gone better._"

The tribe looked at the new trio warily. Raichu's eyes narrowed before he walked up to them.

The large Electric-type crossed his arms, "_Viridian triber, is this the 'Ash' you were talking about?_"

Ash smiled and nodded, "_Yup._" He gestured to himself, "_My name is Ash._" He gestured to the Lens users, "_And these are my siblings, Brock and Misty._"

Pikachu and Clefairy blinked in surprise, "_…huh?_"

Brock smiled, "_Hi._"

Misty waved a paw, "_Nice to meet you all._"

"_I see._" Raichu said as he looked around them warily, "_Why do you all look like this? I've never heard of regional variant pikachu. Or three for that matter._"

Misty's eye twitched before she took a deep breath, '_It's not personal. It's not personal. It's not personal._'

Brock sweat dropped, '_Ash and Soot weren't kidding._'

Ash chucked nervously, "_It's not that. It's because of our female meema. Well, 'female' really._ _They were a ditto with some … odd ideas. Namely, messing around with their DNA a lot when our eggs were forming._"

Raichu blinked in surprise, "_When your eggs were-_" He raised a brow, "_How could you possibly know that?_"

Ash sweat dropped, "_Meema told us._"

Raichu sweat dropped, "_Oh._" He shook it off, "_What tribe are you all from?_"

Ash looked down somberly and his ears drooped, "_We're aren't from any tribe. Meema was a free roamer. We don't know who our male meema is, so we don't know which tribe we're really from._"

Raichu's look softened before they looked down to the side, "_I see. I'm sorry._"

Ash looked back at him with a sad smile, "_It's alright. We've come to live with it. We know we're not like others._"

Raichu smiled softly before raising a brow, "_One more thing, I'd like to ask. Why do all have names?_"

Ash smiled, "_We grew up in an area that humans would travel to a lot and were always really curious. Eventually, we gave ourselves human-like names based on words we like._" He reached up to grab the visor of his hat, "_That's only how Misty and I got this stuff._"

Raichu smiled softly, '_Just like her._' He glanced at Pikachu, "_Do you trust them?_"

Pikachu blinked in surprise before smiling and nodding, "_Completely. Ash is my best friend and I trust Brock and Misty just as much._"

Clefairy nodded with a smile too, "_They're all really __really__ nice._"

One of the pichu cocked his head, "_Really?_"

Clefairy looked at them and nodded again, "_Really really._"

Pichu looked at the group before bounding over to Misty. He looked up at her curiously, "_You look funny._"

Misty sweat dropped and forced a smile, "_Y- yeah. I get that a lot._"

Pichu sniffed her before cocking his head, "_You smell funny too._"

Misty flinched, '_Crag! We didn't cover this!_' "_I-_"

Ash looked at the small Electric-type in surprise, "_Wait, what?_" He brought up and sniffed his arm before sniffing Raichu. He sweat dropped, "_Oh._" He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "_I guess hanging around humans so much caused some of their scents to rub off on us. I never really noticed._"

Brock and Misty perked up some, '_That's what they meant!_'

Misty grimaced and covered her face with her paws, "_I can't believe I missed something like that. So embarrassing._"

Brock sniffed his arm and he frowned as his ears drooped, "_Hm._" He perked up when he felt something poking him and looked down at one of the other pichu poking at the Lens on his stomach in confusion.

Pichu looked up at him; still poking, "_What's this thing?_"

Brock sweat dropped, "_O-Oh. It's-_"

"_part of our bodies._" Ash said as pointed at the watch's symbol on his stomach, "_Meema added DNA from Mineral Pokémon. These circles are the result of that._"

Pichu looked back at him; still poking Brock's Lens, "_But why does yours look different?_"

Ash chuckled, "_I don't really know either. Probably the same reason Brock, Misty, and I look so different._"

Brock looked down at Pichu, "_Can you please stop doing that? It feels weird._"

Pichu perked up and took a step back with her ears drooping, "_Sorry._"

Brock smiled softly, "_It's okay. I'm not mad or anything._" He crouched down to pet her, "_Just try to remember for later._"

Pichu just smiled blissfully as Brock pet her, "_Okay._"

The other pichu looked over at the pair curiously before looking up at Misty.

Misty noticed, chuckled, and crouched down to pet him too, "_Feels nice, doesn't it?_"

Pichu smiled, "_Uh huh._"

The rest of the Electric mice looked at them curiously.

Raichu looked at the pair with a soft smile before looking at Ash, "_Your siblings seem to be good with the hatchlings._"

Ash chuckled nervously, "_Well, uh, speaking of hatchlings._" He looked back at a bush and called out, "_Come on out, sweetie!_"

The pichu, pikachu, and Raichu all looked at the bush and flinched upon seeing a red-eyed mightyena appear and walk over to them. The canine walked towards the hat wearing pikachu; growling ferociously.

One of the pikachu started trembling, "_It-it's a mightyena._"

"_How did it get here?_" Another said in alarm.

The Dark-type stopped in their tracks; towering over the brown-eyed pikachu and glaring at them angrily.

The pichu next to Brock grimaced, "_Hurry! Get out of-_"

"Stop calling me sweetie!" Soot shouted at Ash.

Ash laughed and put a paw on her nose, "_Aww, come on, Soot. Don't be like that._"

The tribe Chus all stared in shock.

Soot huffed, "Just because I'm your hatchling, doesn't mean I have to go along with your dumb little nickname."

The Electric-types' eyes all widened in shock; except for four of them obviously.

Ash smirked and whispered, "_There is always the alternative we talked about._"

Soot groaned, "Fine."

Raichu stared at Soot in shock, "_Th- this mightyena is your hatchling?_"

Ash looked back at him with a smile, "_Yeah. This is Soot._"

One of the tribe's pikachu glared at Soot, "_How do we know we can trust it?!_"

Soot deadpanned, "I was raised by three pikachu since hatching. Why the Yvel would I hurt any of you?"

The pichu next to Misty looked up at her worriedly.

Misty noticed and smiled, "_Don't worry. Soot really is nice. I promise she won't hurt anyone._"

Pichu looked over at Soot before gulping. He walked towards her slowly with a frightened look.

He stopped and looked up at Soot with a frown and his ears drooping, "_H- hi._"

Soot looked down at him; making Pichu flinch and tremble.

Soot gave a somber look, 'Poor guy. He's terrified.' She took a deep breath and cracked her neck, 'Haven't had to do this in a long time. Time to see if it works on hatchings.'

Soot stuck her tongue out playfully and laid down in front of the Mouse Pokémon; tail wagging excitedly.

Pichu stopped trembling and stared in confusion, "_Uh … what are you do-_"

He was cut off by Soot licking his cheek before cocking her head innocently; making Pichu laugh. The rest of the pichu all smiled before bounding over to Soot.

Soot just smiled and laid there as the hatchling climbed all over her; licking them on the cheek occasionally.

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy stared in pure shock as this happened, _'What?!_' '_The?!_' _'Actual?!' _ _'Yvel?!_'

The rest of the tribe seemed to have calmed down and watched in curiously and/or in awe.

Ash smiled softly, '_She's still got it._'

Raichu blinked in surprise, "_I- I didn't think a mightyena could be this gentle. Especially with hatchlings._"

Ash's eye twitched, '_It's a justified stereotype. It's a justified stereotype._' He sighed before smiling, "_Well yeah. Soot used to babysit all the time._"

Brock and Misty jerked and looked at Ash in shock.

Raichu looked at Ash in surprise, "_What? Why would anyone sit on hatchings? They aren't eggs anymore._"

Ash chuckled, "_No, sorry. It's a human term that means to watch over hatchings while the meemas are away._"

Raichu sweat dropped, "_Oh._" He looked back at the Dark-type and flinched slightly.

Soot was currently balancing her detached foreleg on her nose; middle claw on the tip. The pichu were all watching in awe. A few of the tribes pikachu had also gathered around her.

Soot smiled, "Now remember hatchlings" She glanced at the pikachu, "and others, never try and do this. The only reason I can do it is because of my-"

"_Banette inheritance!_"

Soot chuckled before dropping, catching, and reattaching her foreleg, "Very good. And remember, you have to hatch inherent. There's no gaining it."

One of the pichu raised a paw, "_How can you tell if you're inherent?_"

Soot smiled, "Very good question." She crouched down, "Take a look at my eyes. These eyes aren't normal for a mightyena."

Another of the pichu tilted her head, "_Really?_"

"Really." Soot responded; still smiling. She closed one eye and reopened it to reveal the standard red and yellow with a smaller black slit pupil; making all of the Electric-types' eyes widen in surprise. Soot chuckled, "This is what a normal mightyena eye looks like. Being inherent means that I can switch them back and forth between my birth and inherent species." She winked and shifted her eye back to the Banette theme, "When my eyes are like this, I can do things that only Ghost-types can normally do."

"_So cool!_" One of the pichu said excitedly.

One of the pikachu's eyes lit up, "_So, you can walk through stuff and turn invisible?!_"

Soot smirked, "You tell me." She vanished on the spot.

The pichu and pikachus' eyes all widened, and they started looking around for Soot.

"boo." Soot said quietly.

The Electric-types all jumped and turned around to see Soot laying down behind them.

Soot smiled, "Surprised?"

The Pokémon in front of her all started laughing and/or applauding.

Raichu blinked in surprise before smiling softly, "_The tribe seems to have taken a liking to her._"

Ash smiled, "_Honestly, I'm not surprised. She's my pride and joy after all._" He smiled happily and said in a babyish tone, "_She's such a sweet puppy._"

Soot's eye twitched in annoyance, 'Dad, you son of a glitch!'

"_Is everything alright, Ms. mightyena?_"

Soot perked up before looking down at the pichu with a smile, "I'm okay. And, you can call me Soot."

Raichu chuckled before saying, "_I almost forgot to ask: what brings your group out here?_"

Ash smiled up at him, "_We were actually just free roaming. We found you all randomly._" He looked at his starter, "_Well, technically Pikachu and Clefairy did._"

Pikachu looked over and nodded with a smile, "_Yeah. My old tribe's major elder told me about the berries around here._"

Misty looked at him with a raised brow, "_The berries?_"

Clefairy nodded, "_Yeah. Pikachu said they tell you that a tribe is nearby. That and I saw a pichu in a bush._"

Brock perked up, "_Really?_"

Clefairy nodded with a smile, "_Yup._" She looked over at Soot, "_I think it was that one swinging on Soot's ear._"

Brock shook his head, "_No, I mean the berry thing._" He looked at Raichu, "_Is that true? Like, do y- uh, our kind set up tribes around the berries or do you start planting them after establishing the tribe? And if it's the former, is it some kind of tradition that was established a long time ago or some kind of instinctual urge?_"

Raichu blinked in surprise, "_Um…_" He sweat dropped with a nervous smile, "_I think that's a question better meant for the major elder._"

"_Oh._" Brock said before looking around at the tribe, "_So-_"

Raichu chuckled, "_No. He's back at the tribe grounds._"

Ash blinked in surprise, "_Are you inviting us?_"

Raichu shrugged, "_Well, yeah. I believe I've seen enough to trust you all._" He turned around and motioned for them to follow, "_Come on. The grounds aren't far._"

Raichu walked towards and disappeared into a bush. The partial tribe and Soot -covered in pichu once again- followed.

Misty blinked in surprise, "_That was a lot easier than expected._"

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_No kidding. I guess this tribe isn't as stubborn as mine._"

Brock smiled, "_Well, let's hurry. We don't wanna get too far behind._"

Clefairy nodded happily.

The quintet ran after the Electric-types.

"_Hey, when did you guys come up with that cover story?_" Pikachu asked.

"_Before the Lockdown._" Ash responded.

.

**Flashback - Full**

Soot shied away slightly as the massive green flash lit up the clearing. She looked back and smiled at the sight of the three pikachu before her.

"_This is so exciting!_" Misty said with a bright smile, "_I've never seen a Pokémon tribe up close and personal before!_"

Brock smiled as well, "_We'll actually be able to interact with them as equals! This is an opportunity most breeders would do anything for! I almost can't believe it!_"

"Not so fast." Soot jumped in as she walked over and sat down next to Ash, "We need to go over a few ground rules first."

Brock looked at her in surprise, "_Ground rules?_"

Ash nodded and crossed his arms, "_You two are new at this, and I don't mean transforming this time. Interacting with a wild Pokémon tribe is uncharted territory with different rules and ways of thinking. We wanna make sure you're prepared._"

Misty shrugged, "_Okay, shoot._"

"_First._" Ash started, "_while we're like this, the three of us are siblings._"

Brock and Misty stared in confusion, "_… huh?_"

Ash chuckled, "_It's part of our cover story. They can't exactly know that we're humans._"

Misty sweat dropped, "_Okay. But why do we need to be related for that?_"

"Because of this second thing … partially." Soot started, "You all look like freaks of nature."

Misty jerked before glaring at her, "_Hey!_"

Ash sighed, "_She's right, Misty._" He held up a paw to point at one if his eyes and used the other to grab the tufts of fur poking out under his hat, "_Our hair may be passable, but our eyes are completely unnatural for this species. And our headgear doesn't help._"

Brock raised a brow, "_Well, sure. But you said that would happen when we used the Lenses. It's not that bad of a glitch._"

Ash frowned and shook his head, "_That's not what I mean. To Pokémon, pointing out weird stuff like this isn't normally considered rude. Mostly because of how rare it is for someone of the same species to look this different without them being a regional variant. Our teams are all fine with it because they know the full truth._"

Misty frowned, "_So, we're going to be getting weird looks as long as we're with them._"

Ash sighed, "_Pretty much. It's something we'll have to put up with._" He shook it off, "_Anyway, our cover story is that our quote-un-quote female meema was a creative ditto; namely one who messed around with their DNA a lot while they were forming our eggs. Also, that we grew in an area that humans visited frequently and that we don't know which tribe we belong to. Because we don't know who our male meema is._"

"Regardless," Soot followed, "none of that will stop them from giving you all weird looks."

Misty groaned and crossed her arms, "_Great._"

Brock raised a brow, "_Wait. Why are we telling them that we grew up near humans? Wouldn't that make them trust us less?_"

Soot shook her head, "Not as much as telling them that you are humans or claiming that you haven't had much contact with them."

Ash put a finger to his temple, "_Our minds are still one-hundred percent human. As a result, a lot of our habits and what's normal to us may confuse the tribe. The 'living near humans' part of our story means that we have a justified answer if we do or saying anything 'weird.'_"

Soot nodded, "Your main excuse should be that the humans' habits rubbed off on you. Like all of you having human-sounding names. If we went with the 'little to no interaction' story, we would all be under constant pressure to try not to slip up around the tribe."

Misty blinked in surprise, "_Huh._" She looked at Ash, "_So, is that everything?_"

"Almost." Soot said.

Ash raised a finger with a serious look, "_There's one more thing you need to know about and it's probably the most important._"

Brock frowned and his ears drooped, "_What is it?_"

"_N_O _K_I_S_S_I_N_G_!_!_" Ash and Soot shouted in unison; causing the Gym Leaders to flinch.

Misty recovered and sweat dropped, "_I uh- don't think that'll be a problem._"

Brock sweat dropped as well, "_Yeah. I get that I try to pick up girls a lot, but we are talking about Pokémon here._"

Ash shook his head, "_It's not that. We're in __Pokémon__ forms. So, if any of us kiss __anyone__ of the opposite gender from the same Egg Group -even accidentally- someone's laying an egg._"

Misty blushed heavily and waved her paws, "_Okay, woah. That's a pretty big leap from kissing, don't you think?_"

Soot sighed, "Again, not what he means. For Pokémon, there's literally no difference between a mouth-to-mouth kiss and" She paused and cleared her throat, "mating."

Brock perked up in surprise, "_Oh, right._" He put a paw to his throat, "_Pokémon don't have the same … organs as humans._" He shivered from the thought of his conversation with Vulpix last night.

Soot snickered, "Bingo. Pokémon -male, female, and genderless- have an extra tube in their throats known commonly as the reproductive esophagus. The name pretty much says it all."

Ash spoke up in stern tone, "_So, unless you're ready to become a real meema, keep your lips to yourselves._"

Misty gulped and put a paw to her throat as well, "_Okay. Warning received._"

Ash nodded, "_Good. Now that that's over with,_" Ash smiled, "_you guys, ready?_"

The Gym Leader-mice nodded excitedly, "_Yeah!_"

Ash nodded back and started rotating the symbol on his stomach. After a few more seconds, he hit the rotated symbol. It turned blue; as did the Lenses on Brock and Misty's stomachs. Three overlapping, electronic voices rang out in the clearing.

Lockdown Mode Engaged, Approximate time until release: one-hundred and twenty hours

Ash's smiled disappeared as he stared at the symbol in shock.

Misty blinked in surprise, "_Di- did I hear that right?_"

Soot stared in shock, "If you heard five days, then yeah."

"_What?!_" Brock blurted out, "_I thought you said it only lasted up to eighty-four hours!_"

"_I thought it did!_" Ash blurted back, "_It's never been this long before!_"

Misty pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned, "_Great._"

Soot chuckled nervously, "Well, look at it this way. Now you have more than enough time to practice walking and even get to mingle with your teams after we split from the tribe."

Misty sighed, "_Yeah, fine. I'll give you that._" She pointed at Ash, "_But I wanna use Vaporeon right after we timeout!_"

Ash smiled, "_Spend at least half a day exclusively walking on all fours and you have a deal._"

Misty was about to argue … until she remembered what happened by the river, "_Okay. Fair enough._"

Brock smiled and clapped his paws, "_Alright. Now that everything's settled, how about we go meet up with Pikachu and Clefairy?_" He stopped and perked up upon realizing something, "_Wait, what do we with our backpacks and pokéballs?_" He said while looking over at the items in question.

Soot smiled, "I'm on it."

The Dark-type shifted her eyes and walked over to their supplies. She bit down on the strap of Ash's backpack and flung it into the air. Brock and Misty flinched slightly when it fell towards Soot's back and disappeared into her upper torso. She then proceeded to toss Brock just under where Ash's went and swallow Misty's backpack.

Misty blinked in surprise, "_Uhhhh-_"

Ash snickered, "_It's selective intangibility. She's phasing everything into her body._"

Soot looked over with a frown, "Unfortunately, I can only hold it for about forty-eight hours. So, I'll need to hide away for a break if we're spending more than two days with the tribe." She walked over to the belts and flung Brock's into her right hindleg.

Brock sweat dropped, "_Is that uncomfortable at all?_"

Soot slung Ash's belt into her left hindleg before looking at the Pewter Leader, "Incredibly so. Yes." She shrugged, "But I've built up a tolerance."

Misty sweat dropped, "_Uh … right._" She glanced at Soot warily, "_Is my stuff gonna be okay in there?_"

Soot snickered, "If you're worried about me digesting your bag; not gonna happen." She held up a paw to her throat, "It's still in my throat, not my stomach."

'_Doesn't make it any less weird._' Misty thought; still sweat dropping.

Ash smiled at Soot, "_Good work sweetie._"

Soot glared at Ash, "Don't call me sweetie."

Brock looked at Soot with a raised a brow, "_Hey, something I've been wondering for a while. Why are you so against Ash calling you that?_"

Soot huffed, "Because it's embarrassing. Who the Yvel calls a mightyena 'sweetie'?"

Ash frowned, "_You don't have a problem when mom calls you that._"

Soot glared at him again, "Yeah. Because I'm not an idiot."

Ash smirked slyly, "_Well, if I can't call you 'sweetie', how about I just start using your middle name?_"

Soot blushed heavily, ran over to him, and shouted, "DON'T YOU FREAKING DARE!"

Misty blinked in surprise and looked up at the Bite Pokémon, "_You have a middle name?_"

Ash nodded, "_Yeah. It's-_"

"NO!" Soot shouted at Ash.

Ash deadpanned, "_Soot, it's not that bad of a name._"

Soot glared angrily, "Says you!"

Ash sighed, "_Fine._" He smiled, "_Sweetie it is, then._"

Soot groaned.

.

**End Flashback**

Raichu looked at Soot with a raised brow, "_Are you sure you're okay with that? Some of us can carry the hatchlings instead._"

Soot looked back at him with a smile; one Pichu on top of her head with the rest curled up and asleep on her back, "Nah, I'm good. Besides, I think they like it."

Pichu nodded happily.

"_Still._" One of the pikachu said, "_isn't it heavy to be carrying all them at once?_"

Soot snickered, "Don't forget about my inheritance. I can turn intangible and spread it to whatever I'm touching. Right now, I'm only doing it to the point that they weigh less than normal."

The pichu on her head blinked in surprise and looked down at Soot, "_Really?_"

Soot smiled up at her, "Yeah. Try touching one of my ears. They're still tangible."

Pichu looked at Soot's right ear and reached over to it. Her paw went straight through it instantly.

Pichu's eyes lit up, "_Wooooah._" She started moving her paw through the ear repeatedly and laughing, "_It feels so funny!_"

Soot chuckled, "I know, right?"

Misty blinked in surprise and whispered to Ash, "_So Soot seriously used to babysit?_"

Ash smiled and whispered, "_Yup. It took some time to get started, because- y'know, mightyena. But it really kicked off after she started throwing in tutoring sessions._"

Brock looked at Ash in surprise, "_Tutoring? Like in Pokémon care?_"

Ash shook his head, "_Nope. Calculus._"

Brock and Misty perked up and stared at Soot in shock, "_Seriously?_"

Clefairy looked at Pikachu in confusion, "_Cal-calus?_"

Pikachu shrugged.

Raichu stopped in front of a bush and smiled, "_Here we a-_"

"_HEY!_"

Ash, Misty, Brock, Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy jumped and looked up to see another raichu jumping down from a nearby tree.

The new raichu glared at the other raichu, "_What do think you're doing?! Bringing their kind to the tribe?!_"

The first Raichu held up a paw, "_Please hear me out. I understand that they may look strange, but there's no rule against inviting other pikachu to visit. And I assure you that the clefairy is far from a threat._"

Brock and Misty sweat dropped, '_Did he __have__ to say that first part?_'

Guard Raichu continued glaring, "_And the mightyena?! You've heard what they're capable of!_"

Ash's eyes twitched slightly before held up his paws defensively, "_Look, I understand why you're worried. But I promise everything's okay._" He gestured to Soot, "_This mightyena is my hatchling. My __biological__ hatchling._"

Guide looked at the other full evo with a frown, "_She has been looking after the hatchings since we met and even playing with them. I truly believe that she means no harm._"

Guard Raichu glared at Guide, "_Even if that's true,_" They pointed at Soot accusingly, "_no matter how 'gentle' that beast acts-_"

Guard was cut off by a massive gust of wind blowing in his face; forcing him to shield his eyes.

"_Care to rephrase that?_" Ash asked angrily.

Guard opened their eyes and looked down. Their eyes widened in shock at seeing Ash's glowing paw an eighth of an inch away from their throat and the Electric-type giving him a murderous glare. The rest of the tribe stared in shock as well.

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy sweat dropped, "_Oh boy._"

'_He was standing behind me!_' Guide Raichu thought; still staring in shock, '_How the Yvel did he move that fast?! It couldn't have just been Agility, could it?!_'

Soot blinked in surprise, 'Since when did that form know Brick Break?'

The raichu Ash had at claw point gulped, "_I- I- It's just- the bea-_"

Ash snarled.

Raichu flinched, "_Th- the mightyena! Sh- she still has those large claws and f-fangs. E-even if she means no harm, I-I'm worried for the hatchlings._"

Ash stopped glaring and sighed, "_Fine._" The glow on Ash's paw faded and he made his way over to Soot. He stopped in front of her and turned to face the tribe, "_Show them, Soot._"

Soot frowned, "Are you sure about-"

"_Yes._" Ash jumped in, "_I'm sure._"

Soot sighed, "Okay." She looked up at the pichu on her head, "Close your eyes. Please."

Pichu frowned but nodded and put their hands over her eyes.

Soot brought up a claw and thrust it into the back of Ash's neck. The Electric-types stared in shock at the sight of the claws poking out of Ash's throat.

"_Is this proof enough?_" Ash asked in an angry tone.

Guard Raichu stared in horror, "_How- how are you alive?_"

Soot sighed, "Intangibility. Right now, my claws and teeth only exist to be seen. They can't hurt anyone; even by accident."

Guide Raichu gulped, "_Y- you couldn't have just told us that?_"

Ash glared at Guard, "_Would __he__ have listened if we did?_"

Soot pulled her claw out of Ash's neck and looked up at the pichu on her head with a soft smile, "It's okay. You can look now."

Pichu slowly moved her hands away and looked down at Soot with a worried frown, "_Is everything okay?_"

Soot smiled, "Yeah. Don't worry." She laid down on the ground before looking at her back and shaking slightly, "Alright kids, nap's over. Time to wake up."

The pichu on her back started stirring. A few sat up -either yawning or rubbing their eyes- while others started waking up the rest.

"_Wha's goin' on?_" One of the pichu asked tiredly.

Soot smiled, "Your back home. Time to get off the doggy."

"_Awwww._" The now-conscious pichu all complained.

Soot smiled sadly, "Sorry, but your meemas are gonna get worried if you're not home soon. I don't want any of you getting in trouble."

"_Okaaaay._" The baby Pokémon whined.

The pichu all started climbing down and walking towards the bush in a slump. A few went to the pikachu and held up their paws. The pikachu picked up the hatchlings and made their way into the bushes.

Soot blinked in surprise, 'So some of them were their parents.'

"_Soot?_"

The Bite Pokémon looked down to see the pichu that was lying on her head looking back up at her with a frown.

Soot crouched down to her level, "Everything okay?"

Pichu's ears drooped, "_You're coming to visit, right?_"

Soot smiled softly and glanced at Guard Raichu, "Am I?"

Pichu looked back at him hopefully.

Guard frowned and glanced around at everyone. He groaned, "_Fine._" He pointed at Soot, "_But, I'm keeping a close eye on you._"

Soot smiled, "Fair enough. Thank you."

Pichu smiled brightly and hugged Soot's snout, "_Yay!_"

Soot chuckled, "Now go on home. We don't want your meemas to worry."

Pichu nodded with a smile, "_Okay._" She started running back to the bush, "_See ya soon Soot!_"

Soot smiled, "See ya!"

Misty looked at Soot with a sly smirk, "_So … Doggy?_"

Soot shot her a death glare; making the Gym Leader flinch, "What about it?"

Misty gulped, "_N-nothing._"

Soot nodded, "Thought so." She walked into the tribe grounds; leaving Ash, Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy in the small clearing

Ash leaned closer to Misty and whispered, "_I wouldn't try to do that again. Soot takes babysitting really seriously._"

Brock sweat dropped, "_Then, why do you provoke her so much?_"

Ash smirked, "_I'm her dad. It's part of my job._" He started walking and motioned for the group to follow, "_Come on._"

Pikachu, Clefairy, the trainers made their way through the bushes.

Ash, Misty, Brock, Soot and Clefairy's eyes widened in awe at the sight of the tribe grounds. Pikachu just smiled softly at seeing it.

The tribe ground was made up of a MASSIVE clearing with countless average sized, hollowed out trees littered around it. Berry bushes could be seen in all directions and a river -likely extended from the one they were by earlier- could be heard nearby … they assumed. Countless pichu, pikachu, and raichu could be seen all around. They were picking berries, sleeping, running around, playing, and running up and down the trees.

"_Woah._" Clefairy said.

"_An actual tribe._" Brock muttered in awe, "_It's incredible._"

"_No kidding._" Misty muttered.

Raichu looked at them in surprise, "_You act as though you've never even seen one of our kinds' tribes before._"

Ash sweat dropped with a nervous smile, "_Because we haven't. Well, expect Pikachu._"

Pikachu raised a paw, "_Yup._"

Ash continued, "_Most of the tribe groups way came across never gave us a chance._"

Soot chuckled nervously, "Yeah. And, if they did, I scared them off immediately."

Raichu frowned before shaking it off and smiling, "_In that case, welcome to our tribe. Please make yourselves at home._"

Pikachu smiled at him, "_Thank you._" He ran up to Clefairy and grabbed her paw, "_Come on. If this tribe's anything like mine, we should be able to find some berries that are way sweeter than the ones earlier._"

Clefairy smiled brightly, "_Well, what are we waiting for?!_" She looked back at Ash and the others, "_Let's go guys!_"

Misty pumped a fist, "_Yeah!_"

Raichu held out a paw, "_Actually, there's something I was hoping you could do for me._"

Everyone looked back at him in confusion.

"_What is it?_" Ash asked.

Raichu smiled at him, "_Well first off, really I only mean you, your hatchling and your siblings._"

Pikachu smiled brightly, "_Works for me!_" He lit up with Quick Attack and sped off while holding onto Clefairy.

Misty sweat dropped and muttered, "_Really?_"

Soot sighed before looking at Raichu, "You were saying?"

Raichu smiled at the group, "_I was hoping you would all come and meet my sibling. I can say for sure that she'll really want to meet you all._"

.

.

*******Pseudo-Comment Response*******

**(Guessing the deleted form)**

From Johnathen Youngs (chapter 42):

**(Full response will be posted in next regular comment response)**

… could the aliem be a vreedle or is it mabey eon species cant wait to find out

**Seishin: *game show announcer voice* Not a bad GoGo, JoYo! But, I'm afraid that's incorrect!**

**Ohirume: Still, those are pretty good guesses.**

**Yugo: Decagon Vreedle -the canon vreedle form in Ben Tennyson Prime's Omnitrix- does match the hint we gave in the last comment response. It was never used and has been verified to exist.**

**Seishin: It was given the official name by Derrick James Wyatt; Omniverse's art director.**

**Yugo: However, Ash did say he used the form before it was deleted. I think he would have noticed the gray skin and lack of nose.**

**Ohirume: Chronians -Eon's retconned species- could literally be one decision change away from being correct. They perfectly resemble humans -namely at a younger age-, did exist in the "Race Against Time" Omnitrix, and has a more than fair chance of being included in the story on account of the multiverse concept.**

**But I can neither guarantee, nor deny, that I'll include chronians in the story. I'll think it over.**

**Omega: Also, there is one problem. But, not with your guesses.**

**Revealing the deleted form in the story won't be as easy as you may think.**

**It's long gone and the only person who would know what the form was would have to be someone who fully knows what the Omnitrix is and who knows that the 'non-Pokémon' are aliens from another dimension. In other words, ****nobody**** from Trix's Pokémon world.**

**Ohirume: Still, it won't be impossible. Just … ****near**** impossible without pulling a Yukiro-level Deus Ex Machina.**

**Seishin: *GIR voice* Yaaaaaaaaay!**

**Omega: No, freak. That's bad.**

**Seishin: *GIR voice; pouting* Awwwwwwww.**

.

From Guest (chapter 42):

I'm Gonna guess it's Ash's Human form isn't it.

.

Klipper

**Seishin: *game show announcer voice* OOO! So sorry, Klipper the ripper! That's strike two of … infinity. There's no limit to how many times you're allowed to guess.**

**Omega: *glances at Seishin; sweat dropping* Uh … right.**

**Yugo: While human DNA has been verified to be in the Omnitrix -or more specifically the Argitrix-, it's never been verified that an Omnitrix user can access their own birth species.**

**Ohirume: Still, you're close.**

.

.

**Seishin: *game show announcer voice* Well, it doesn't seem like we have any winners this time around! *remote click***

**Fake audience: Awww.**

**Seishin: *game show announcer voice* But, don't fret readers! Keep at it and I'm sure we'll hit our answer in due time! *remote click***

**Fake audience: *various cheering/applause***

**Omega: *deadpanned* Why did you give him that remote?**

**Ohirume: *sweat drop* I'm starting to wonder why as well.**


	44. Ch 38: Pikachu Tribe part 2

**Seishin: *shouting in Irish accent* Top of the mornin' to ya laddies! My name is Yukiro Seishin and this intro was stolen from Jackscepticeye!**

**Omega: We're doing the same pseudo-chat thing this chapter that we did last time.**

**Ohirume: And … that's all we got.**

**Faux, Pike, and Laura: Eeeenjoy!**

**Luke: *chuckles***

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Pika Chu  
****_(Dr. Spark)_**

.

The group of Ash, Misty, Brock, Soot, and Raichu made their way towards … wherever Raichu was leading them. Something about his sister.

Unfortunately, they didn't go unnoticed. Nearly every raichu, pikachu, and pichu they passed gave them weird, wary, or frightened looks. The last were mostly aimed towards Soot.

Thankfully, there were some Mouse Pokémon from the group they met in the first place who were smiling and waving at them. It calmed the others down a little. It also made the stronger looking ones get out of their fighting stances.

Misty grumbled from all of their whispers.

Ash sweat dropped, '_We did warn her._' He looked up at Raichu, "_So, why are you taking us to your sibling anyway?_"

Raichu looked back with a smile, "_Well, she's always been really interested in human stuff; even though they rarely show up around here. And tends to collect all kinds of strange items that they leave behind._" He looked back at the rest of the group with a smile, "_Since you all seem so interested in them too, I thought you all might get along._" He gave them a kind smile, "_It's an incredible stroke of luck, really._"

Soot sweat dropped, "Yeah. No kidding."

Brock and Misty sweat dropped, '_Yet another freak coincidence._'

Raichu pushed through a bush and held back the branches for the group, "_Right through here._"

Everyone walked through and looked ahead. They found an old, one-person tent sitting in the shade. It was a faded dark blue, had small holes and light tears all over, and was missing an entire row of zipper teeth on one of the flaps.

Despite all this, it still seemed sturdy.

Brock raised a brow, "_She lives in a tent?_"

Raichu perked up and looked at Brock in surprise, "_That's what it's called?_" He looked back at the cloth structure, "_I have to admit, that sounds better than what she calls it._"

"_Still,_" Misty said while sweat dropping, "_why does she live in a tent when the rest of the tribe seems to use nests and stuff?_"

Raichu smiled, "_This is one of the strange items I was talking about. She keeps the rest in there with her._" He looked back at the group, "_Now, this may sound strange, but when you introduce yourselves, I'd like to ask that you tell her your names and ask for hers._"

Brock raised a brow, "_Uh … sure._"

Misty sweat dropped, '_In what way is that strange? That's what introducing yourself is._'

Raichu smiled and the group walked closer to it. He started flicked at the tent, "_Sibling! It's me! I have someone I want to-_"

"_Stop calling me that, brother!_" A female voice shouted from the tent, "_I keep telling you to call me sister!_"

Raichu deadpanned, "_Only if you finally tell me what the Yvel a 'sister' and 'brother' are._"

The tented Pokémon shouted back, "_Figure it out yoursel-_"

Ash smirked, "_Brother is what humans call a male sibling. Sister is what they call a female sibling._"

Raichu looked back at Ash in surprise.

"_… __That's right. What do humans call their male and female meemas?_"

Misty smirked, "_Mother for female. Father for male. Parent for either._"

Soot spoke up, "And they call their parent's brother an uncle and their sister an aunt."

The flaps opened and a pikachu poked her head through. She seemed average for a pikachu. That is, unless you count the long fur on her head reaching down to her shoulders.

"_How-_" She paused, and her eyes widened slightly at the sight of the quartet, "_woah._" She shook it off and raised a brow, "_How the heck do you know all of that? I didn't even know that last one._"

Brock smiled, "_We grew up in a place that humans often traveled to and learned a lot about them._"

Raichu smiled and looked at his sister, "_This is why I wanted you to meet them._"

The hat-wearing pikachu raised a paw with a smile, "_My name is Ash._"

The female pikachu's eyes widened in shock.

The squinting pikachu put a paw to his chest, "_I'm Brock._"

The pikachu with a ponytail followed with a smile, "_My name's Misty._"

The mightyena grinned, "Soot."

The pikachu in the tent stared at them in shock, "_Y- you all-_" She scrambled through the flaps and blurted out, "_You all have names?!_"

Ash smiled, "_Yeah, we just decided on it one day._"

Brock walked up to her with a smile, "_So, what about your name? Your brother said you had one t-_"

"_Electra!_" The pikachu blurted out with a bright smile, "_My name is Electra!_"

Misty smiled, walked up, and held out a paw, "_Nice to meet you, Electra._"

Electra stared at the paw in awe before smiling brightly and shaking it vigorously, "_It's nice to meet you too!_"

Raichu blinked in surprise at the sight, "_Huh?_"

Soot snickered, "It's called a handshake and is form of greeting. Think of it like a human version of that 'sparks don't lie' thing. Just, using their hands and without the electricity."

Raichu blinked, "_Huh._"

Electra jerked and looked at Soot in shock, "_You know about human stuff too?_"

Soot deadpanned, "You do realize I'm the one who brought up the aunt and uncle thing, right?"

Ash chuckled, "_Soot's my hatchling. As far as I can tell, I raised her similar to how humans raise their kids. Right up to giving her a name when she hatched._"

Electra looked at Ash in wide-eyed shock, "_Wait! __That's__ when humans choose their names?!_"

Brock raised a brow, "_What do you mean 'choose'?_"

Electra looked at him, "_I- I thought humans chose their own names. Like, after some kind of initiation or when they do something special._"

Ash chuckled, "_Not exactly. Humans develop a Yvel of a lot slower than Pokémon. While hatchlings can fluently speak around five seconds to two days after hatching, it takes humans -on average- ten months to even say their first word. Full sentences can take around eight months to a year afterwards._"

Soot snickered, "Yeah. And even then, they still mess up a lot of words."

Brock and Misty looked at Ash in shock, '_FIVE SECONDS?!_'

Raichu's eyes widened in surprise, "_It actually takes that long? Members of our tribe usually have a hatchling of their own by that point._"

Soot smiled slyly, "Crazy, right? Humans are just really slow." She shot the Gym Leaders a cocky glance.

Brock and Misty noticed and sweat dropped, '_Seriously?_'

"_Wait a second!_" Electra blurted out, "_If that's the case, then how do humans get their names if they can't even speak?!_"

Misty sweat dropped, "_Uh … usually their parents choose the first and middle name._"

Electra's eyes widened in absolute shock, "_Th- th- the parents choose?_" She sat down and put a paw on her forehead, '_Insane. Meem- uh, __parents__ choose the hatch- BABY's name. I thought I was being like them by choosing a name for myself. But I couldn't have been further._'

Brock looked at Raichu, "_Is she okay?_"

Raichu smiled, "_Yeah. This is isn't the first time this has happened._" He cleared his throat and looked at Electra with a sly smirk, "_Sibling._"

Electra snapped out of it and glared at him, "_I told you to call me sister._"

Raichu smirked, "_And fixed._"

Electra grumbled before straightening up upon realizing something. She looked at the group in shock again, "_First … and middle?_"

Soot groaned, 'This could take a while.'

.

**Time Skip**

Soot was completely right.

Every time the group answered one of Electra's questions, it caused her to realize something and ask another; if they were lucky.

The most recent one was about … something she saw a human doing behind a bush once.

**Ohirume: *sigh* Yeah … toilet 'humor'. Sorry, but it had to come up eventually.**

**If you want a reason for why this concept exists, go read "IronPika" by Stormy1x2.**

Misty stared at Ash in shock, '_Pokémon don't- How the Yvel have I never noticed that?_'

Raichu gagged, "_Oh freaking Yvel. I didn't think humans were that disgusting._"

Brock chuckled nervously, "_Uh, yeah … disgusting._"

Electra blinked in surprise, "_That, uh … that wasn't what I expected._"

Ash sweat dropped, "_Yeah. It's not something most Pokémon want to know about._"

"WELL!" Soot blurted out before looking at Electra, "Would you mind showing us around your tent? Y'know, to try and take our minds off my dad mentally scarring you and your brother."

Electra perked up and blinked in surprise, "_Tent?_"

Raichu looked at her with a smile, "_Your pointed soft cave._"

Electra perked up and looked at her 'cave' in shock, "_It's called a tent?_" She smiled, "_Cooooool._" She jerked and shook it off before looking at the group with a smile, "_Yeah. Come on._" She smirked wickedly, "_I'll bet I have some super insane you've never even heard of._"

.

*Shortly after; in the tent

Electra stared in pure shock -ears drooping- as Ash, Misty, Brock, and Soot rummaged around through all of the 'treasures' she had collected, '_Th- this is insane._'

Raichu blinked in surprise, '_They're even more impressive than I thought._'

"_Fork, spoon, 3 of spades … half a shoe insole._" Misty said as she put the items to the side. She stopped as she held up a AAA battery and sweat dropped, "_Okay, seriously? Who the Yvel just leaves used up batteries in the forest? They realize there's __acid__ in these, right?_"

Brock frowned with his arms crossed as he stared at a pile of cassette tapes; most broken or heavily cracked, "_Yeah. And all these old tapes._" He picked up one without a label and pulled out the tape; causing Electra's eyes to widen in the process, "_Someone could get horribly tangled up in this._" '_Not to mention how bad all these bands were._'

"Sure sure." Soot said while staring at a large box in shock, "But, uh- I'm still trying to comprehend the microwave." She looked back at Electra, "How in the name of Arceus did you manage bring this back here? Or find one in the forest, for that matter?"

"_U- um._" Electra stuttered.

"_Pardon me._" Ash said while walking between Electra and Raichu while dragging a hole-riddled umbrella.

Raichu looked back at him in confusion, "_What are you doing?_"

Ash looked back with a confused expression, "_Well, I can't open this thing in the tent. It'd punch a ton of new holes into it._" He moved the umbrella in front of him and held it up.

Electra looked at him in shock, "_Wha- what do you m-_"

Ash pressed the switch on the umbrella and the whole thing sprang open in his paws.

Raichu flinched, "_Woah!_"

Electra tripped back as she stared in shock, '_It- it- it- it opens?!_'

Ash held up the umbrella and looked up into it. He frowned, "_Geez. It's full of holes and over …_" he squinted, "_Um, maybe twenty percent of the ribs and stretchers are broken._" '_It's actually amazing it still opens._' He put the opened umbrella down and moved closer to feel the fabric. He perked up a bit, "_Still, the remaining nylon is in decent shape._"

Ash looked back over the tent, "_Hmm._" He focused on Electra and smiled, "_Hey, Electra._"

Electra perked up and looked him in the eye, "_Y- yeah?_"

Ash closed the umbrella and walked closer, "_This umbrella won't really be able to help with rain anymore. But we could cut up the fabric, get some twine from your torn-up clothing, and fashion some needles to patch the holes on your tent._"

Electra's eyes widened in awe. She went ahead and got back to her hind paws.

Raichu sweat dropped and deadpanned, "_I didn't get any of that._"

Soot looked over at him, "Actually it makes perfect sense." She looked around the inside of the tent, "All of the holes in this thing make it really easy for rain to get in. The trees may help, but it won't cover everything." She perked up and looked at Ash, "Although, dad, this is nylon we're talking about. If we're aiming to waterproof it, I'm not sure a needle and thread will cut it."

Ash frowned, "_Yeah. I realize that. But I'm not sure adhesive would be an option._"

Misty blinked in surprise, "_Really?_" She looked around, "_There's gotta be an old glue stick in here or something._"

Soot snickered, "Wrong kind of adhesive. We need something a little more water resistant."

Brock pulled out an held up a plastic shopping bag, "_What about this? It is plastic and should melt pretty easily, right?_"

Ash frowned and shook his head, "_I'm afraid not. We would need superglue for something like this._" He perked up and put a hand to his chin, "_Still. The melting point of plastic is just barely over half of what it takes to burn paper and we could mold that into almost anything. Still, we need a way to melt and hold it._"

"Oh!" Soot said before running over to and sticking her head into a pile. She reemerged a few seconds later with a metal thermos in her mouth, "I''s stain'ess steel."

Ash blinked in surprise, "_Huh._" He smiled, "_Alright, then._" He walked closer, took the container, opened it -Electra jerked as a result- and looked into it, "_We'll still need to clean it out, though._" He looked back at Electra with a smile, "_So, what do you say, Elec-_" He stopped and blinked in surprise, "_Are you okay?_"

Brock, Misty, and Soot looked over at the long-haired pikachu. She was just staring at the group with her mouth hanging open.

Raichu looked at her worriedly, "_Sibling?_"

Electra didn't respond and just continued staring.

Misty frowned worriedly, "_Um … Maybe she needs to cool down a little? I think I saw a folding fan a second ago._" She walked over to a pile, dug around for a bit, and pulled out the item in question. She opened it effortlessly.

Electra squeaked and fell forward onto her face. Everyone stared in pure shock.

Soot blinked in surprise, "I think we just broke her."

Brock looked at Raichu, "_Is that normal too?_"

Raichu just continued staring at his fallen sister, "_Um … This is first time I've seen that happen._"

.

**Barely even a Time Skip**

"_Wait. What are you planning to do with that?_"

"_This._"

*Woosh*

"_… __woah. My sibling actually collected some cool stuff._"

"_Can you flip her over, please?_"

Electra felt a breeze blowing directly into her face and started to stir. She slowly opened her eyes-

*Woosh*

Electra jerked, her eyes widened in shock, and she quickly sat up, "_Wah!_"

"_Oh, sorry._" Brock said before closing the fan.

Ash walked up to her and held out a paw, "_Are you ok-_"

"_Insane!_" Electra blurted out as she jumped to her feet with a bright smile, "_All of the stuff I had, you knew exactly what it was and how it all worked! You even gave them all names and used them in ways I've never seen before! I didn't even know most of that stuff could open or had anything in them!_" She got in their faces, "_You've gotta show me more!_"

Brock and Misty frowned and shared a look, "_Um…_"

Ash noticed and looked back at Electra with a kind smile, "_Alright. But, do you mind if it's just you and me?_"

Everyone else looked at him in surprise, "_H_u_h?_"

Raichu gave Ash a wary look, "_Why just you?_"

Ash gave a cocky smirk, "_Well, not to brag, but I think I'm probably the smartest one here. The others may know more about human stuff than your average Pokémon, but I think their time would be better spent just hanging around the tribe or something._" He glanced back at his friends with a soft smile.

Brock and Misty caught on and smiled softly, '_Thanks Ash._'

Soot rolled her eyes with a smirk.

Electra's eye lit up, "_Really?!_"

Soot smirked, "Big time. Compared to dad, the rest of us may as well be three-year-olds."

Misty shot her a glare.

Electra cocked her head, "_That actually sounds pretty-_"

"With dad having the intelligence of a ten-year-old."

Electra and Raichu jerked and looked at Ash in shock. The hat-wearing pikachu just shrugged with a cocky smirk.

Electra started trembling with a massively bright smile, "_Insaaaane._"

"_Sibling_" Raichu said with a worried expression, "_let's not be hasty here. You did just meet him after all._"

Electra glared at Raichu, "_Sister!_" She deadpanned, "_And seriously, brother? You're the one who brought them all here._"

Raichu frowned, "_Well, sure but…_"

"_Brother,_" Electra said, "_you know that the rest of the tribe doesn't get me. But Ash, Brock, Misty, and Soot_" *inner squealing* "_do. This is what I want. I'm sure of it._"

"_Still…_" Raichu said with a worried frown.

Ash walked up and held out a paw.

Raichu looked at Ash in confusion, "_What are you doing? I think we're a little past greetings._"

Ash gave a light chuckle, "_A handshake can be used for a little more than just a greeting._" He smiled softly, "_Right now, I'm using it to make a promise. One to keep Electra safe no matter what. You have my word on that._"

Electra's ears twitched, '_More than one meaning…_'

Raichu blinked in mild surprise before looking at the paw. He took a deep breath before grabbing it, "_Okay. But, you'd better not break this promise. She's my only sibling._"

Ash nodded with a soft smile, "_I understand. I know how important family is._"

Raichu smiled softly before letting go of Ash's paw. He walked over to Electra and crouched down in front of her, "_Sibling, I want you to promise you'll come and get me if something goes wrong._"

Electra glared at him, "_Stop calling me si-_"

"_Electra._" Raichu interrupted with stern tone; making Electra's eyes widen slightly. He put a paw on her shoulder "_Please. Promise me._"

Electra slowly nodded, "_Y- yeah. I promise._"

Raichu smiled softly and pulled her into a hug, "_Thank you._"

Electra slowly moved to hug him back. She glanced at him, '_He called me Electra…_' She smiled softly and nuzzled her cheek up against his.

.

**Time Skip**

Everyone had split up and left the area to do whatever they had in mind. Misty went off to meet up with Pikachu and Clefairy, Raichu offered to escort Brock and Soot around the tribe for a tour -which they happily accepted-, and Ash stayed back at the tent with Electra. He also asked Soot to leave behind the 'stuff he's collected overtime.' A.K.A. his backpack.

The female pikachu was currently digging through the bag and asking about everything he had. She mostly loved how shiny and new it all looked compared to all of her stuff.

"_What about these?_" Electra asked while holding up a pair of pink gloves.

Ash smiled, "_Rubber gloves. They let beings touch electrically powered stuff without getting shocked. Those ones are also heat resistant._"

Electra smile brightly, "_Coooool._" She put them down and started rummaging through the bag again. She reemerged with a large gray container with a screw-on top, "_And this?_"

Ash smiled, walked closer, and held out a paw, "_Let me show you._"

Electra handed him the can. Ash twisted the top off and held the can out to Electra, "_Try some._"

Electra looked into the can and blinked in surprise, "_What is it?_"

"_Pokémon food. A kind that humans make._" Ash said before taking a piece and flicking it into his mouth, "_I''s pretty good._"

Electra stared at him curiously before taking a piece and popping it into her mouth. Electra's eyes widened in awe and she squealed, "CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Ash snickered, "_Yeah. Brock had the same reaction the first time._" '_Though, his recipe is way better._'

"_It's so good._" Electra muttered dreamily, "_I knew humans could make all kinds of insane stuff, but I never could've imagined this. I almost wish I knew how they make it._"

Ash smiled, "_Oh, that should be pretty easy._"

Electra looked at Ash in confusion as he brought up the container and turned it before stopping on a label.

Ash frowned, "_Well, there aren't any instructions,_" He perked up, "_But this brand includes Bluk, Magost, a small amount of Oran, Spelon, some Tamato for a kick, and …_" He stopped, blinked in surprise, and squinted, "_wait, Enigma? How have I never noticed that?_"

Electra stared at Ash in shock, "_Wha-_" She ran closer and looked at the label. She looked at him in awe, "_You can read human writing?_"

Ash chuckled nervously, "_My siblings and I spent __a lot__ of time around humans._"

Electra just continued staring, "_How long are you staying?_"

Ash smiled sadly, "_We haven't decided exactly. But we're not planning to stay for more than four days._"

Electra frowned and her ears drooped, "_Oh._"

Ash walked closer and put a paw on her shoulder, "_Hey. That's still long enough to show you all kinds of new stuff._" He smirked, "_And fix your tent._"

Electra looked at him in confusion, "_Huh?_" She perked up and her eyes widened, "_Oh right! You said something about using my … umbral?_"

Ash chuckled, "_Umbrella._" He looked around the tent, "_The cloth part of it is made of a similar enough material that we can use it to patch these holes. But, we still need a way to apply it._"

Electra put a paw to her chin, "_Misty mentioned something called glue, right? Like, sticky stuff?_"

Ash smiled, "_Exactly right Electra. There are also different kinds of glue to fix different things._" He frowned, "_The problem is that regular glue doesn't work too well on Nylon. And, given our limited resources, we can't make a-_" Ash perked up and blinked, "_heat gun._" He put a hand to his chin, "_Hmm._"

Electra blinked in surprise, "_What is it?_"

"_I wonder-_" Ash mumbled before looking up at the other pikachu, "_Electra, do you have an electrical cord? It would probably be a black or white tube-like thing and really bendy. If its broken, there would be some tiny, brown, and shiny threads inside it._"

Electra perked up in realization, "_OH!_" She ran over to a pile and jumped into it. The Mouse Pokémon could be heard burrowing around in the pile.

Ash blinked in surprise, '_I hope she doesn't have anything sharp._'

"_Found it!_" Electra called out as she popped out of the opposite end of the pile. She held up a thick, torn black cable with the AC plug still attached; likely from a surge protector.

Ash smirked, "_Perfect._" He ran over to his own bag and pulled out a wooden pencil and Calm Mind's tool kit, "_With this, we have everything we need to make a soldering iron._"

**Ohirume: That is actually legit. I found the tutorial on YouTube.**

**But, if you want to repeat this, PLEASE look up a video for yourself.**

**For your own safety, ****do not follow MY instructions.**

Electra blinked in confusion, "_Soldering iron?_"

Ash looked at her with a sly smirk, "_It's a tool used to precisely heat up and melt certain metals. With the right electrical charge, we can use it to bond cut up sections of the umbrella right on to the tent._"

Electra stared at Ash in awe, "_You can use electricity to create heat?!_"

Ash nodded, "_Yup. There are tons of metals that really good at conducting electricity and even create heat when electricity runs through them._" He pointed at the cord in her paw, "_And those shiny strings I mentioned are fall under that category. It's called copper wire. Humans use it in all kinds of electronics so it's pretty easy to find._"

Electra looked at the cord in shock, '_So insane. Humans._' She smiled brightly, '_They really are amazing._' She shook it off and looked at Ash with an excited smile, "_Alright! What do we need to do?!_"

Ash smiled, "_We'll split up the work to make it go faster._" He opened the tool case, pulled out a pair of needle nose plyers and wire cutters. He held out a paw, "_Can you pass me the cord?_"

Electra complied and Ash quickly cut off the AC plug end of the cord. Electra flinched slightly at the action.

Ash put the wire cutters away before handing the plyers and cord to Electra, "_Here. Start by using these plyers to pull the copper wire out of the electrical cord. The wire's sharp, so don't use your paws to pull it out._"

Electra took them and raised a brow, "_Is that it?_"

Ash nodded, "_For now. What we're doing will take a handful of steps to finish and all of them are crucial for us to reach our goal._" He reached into the tool case again and pulled out a scalpel. He walked over to and picked up the umbrella, "_I'll start cutting up the umbrella. Come and get me when you finish so I can show you what to do next._" With that, Ash left the tent.

Electra watched curiously as he left and mumbled, "_All of them are crucial…_" She looked down at the cord and needle nose plyers before smirking, "_Alright. Let's get to work._" She held up and looked at the plyers with a raised brow, "_Now, how do I use these?_"

.

*Half an hour later

Electra walked out of the tent with paw on her forehead, '_Dear Arc, that took forever to figure out._' She looked ahead, "_Hey Ash, I'm do-_" She stopped, and her jaw dropped in shock.

The remains of the umbrella laid on the ground next to a circular heap of its fabric. The remaining umbrella was nothing but a wildly branching collection of metal sticks connecting to the base. A handful of broken off metal sticks were tied up in a bundle using a thin strip of the nylon and sitting next to the umbrella itself. The pencil also sat next to bundle and had most of the wooden part cut off; leaving behind a thin, gray rock-looking substance.

Ash was nowhere to be seen.

Electra stared in pure shock, "_He- he already finished?_"

Ash pushed his way through the bush with a pair of Sitrus berries in his paws. He noticed Electra and smiled, "_Oh, hey. Looks like you finished._"

"_Y- yeah._" Electra said; still staring at the stripped umbrella in shock, "_You too._"

Ash shrugged, "_Yeah. It was just matter of cutting in the right places._" He walked closer, bit into one of the berries, and handed the other to Electra, "_Here you go._"

Electra accepted, "_Th- thanks._" She immediately bit into it and looked over the umbrella while still chewing, "_What did you do to your pencil?_"

Ash swallowed, "_That was one of the next steps. I used the scalpel to shave the tip down to just the lead. You have to be really careful not to cut yourself while doing that._"

Electra looked down sadly, "_So, you finished two hard steps and even went to get snacks, while I only finished one easy step._"

Ash chuckled softly, "_Actually, you should be proud of yourself._"

Electra perked up and looked at him in surprise, "_What?_"

Ash smiled softly, "_Well, yeah. I gave you a tool you knew nothing about and a task you've never done before. The fact that you finished as soon as you did is really impressive for a Pokémon. Especially one who lives in a place that's so isolated from humans. I bet anyone else in the tribe would still be trying to figure out how to open them._"

Electra stared at Ash in awe, "_I-_" She shifted to a soft smile, "_Thanks._" She took another bite of the Sitrus berry, "_So, wha's da nex' step?_"

Ash smiled, "_Assembling. We already have everything we need, so I'll be able to put together the iron._"

Electra swallowed and looked at him in surprise, "_Wait, seriously? Already?_"

Ash rubbed the back of head sheepishly, "_Yeah. I may have oversold the complexity of this project._" He straightened up and smiled, "_I'll take care of the iron in the tent. You can take care of cutting up the nylon out here. You need to-_"

"_Wait._" Electra interrupted with a raised paw, "_I figured out the plyers on my own. So, I wanna try to figure out the nylon too._" She smirked, "_I bet I'll figure it out in no time at all._"

Ash chuckled, "_Alright, deal. Still,_" Held up three fingers, "_at least let me give you some guidelines to follow. Some, for your own safety._"

Electra glanced at the pile of fabric and sweat dropped, "_Okay, fair enough._"

Ash stood back up, walked over to pick up the scalpel, and held it up, "_First. This is the tool you'll be using. It's called a scalpel and is designed for really accurate cutting._" He raised his other paw and pointed a digit at the blade, "_Never__ touch this end of it. It's way sharper than the copper wire and can cut into your body like it's nothing. The curved portion is what you use to cut stuff._"

Electra gulped, "_G- got it._"

Ash placed the scalpel down before picking up the metal rod bundle and pulling one out. He crouched down and drew a square in the ground with the stick, "_Second. This is about how big the sections you cut off should be. They can be a little bigger than this, but make sure they aren't smaller._" He drew another square around the first; about 1.5 times the size, "_We don't have unlimited materials, so try not to make them any bigger than this. And they don't need to be perfect squares._"

Electra nodded, "_Okay._"

Ash smiled before continuing, "_Third._" He moved a little further away from the first drawing and drew two additional squares; one had curved portions cut into the edges. He drew a few circles inside the regular square, "_The holes that are already in the umbrella cloth;_" He crossed the square out, "_make sure that none of them are inside any of the portions you cut out._" He drew a circle around the hole-edged one, "_You can through the current holes for weird looking edges or corners. That won't hurt anything._"

Electra stared in confusion before perking up, "_OH! Because we're using these to cover up the holes in my tent! If we use pieces with holes in them, then we won't have fixed anything!_"

Ash grinned, "_Exactly. You're a fast learner Electra._"

Electra smiled brightly, '_I-_' She smirked with a clenched fist, "_Alright. I'll get to work and be done in no time._"

Ash smiled, "_Good to hear._" He shifted to a serious expression; making Electra look at him surprise, "_But don't rush yourself. Take your time and be as careful as you can. I promised your brother that nothing would happen to you._"

Electra smiled softly and nodded, "_Got it. I'll take my time._"

Ash smiled softly, "_Thanks._" He grabbed the pencil and walked back into the tent; bundle still in his paw.

Electra took a deep breath before walking over to the scalpel and picking it up, "_Alright scalpel._" She smirked, "_Let's see what you can do._"

.

*Meanwhile; Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy

"CCHHAAAAA!" Misty squealed happily.

Pikachu sweat dropped with a sly smirk as he sat next to her, "_That kind of losses its impact after you do it eight times._"

"_I just can't help it!_" Misty cried out happily, "_I've never had everything so sweet in my life. It's like the world's best candy._" She bit into the berry again, "CHAAA!"

Clefairy giggled, "_Maybe. But it's not better than cotton candy._"

Misty laughed, "_Yeah. Right. Compared to this, cotton candy might as well be dirt._"

Pikachu flinched and gulped. Clefairy jerked and she straightened up; eyes shaded.

Misty's eyes widened in surprise, "_Huh?_"

Pikachu sighed and mumbled, "_Here we go._"

Misty looked at him, "_What?_"

Clefairy glared at Misty, "_Care to repeat that?_"

Misty flinched and looked at Clefairy frightenedly, "_U- um-_"

Clefairy stood up, "_I said,_" Her glare deepened, "_care to repeat that._"

Misty started trembling with a nervous smile, "_I- I mean, come on. I like cotton candy as much as the next guy, but-_"

"_Pikachu,_" Clefairy said, "_hold her._"

"_HUH?!_" Misty blurted out.

Before she could do anything, Pikachu appeared behind her in a white flash of Quick Attack and held her paws behind her back.

Misty looked back at him in shock, "_PIKACHU!_"

Pikachu frowned, "_Sorry. But you brought this on yourself by insulting Clefairy's favorite food. And I know better than to cross her._"

Misty paled and looked at Clefairy frightenedly, "_W- what are you gonna do to me?_"

Clefairy smirked wickedly.

.

*Brock, Soot, and Raichu

The Raichu continued giving Brock and Soot a tour of the tribe.

So far, they had already stopped by the training area and met the major elder. Brock ended up asking him as much about the tribe as he could think … and didn't get a single freaking answer. Turns out this tribe isn't too interested in history.

Their current stop was the tribe's 'hatchling care area.' Which was apparently in the dead center of the tribe grounds.

Raichu and the tribe's hatching caretaker -a female raichu- stood off to the side as Soot laid on the ground and acted as an entire jungle gym to the horde of baby mice. They were swinging on her tail, waving their paws around through her intangible claws, and climbing up her detached foreleg that was currently had its claws shoved into the ground. Also, she found the pichu she made friends with earlier. The little girl refused to leave her head.

Brock sat next to her and was pretty much just petting whichever pichu came over to him. He became popular fast.

"_I-_" The caretaker stuttered, "_I __never__ could have imagined meeting a mightyena like this._"

Raichu chuckled, "_Trust me. I thought the same thing at first. But she really has proven herself._"

"_P-Please! Stop!_"

Everyone flinched at the sudden shouting and looked towards the source. They found Pikachu holding Misty back while Clefairy tickled her mercilessly.

"_Clefairy! Please!_" Misty cried out while laughing against her will, "_I- I'm begging you!_"

"_What the Yvel?_" Raichu said while starring in shock.

Soot smiled slyly, "Heh. Misty must've insulted cotton candy."

Brock looked at Soot in surprise before looking back at the trio and gulping, "_Remind me to never cross Clefairy._"

The pichu on Soot's head looked down at her, "_What's a cottun canny?_"

.

*Inside Electra's tent; three hours later

"_I did it … I did it!_" Electra called out as she burst through the tent flap; holding up a piece of the umbrella, "_Ash! I did it!_"

Ash jerked awake and sat up, "_Huh?!_"

Electra blinked in surprise before deadpanning, "_You fell asleep after finishing, didn't you?_"

Ash rubbed the back of his and chuckled nervously, "_Guilty as charged._"

The female pikachu pouted, '_Show off._' She shook it off before smiling, "_So, where's the soldering iron?_"

Ash smiled and held up the makeshift heating device, "_Right here._"

The pencil had long strands of copper wire wrapped around the lead and stretching down the side of it, back through the original power cord cable, and out the end of said cable. The cable itself was tied to the pencil with yarn from a sweater that only had one sleeve. Well, zero now. The wire coming out the end of the cable was tied to one of the metal rods from the umbrella.

Electra stared at the iron in awe, "_Woooaaah._" She smiled brightly, "_Insane! How does it work?!_"

Ash chuckled and stood up, "_It'll be safer to show you outside._"

.

*Outside the tent

"_Now, tell me how it works!_" Electra said excitedly.

"_It's actually really simple._" Ash said with a smile as he held up the iron, "_Just give it some electricity._"

Ash bit down on the metal rod at the end and held the iron against a leaf that was being held by the plyers in his other paw. His eyes narrowed as his cheeks started sparking.

Electra's eyes widened in awe as the leaf started smoking. A few seconds later, Ash cut off the sparks and spat out the rod.

Electra smiled brightly and started trembling with excitement, "_So, awesome._" She stopped and perked upon realizing something. She cocked her head with a frown, "_Wait. What the tip or that silver part gets too hot? Wouldn't it catch fire and mess something up?_"

Ash chuckled softly, "_Actually, no. That's why we used a pencil as our base._" He held up the iron and pointed at the tip of the pencil, "_This gray rock-looking thing is commonly known as pencil lead. But really, it's mixture of clay and graphite. Two types of rocks that are a lot harder to heat up than copper. It would probably require a Blast Burn to really do some damaged to it._" He then pointed at the rod from the umbrella as it dangled from the pencil, "_And this is stainless steel. It conducts electricity pretty well and doesn't heat up nearly as much as copper._" He smiled softly, "_It's like I said, every step is essential._"

Electra smiled brightly, "_Insaaaane. So, all that's left is to bond the umbrella patches, right?_"

Ash smiled, "_pretty much._"

Electra started trembling with excitement, "_Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's do th-_" She cut herself off with a yawn.

Ash chuckled and walked over to her, "_How about we stop for the night? We could use some rest._" He looked up into the sky. It was a shade of bright orange, "_Besides, it's getting late._"

Electra flinched, "_N- NO! I'm not that tired! We can still-_"

"_Electra, it's okay._" Ash said with a soft smile, "_We don't have to finish everything today. We've made a lot of progress and have earned a break. If you want, we can get back to work early in the morning._"

Electra's ears drooped, "_But-_"

Ash put a paw on her shoulder, "_Maybe this'll help change your mind. Humans have a saying: Vale wasn't built in a day. That means that we take our time to make sure we do things right. Even if it means working for multiple days. If either of us are too tired and try to force ourselves to work through it, we'll mess something up._"

Electra looked at Ash in awe before nodding with a smile, "_Alright._"

Ash patted her shoulder, "_Good._" He tossed the soldering iron back into the tent before turning towards the bush and motioning for her to follow, "_Come on. If I know Soot, she already found a spot to set up camp. Brock, Misty, and our other friends should be there too._"

Electra looked at him in surprise, "_Wait, what?_"

Ash looked back at her in confusion, "_Huh?_" He perked up, "_Oh, crag! That's right!_" He lit up with Agility and shot into the tent. He reemerged a moment later with his backpack dragging behind him.

Ash sighed in relief before smiling at Electra, "_Thanks. I did not wanna forget this._" He started walking towards the bush again and looked back at her, "_Are you coming?_"

Electra frowned, "_No, I meant- I can come too?_"

Ash raised a brow, "_Well. If you want? Sure. There isn't really a reason you can't._" He pushed through the bush.

Electra smiled softly before chasing after him. The pair made their way through the tribe grounds.

"_Great. Her again._"

Ash's ear twitched and glanced towards a pair of pikachu.

"_Stay back, hatchling._"

"_Human loving freak._"

"_Why doesn't she just do everyone a favor and get caught already?_"

Ash's eye twitched.

"_Who the Yvel's that weird looking male with her?_"

"_Bet he's another one. Who else would hang around her?_"

"_Ugh. Seriously?_"

"_One was more than enough._"

Electra's ear twitched and she looked down sorrowfully, "_You know you don't have to walk so close to me, right?_"

"_Why?_" Ash asked as he continued looking ahead, "_Because of some jerks? Thanks. But I'm fine where I am._"

Electra smiled sadly, "_Thanks._"

Ash glanced at her worriedly, "_What do they have against you, anyway?_"

Electra sighed, "_Everything. My name, my interest in human, my tent. No one here gets me._"

Ash frowned, "_What about your brother?_"

"_He thinks it's just something I'll grow out of._" Electra mumbled before smiling sadly, "_I'm just grateful he doesn't call me a freak like everyone else._"

Ash smiled softly and put a paw on her back, "_Well you won't have to worry about that with any of us._"

"Ya got that right."

Electra perked up and looked ahead. Brock, Misty, and Soot with a female pichu on her head sat around a large pile of sticks and were looking over at her with a smile. Another pikachu and a clefairy were with them; also smiling.

The 1st evo Mouse and Fairy Pokémon walked over to her.

Pikachu smiled, "_You must be Electra. Brock and Misty told us about you._" He held out a paw, "_It's nice to meet you. Just call me Pikachu._"

Clefairy smiled and raised a paw, "_And I'm Clefairy._"

Electra smiled and shook his paw, "_It's nice to meet you two._" She looked at the rest of the group with a raised brow, "_What are you doing with all those sticks?_"

Soot smiled, "Setting up a campfire."

Brock smirked and held up a pair of sticks with various pieces of berries on them, "_And making berry kabobs._"

Electra blinked in surprise, "_Campfire?_" She perked up in realization, "_OH!_" She looked at Ash with a bright smile, "_We can use some of the copper wire for that, right?!_"

Misty blinked in surprise, '_Copper wire?_'

Ash smiled, "_Well, yes._" He held out a paw to point at the sticks, "_But, I think this'll work just as well._" Ash fired a condensed Thunderbolt from the digit on his paw and struck the wood.

Electra and Pichu stared in awe as the wood started smoking and, soon enough, caught fire.

Pikachu raised a fist in triumph, "_Woo! Kabob time!_"

He and Clefairy ran over.

Brock hand each of them one of the kabobs, "_Here you go._"

They happily accepted, "_Thanks Brock._" The pair ran over to the fire and held out the sticks over the campfire. Brock and Misty joined in soon after.

"_But-_" Electra stuttered while staring at the blaze in shock, "_But I thought you needed metal for electricity to make heat._"

Soot snickered, "Not exactly. You can use copper wire for precision heating, but we don't need to be that accurate when making something like a campfire." She perked up, blinked in surprise, and raised a brow, "Wait. How did you know that?"

Ash looked at Soot with a smile, "_We made a soldering iron._"

Misty and Brock flinched and looked over in shock, "_What?_"

Pichu tilted her head, "_Soding arn?_"

Soot looked up at her with a smile, "Sod-er-ing eye-ern. It's a little stick that can get really really hot at the tip when you shock it right. You can use it to melt certain stuff together."

Electra smiled brightly, "_It was insane! I used plyers to get the copper wire out of a power cord, Ash shaved down his pencil to put the thing together, and we used a scalpel to cut up the umbrella into patches!_"

Soot glanced around thoughtfully and mumbled, "Power cord, pencil …" She shrugged and nodded, "Yeah. That actually sounds like it would work. Did you already-"

"_We tested it on a leaf._" Ash jumped in with a smile.

Pikachu blinked in surprise, "_Huh. Neat._" He went back to focusing on his kabob.

Brock looked over at Ash, "_So, why did guys make a soldering iron, away?_"

Electra looked at him excitedly, "_To patch up my tent! We're gonna get it done in the morning!_"

Misty smiled, "_Awesome._" She picked up a kabob stick, walked over, and held out the stick to Electra, "_Now, come on. We can't keep this fire going all night._"

Electra smiled brightly and took it, "_Thanks!_"

.

**Short Time Skip**

The large group sat around the campfire and enjoyed in the warmth. Soot was curled up next to it with a content smile as well Pichu sleeping up on her back and Clefairy laying against her side; also asleep.

Ash, Brock, Misty, Electra, Pikachu, and Raichu -who joined them earlier- just talked amongst themselves. The current topic: what Clefairy and Pikachu did to Misty earlier.

Everyone -except Soot- laughed at the Cerulean pikachu. Soot just snickered softly.

Misty glared at them, "_It- It's not that funny!_"

Pikachu laughed, "_Sorry, Misty. But you brought it on yourself._"

Misty glared at him, "_How the Yvel was I supposed to know to keep quiet about cotton candy?!_"

Ash snickered, "_That wasn't the issue. Clefairy did that because you insulted it._"

Pikachu grinned, "_If you just said you preferred the berries, she wouldn't have had a problem with it._"

Misty looked at him; deadpanned, "_And you couldn't have just said that earlier?_"

Pikachu shrugged with a smirk, "_I didn't know that would happen._"

Misty pouted and crossed her arms, "_Can we please just change the subject, now?_"

Brock chuckled before looking at the other female pikachu among them, "_So Electra,_" she looked back at him, "_If you don't mind me asking, why do like humans so much?_"

Misty perked up, '_Thank you Brock._' She looked at her too, "_Yeah. I was kind of wondering that myself._"

Electra smiled, "_It happened back when I was a pichu._ _Brother was supposed to collect some special berries from deeper in the woods and he let me tag along._ _Along the way_, _we found one of those batteries I had back in the tent._" She chuckled, "_Neither of us any idea what the Yvel it was. Brother told me leave it alone._"

Pikachu smiled, "_I'm gonna guess that you didn't?_"

Electra chuckled, "_I did at first. But after he fell asleep, my curiosity got the best of me and I snuck away to find it._"

Raichu sighed, "_Not my proudest moment._"

"_I found it pretty easily and started messing around with it. When I tried chewing on it, it shocked me._" Electra smiled brightly, "_Literally. There was Electricity inside it._ _And that got me thinking. If humans could store electricity in little thing like that without using any moves, what else could they do?_" She smiled dreamily, "_I've heard stories from the caterpie. Creating fire with nothing but colorful sticks. Small, light-up boxes that talk to you. The crazy things they can see things and insane ideas they can have. And the way they can all look so unique without being seen as weird by the others of their kind. It's almost like the species doesn't have a base appearance._"

Ash chuckled softly, "_That's because it doesn't. Usually, two humans that look almost exactly like each other are twins. A pair of siblings that were born at the same time._" He stopped and reconsidered, "_Well, more like born within an hour of each other._" He looked back at Electra with a smile, "_And it's considered really rare when two humans look alike and aren't related. They're referred to as a doppelganger._"

Electra looked at Ash in awe before smiling and looking into the distance, "_Insane … humans really are amazing._"

Raichu blinked in surprise before smiling softly, "_I guess they really are._"

Misty raised a brow, "_Something else I was wondering. Why haven't you tried to join a trainer if you like them so much?_"

Electra sighed, "_Battles. I get that it's supposed to come naturally for Pokémon and it's something you have to do a lot when you have a trainer, but- I don't know._" She crossed her arms, "_I've never really been interested in training and stuff like that. It just seems boring. If I could meet a trainer who's okay with that- one who wouldn't force me to battle and just let me be-_" She stopped and sighed, "_Never mind. I'd have to be blessed Arceus themself to get that lucky._"

Raichu frowned and patted her on the back. Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu frowned and shared a look. Soot glanced over at her sorrowfully.

Electra noticed and her ears drooped, "_Sorry. I didn't mean to kill the mood._"

Ash perked up and smiled sadly, "_It's okay. I guess you are kind of right, in a way. There aren't a lot of trainers like that._"

"_Still,_" Brock said with a kind smile, "_I'm sure you'll meet human like that someday._"

Electra chuckled, "_Thanks._" She looked at the fire with a soft smile, "_I hope your right._"

.

*Later that night

Everyone had long since fallen asleep and were curled up next to or on Soot. Raichu had already taken the sleeping Pichu back to her meema and the fire had put out hours ago.

"_AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_"

Everyone shot awake.

"_What's going on?!_" Brock called out alarm.

Pikachu stood up and ran towards the tribe grounds, "_Come on!_"

Everyone else followed.

They came up to the grounds and their eyes all widened in shock. Every last one of the tribe's pichu, pikachu, and raichu were currently trapped under a giant net.

"_What the Yvel?!_" Misty cried out.

Clefairy stared in shock, "_Who on earth would do this?_"

Electra stared in pure horror at seeing everyone like this. Her eyes widened upon seeing Raichu struggling, "_BROTHER!_" She broke into a sprint towards the net.

Ash flinched and got in her way with Agility, "_Electra wait!_"

Electra glared at him, "_What are you doing?! We need to save them!_"

Ash nodded with a determined glare, "_Yeah! Agreed! But we can't rush in blindly or we might get caught t-_"

He was cut off by a set of laughter ringing out from across the clearing.

Ash's eyes widened upon recognizing the voices. He groaned, "_Should've guessed._"

Clefairy deadpanned, "_Never mind._"

"Son of a glitch." Soot groaned.

Pikachu pinched the bridge of his nose, "_They can't just freaking leave us alone, can they?_"

Misty deadpanned, "_Apparently not._"

Electra looked around the group in confusion, "_What?_"

Everyone flinched and shied away when a collection of spotlights lit up the clearing

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!" The red-head said as she appeared from behind a tree.

"James!" The blue-haired man followed in the same fashion.

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! Dat's- where are da twoips?" The Scratch Cat said as jumped down from the tree.

"Huh?" Jessie and James said before jumping down as well. The tRio looked around in confusion.

Brock stared at them in surprise, "_They're expecting us?_"

Electra looked at him in shock, "_You know them?!_"

Soot frowned, "They're called Team Rocket. They're a group of criminals who kidnap Pokémon illegally."

Ash's eyes narrowed, "_They've been after us for a long time because of our weird appearances. They think we're valuable._"

Misty looked at Ash in mild awe, '_Seriously. How does it make it look so easy?_'

Electra looked at Ash worriedly, "_But then, why are they attacking the tribe?!_"

Soot sighed, "They'll go after anything if they think it'll make their boss happy." She glared at the tRio, "We need to act fast. If they get their balloon, then we'll lose everyone." She glanced at her hindlegs 'Or be forced to get help from the others.'

"_Thunderbolt!_"

Everyone looked over to see Raichu unleash his attack on the net. But nothing happened.

Raichu's eyes widened in shock, "_What?!_" '_It didn't even burn a little?!_'

Meowth laughed, "No luck rodent!"

James smirked, "Your little sparks are no match for our new Pikachu-insulated seizure net. Save yourself some trouble and just give up."

Jessie smiled, "It's made from environmentally-safe material that absorbs electricity."

Soot sweat dropped, "Okay, I get the insulated thing, but why would they spring for biodegradable?"

Clefairy gulped, "_What are we supposed to do? We need to get them out somehow._"

Ash put a paw to his chin with a worried expression, '_It's an electric proof net, so we can't shock it. All of us are stuck in pikachu form and we can't let Team Rocket find out about the Change Lenses. If we bring out any of our teams, we'd be exposed on the spot._' He gritted hi teeth, '_NO! No. The tribe's safety is more important than-_'

"_I have an idea._"

Ash jumped and looked at Electra in shock. The others perked up and looked at her in surprise.

Electra flinched and gulped, "_Th- the soldering iron back in my tent. If one of us can get close, we can use it to burn and cut parts of the rope. Right?_"

Ash's eyes widened, "_Electra…_" He smiled brightly, "_You're a genius!_"

Electra's eyes widened and her mouth opened in shock.

Ash looked back at the others with a smirk, "_Alright guys! Here's the plan!_"

.

*Team Rocket

James looked around in confusion, "I guess they really aren't coming."

Jessie smiled with a clenched fist, "They must've finally realized we're not to be messed with!"

"PFFT HAHAHAHA!"

The tRio flinched and looked over to see Pikachu, Clefairy, and a laughing Soot a few feet in front of them.

"O- oh man!" Soot called out as she calmed down from the laughter, "I haven't heard joke that good in a LONG time."

James deadpanned, "Spoke too soon."

Clefairy glared at the Rockets, "_Let go of them, right now!_"

Meowth stuck his tongue out, "Not gonna happen!"

James perked up upon realizing something, "Wait a second. Where's the Phantom?"

"Chu pi!/_Right here!_" Ash's voice rang out from the shadows.

Meowth flinched and looked over right as a white beam struck him in the chest.

"Gah!" Meowth tumbled back across the ground.

Jessie and James looked back at him in alarm, "Meowth!" They glared ahead and pulled out their pokéballs before throwing them, "Arbok!" "Weezing!"

The Cobra and Poison Gas Pokémon appeared in a flash.

Meowth sat up and held his head, "Arbok! Weezing! Da phantom's in the shadows as a pikachu! He's got a Water-typed, White Beam style Hidden Powa!"

"_You sure about that?!_" Pikachu shouted with a sly smirk.

Another Hidden Powers shot out into the clearing. This time, it was red beam style.

Weezing cried out as they were struck.

"Weezing!" James cried out.

Jessie stared in shock, "What just happened?!"

Meowth stared in pure shock, "R-red beam style? He changed it?"

Jessie gritted her teeth, "So, what?! It just looks different, right?! That doesn't change anything."

"_N- no._" Weezing mumbled as he started levitating again, "_Something wrong. That Rock Attack._"

Meowth looked back at Weezing in absolute shock, "Wh- what?"

James looked at Meowth worriedly, "Meowth what is it?"

"_Wait!" _Clefairy called out cheerfully,_ "We have one more!_"

Meowth looked at her in shock. His eyes widened when a swarm of blue spheres shot past him and nailed Arbok.

"Chabok!" The Poison-type cried out as he tumbled back.

Meowth looked at him in horror, "b- blue sphere?" He flinched and looked at the Cobra Pokémon, "Arbok, what was the type?!"

"_D- Dark._" Arbok muttered as he slowly got back up.

Meowth's jaw hung upon in shock.

Soot sweat dropped, 'Dad's Dark, Misty's Water, and Brock's Rock. Of, freaking, course.' She shook it off and grinned, "Alright guys, we have our distraction! Let's trash 'em!"

Pikachu and Clefairy smirked and the trio charged the tRio.

.

*Electra

The Mouse Pokémon watched the battle from behind a tree and gulped, '_Woah. They're good._' She held up and looked at the soldering iron in her paw. She took a deep breath, moved the pencil to her mouth, and crouched down into a running stance.

Ash's words came to mind, '_This is going to take patience like before, Electra. Don't rush it. Keep your eyes on the two humans, Meowth, and the arbok and weezing they'll bring out. Wait until they're definitely distracted. And then-_'

Electra's eyes narrowed, '_NOW!_'

'_run at the net as fast as you can._'

Electra pushed off and shot towards the net.

A barrage Ash's Hidden Powers shot out of the trees and hit the ground in front of the tRio; kicking up a massive cloud of dust. Pikachu, Clefairy, and Soot broke through the cloud with Quick Attack, Dazzling Gleam, and Sucker Punch.

'_We'll cover you from the shadows. Don't stop for anything._'

Electra glanced at the battling Pokémon in awe, '_Insane._'

She made it to the net and jumped behind it; spitting the soldering iron into her paw in the process.

Raichu immediately noticed and called out, "_Sib-_"

"_Quiet!_" Electra blurted in a harsh whisper, "_If they know I'm here, then we're done for!_"

Raichu stared at her in surprise and nodded.

A pichu looked at her with tears in his eyes, "_Y- your gonna save us?_"

Electra nodded with a soft smile, "_Yeah._" She held up the soldering iron, "_With this._"

One of the pikachu glared at her, "_This isn't the time for-_"

"_Quiet._" Raichu interrupted them with a glare before looking back at his sibling, "_Electra. What can we do to help?_"

Electra looked at him in surprise before smirking, "_Don't touch my tool._" She moved the steel end to her mouth and bit down on it, "_Ya might get burned._"

One of the other pikachu blinked in surprise, "_Burned?_"

Electra grabbed at the net and pulled back at the rope. Her cheeks started sparking, she held the iron under the netting, and she pulled the tool up against it.

Raichu's eyes widened in awe as the rope started releasing smoke. As did most of the other pikachu.

Electra glared intently, "_Come on. Come on._" Her eyes narrowed and her cheeks started sparking more intensely.

The copper glowed bright red right as the rope snapped. The edges were still smoking.

"_Was that a Fire-type move?_"

"_I- I thought our kind couldn't learn those._"

"_What the Yvel is that thing?_"

The steel stick fell out of Electra's mouth as she started panted, '_Crag. I'm not strong enough._ _ I need more electricity._' She flinched when she felt something hook onto her tail. She looked over to see a raichu tail latched onto hers and followed to her brother.

Raichu smiled, "_That things takes Electricity, doesn't it? I may not understand why it works like that, but I'll give you as much as you need._" He gave a toothy grin and his cheeks started sparking, "_Go for it, sister._"

Electra's eyes shot open in shock, "_B- brother…_" She took a deep breath and tightened her grip on the iron, "_Alright._" She smirked as her cheeks sparked, "_Let's get to work._"

.

*Team Rocket

Deciding to cut their losses, Jessie, James, and Meowth retreated back to their balloon.

James held out a pokéball, "Weezing, return!"

Jessie followed suit, "You too, Arbok!"

The beat-up Poison-types disappeared in the red beam.

"Let's get out a here!" Meowth shouted.

"Roger!" James shouted as he pulled the cord to the flame. The balloon lifted off the ground and soared high above the air.

Jessie glared at the trio of Pokémon with a cocky smirk, "Nice try! But, it looks like we're still getting away! We win!"

Soot smirked with a raised brow, "Really?! That's a pretty weird looking win!"

Jessie blinked in surprise, "Huh?"

Meowth looked over the ledge with a worried expression, "Uhh guys?"

His Teammates followed his gaze and appropriately grimaced. All of the Electric-types had escaped from the net and were glaring at them angrily.

The tRio slumped forward, "Not again."

"_Everyone!_" Ash called out.

"_FIRE!_" The Omnitrix and Change Lens users shouted.

Meowth perked up in surprise, "What da-"

A gargantuan surge of electricity burst from the clearing and shot towards the balloon and caused the entire thing to explode violently.

.

*Blast-off scene

"Argh!" Jessie screeched; as she noticed the frizzy puff-ball her hair had become, "Look what those little freaks did to my hair!"

James had his arms and legs crossed; hair also frizzed, "We got hit with a lot of electricity."

Meowth remained silent and looked around the ground.

James noticed, "Everything alright, Meowth?"

Meowth frowned, "I can't see da otha twoips anywhere."

Jessie looked at him in confusion, "What?"

Meowth looked back at her, "Well, I heard dem a second ago. Didn't you guys?"

James and Jessie shared a confused look and shrugged.

Meowth blinked in surprise and looked back at the clearing, "Weird."

*ding*

.

**Time Skip**

After things settled down from Team Rocket's attack, everyone … went back to sleep. The tribe took the invasion surprisingly well. But, that's too easy.

Electra looked into the night sky with a thoughtful expression. She just- She couldn't wait until morning.

She stood up, walked over to the sleeping Dark-type, and started nudging here, "_Soot. Soot. Wake up._"

Soot groaned and looked at her; deadpanned, "Electra. It's late. Your tent can wait until the morning."

Electra shook her head, "_It's not that._" She frowned, "_It's something I've been thinking about for a while. I promise it's important._"

Soot sighed, "Fine. I'll wake up the others."

Electra raised a brow and then flinched when everyone laying against Soot suddenly fell through her. Everyone jerked awake almost immediately.

Ash glared at his hatchling, "_Really, Soot? It must be around four in the morning by now._"

Soot sighed, "Trust me, I feel the same."

Clefairy yawned before rubbing her eye, "_Den why'd you wake us?_"

Electra chuckled nervously, "_That'd be my fault. Sorry._"

Misty groaned, "_Well, what is it? It'd better be something good._"

Electra took a deep breath before smiling brightly, "_I wanna join you guys._"

Pikachu raised a brow, "_You're already with us._"

Electra shook her head, "_No. Join you when you leave. I wanna be a part of your group._"

Everyone else flinched; feeling much more awake. They all shared a worried look.

"_W-well_" Brock started, "_that's nice and all. But why? I mean- what about all your stuff?_"

Electra shrugged with a smile, "_I can bring some of it with me like you guys do. And it shouldn't be that hard to choose. Most of its just trash, anyway. Right?_"

Misty frowned, "_But, what about your brother? What would he say about this?_"

Electra smirked with a raised brow, "_What would he say about me joining a group of good beings who understand and accept me for who I am? I think he'd pretty happy for me._" She frowned, "_Unless-_" She looked around the group worriedly; ears drooping, "_Do you not want me to join you all?_"

Ash flinched and waved his paws defensively, "_No no no no. Electra. Don't get the wrong idea._" He stood up and put a paw to his chest, "_Look. We'd be happy to have you join us._"

"_But?_" Electra asked fearfully.

Ash sighed, "_But you don't know what you're getting yourself into by joining us. We're not-_" he glanced back at Brock and Misty, "_we're not … exactly what we look like._"

Electra perked up and blinked in surprise, "_Wait, that's what you're worried about?_" She smiled happily, "_Well then, I think we're good. I know you three aren't actually pikachu._"

Ash, Brock, Misty, Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy jerked and looked at her in shock.

"_WHAT?!" _Brock cried out in alarm, _"How did you figure out we were humans?!_"

Electra's smiled disappeared and her eyes widened in shock, "_Wait. You're what?_"

.

.

*******Pseudo-Comment Response*******

**(Guessing the deleted form)**

From RT89 (chapter 43):

**(Full response will be posted in next regular comment response)**

…Guess to the form: Anaditte, skinned so Adh wouldn't freak and disperse. Can't wait for more.

**Seishin: *game show announcer voice* Ooo Hoo Hoo! Not a bad guess Eighty-Nine-er! But, I'm afraid that's incorrect!**

**Yugo: While the idea of a skin-on Anodite form in the Omnitrix is both unique and fits the clues we gave, I'm afraid there is one minor flaw. **

**Anodite's don't have DNA. Just, something analogous to genetic material. Technically, that species can't exist in the Omnitrix.**

**This ****could**** be argued with the concept of the multiverse, but I'm sorry to say that Rob plans to keep 'no DNA' concept for this story.**

**Ohirume: Sorry. Still, I like the creativity in this one.**

.

From Lycoan wolf entity (chapter 43):

This has been running through my head for a while now, I know it's a stretch; but I'm guessing that deleted "human" form is something akin to Ultimate Ben from Ultimate Alien, and the shock caused the Omnitrix to glitch so badly that the form became permanently merged with Ash's DNA somewhat like a reverse of how the Galvanic Mechamorph DNA from the reboot Omnitrix had to use some of reboot Ben's DNA to become Glitch causing Power Integration to become a thing for Ash. The reason I thought of this was because it was never actually confirmed whether or not Ultimate Ben's Omnitrix was actually an Omnitrix or a recalibrated Ultimatrix that took on the form of it's predecessor after it's own recalibration. At least, as far as I know it was never confirmed...

**Seishin: … … 0-0 … … I … I am more speechless than Steve Harvey was when that guy screamed Nekkid Grammaw on Family Feud … and got it ****right****.**

**Yugo: *wide eyed shock* Yeah. No kidding.**

***shakes off shock* Still, sorry Lycoan. But that's incorrect. Also, GoldenGirlGalaxy guessed the Ultimate Ben 10K thing back on February 2****nd****.**

**Ohirume: Yeah. But, THIS- This is ****very**** impressive. If I were looking for ideas for the Integration trigger based on creativity and logical, thought out complexity, you would win by a ******* landslide.**

**Omega: Also, the Ultimate Ben thing was actually an alternate future where Ben kept the Ultimatrix. Main/Classic Continuity B10K is the one with the average Omnitrix followed by the Biomnitrix.**

.

From Reclusive Dork (chapter 43):

it's like Ultimate Ben, Isn't it. The human form, modified to hold select powers of the different forms in the watch. in other words, Power inheritance ash.

**Seishin: *game show announcer voice* So sorry, Reclusia! That is incorrect!**

**Yugo: Keep in mind it's an Omnitrix. Not an Ultimatrix.**

**Ohirume: I really didn't except Ultimate Human to be this common of a guess.**

.

From RT89 (Private Message):

**(Full response will be posted in next regular comment response)**

**(Permission was given by RT to put this here)**

… I got my brother involved with guessing the alien; he thinks osmosian, like Kevin and Aggregor, or the parent species of Michael Morningstar/DarkStar, I cant seem to find the official name. …

**Yukiro: *Game show announcer voice* Ring a ding ding ding! We haaaaaave a winner!**

**Ohirume: Well, done RT's brother. ****The correct answer was Osmosian.**

**Yugo: The Osmosian species was actually handpicked to be the Power Integration trigger. Their ability to absorb DNA and abilities is exactly why Power Integration does what it does.**

**Humanoid appearance, verified to exist in the Omnitrix -by Dwayne McDuffie again-, never even used by an 'alien watch' user, and has only been seen in the form of living specimens. Both good (Kevin) and bad (Kevin and Aggregor).**

**Omega: Also, there's a reason you couldn't find Morningstar's parent species. They were never revealed nor verified to be any kind of siphon species. Or even aliens for that matter.**

**Michael's a mutant human. Like Cooper, Zombozo, and the circus freaks.**

***shrug* Still, it's possible that some alien species was used to modify or give him his powers. But that's just speculation. We have no idea and may possibly never get a bona fide answer.**

**So, that wasn't a bad guess.**

**...**

**Edit notes: Ash initially butchered his last line of the chapter. / regular touch ups**


	45. Ch 39: Pikachu Tribe part 3

**Gem: Oh, yeah. That big group of pikachu. *frowns* I hope Trix's Pikachu doesn't actually leave.**

**Omega: Wh- what?**

**Faux: I, uh- I know what he's talking about. But, Gem, we are ****way**** past the point of worrying about something like that. Heck, Trix, Brock, or Misty may be ****adding**** a pikachu to one of their teams.**

**Gem: … Oh. Right. *nervous chuckle* Sorry.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Pi ka Chu Chu  
(****_It's a Chu's Life_****)**

.

"_You- you're all-_" Electra stuttered as she looked around the humans-turned-pikachu in shock, "_You- b_ _u- bu- I- how- hu- pi- you-_" She grabbed her head, "_Words- Not- Working!_"

Soot glared at Brock, "Nice one Slate."

Brock slumped forward and groaned in shame; ears drooping, "_crag…_"

Ash frowned, ran over to the Electric-type having a mental overload, and put a paw on her shoulder; making her flinch, "_Electra, please hear us out. I promise we can explain._"

Electra looked at him warily then glanced at Brock and Misty. She nodded slowly, "_O- okay._"

Ash took a deep breath before starting, "_For starters, there's this._" He slapped the watch's symbol on his stomach.

Lockdown Mode in-effect. Approximate time until release: one-hundred and five hours and eighteen minutes.

Misty sweat dropped, '_That long? Seriously?_'

Electra stared at the symbol in pure shock, "_Wha-_"

"_Five years ago,_" Ash continued; making Electra look him in the eye, "_I found this thing in a meteor. I don't know what is or where it came from, but it's the reason I can turn into,_" He gestured to his Mouse Pokémon form, "_this … as well as ten other Pokémon._" He pointed back at Soot, "_Like mightyena and banette._"

Soot nodded, "Yeah. We weren't lying about me being his daughter."

Electra continued staring in shock before setting her sights on Brock and Misty, "_But then…_" She trailed off.

Ash smiled softly, "_It's something similar._" He turned towards the pair and nodded.

Brock and Misty caught on and slapped the Lens symbols on their stomachs. Though, not at the same time.

LockLockdowndown Mode inMode in-effect-effect. ApproxApproximateimate timetime untiluntil release:release: one-hunone-hundreddred and fiveand five hours andhours and sevenseventeenteen minutes. minutes.

Misty sweat dropped as she looked down at the Lens, "_We probably could have timed that better._"

Brock sweat dropped as well, "_Yeah._"

Electra just stared in shock; unable to say anything.

Ash smiled softly, "_I call them Change Lenses. They let other humans turn into the Pokémon forms I have and were just finished a few days ago. I thought letting Brock and Misty use them to mingle with the tribe would be a good test run._"

Electra stared at the Ash in shock again before slowly turning to look at Pikachu and Clefairy, "_Then … does that mean your-_" She trailed off again.

Pikachu waved a paw, "_No. The two of us aren't human._"

Clefairy pointed at the hat wearing pikachu, "_Ash is our trainer._"

Electra jerked and looked at Ash in pure shock, "_You're a trainer?!_"

Ash blinked in surprise, "_Uh, yeah._" He gestured to Brock and Misty, "_All three of us are._"

Electra's jaw dropped before rapidly looking at Brock and Misty in shock and back Ash and so on. This continued for the next eight minutes.

Clefairy frowned, "_Do you think she's okay?_"

Brock's ears drooped, "_Hard to say._"

Soot sighed, "Regardless, this'll probably be the knockout."

Everyone looked at her in confusion -or, in Electra's case, shock- right as stood back up. Everyone jerked slightly when Brock and Misty's bags, and Ash and Brock's pokéball belts fell out of her and landed on the ground.

Electra stared in pure shock before she fell back and slipped out of consciousness.

Soot smirked, 'Called it.'

Pikachu and Misty looked up at Soot; deadpanned, "_Seriously?_"

Soot shrugged, "We were past the point of no return, anyway. Now, if you'll excuse me," Her eyes shifted back to their natural design, "I haven't eaten in over twelve hours." The Dark-type walked through the bushes and deeper into the woods before anyone could respond.

Clefairy raised a brow, "_Huh?_"

Ash looked back at the Fairy-type, "_Soot's had most of our gear in her body all day and had to keep most of her organs intangible to do so. She wasn't able to eat without the food falling through her stomach. Or her throat, for that matter._"

Brock sweat dropped and frowned, "_So, when she said she's built up a tolerance, it was for hunger pains?_"

Ash shook his head, "_Doubtful. She usually shuts off the parts of her brain that identify hunger when she does this. Forty-eight hours is how long she can hold her intangibility before her energy supply runs dry. Odds are the battle yesterday put her down to her limit._"

Misty sweat dropped, "_Sure…_" She looked over at the unconscious Electra, "_Would I sound like a jerk by asking to wait until morning to wake her up?_"

Brock looked up into the night sky, "_I think it's justified, this time._"

Pikachu yawned and laid back, "_Ditto._"

.

*The following morning

After waking up from a long night's sleep … in the middle of the afternoon, and finding Electra still unconscious, the group moved a little deeper into the forest to make sure they were out of earshot from the rest of the tribe.

They made the right call.

"_Trainers!_" Electra said in shock as she paced around the clearing; everyone just sat and watched as she did, "_Actual, genuine, __human__ trainers!_"

Brock raised a digit on his paw, "_Technically, I'm-_"

"_That can understand- NO! That can __Turn!_ _Into! __Pokémon!_" Electra continued before turning to and pointing at Pikachu, Soot and Clefairy, "_And you're their Pokémon! With pokéballs and trainer battles and … everything!_"

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_Just Ash is our-_"

Electra cut him off with an overjoyed squeal, "_INSANE!_" and smiled brightly, "_This is the best day of my life!_"

Misty sighed before looking at Electra with a raised brow, "_So, you're not mad?_"

The Electric-type looked at her in shock, "_MAD?! Of course, I'm mad! Why didn't any of you tell me sooner?! Did you not hear any of what I was saying yesterday?!_ _You are __literally__ the humans I was talking about! And, seriously! There are THREE of you?! What the Yvel?!_"

Ash rubbed the back of his head and chuckled nervously, "_Yeah. Sorry._" He smiled sadly, "_We're just afraid of how the tribe would react if they found out. You know how they feel about humans._"

Electra frowned, "_Well, sure. But-_"

Soot deadpanned, "And can you say without a doubt that you wouldn't have -in a burst of excitement- let the secret slip if we told you when we first met?"

Electra glared at her, "_Of course I-_" She stopped and looked downward thoughtfully. She sighed and crossed her arms with a pout, "_Okay, fine. You have a point._" She looked at the group with a worried frown, "_So, what do you say?_"

Clefairy tilted in confusion, "_What?_"

"_Can I join you guys?_" Electra asked; still frowning worriedly, "_You were really unsure before, and I've been hoping for something like this for a long time, and- and-_" She clenched a fist and bowed; eyes closed tightly, "_Please say yes! I'll do whatever you say! I'll start training to battle like your other Pokémon! I'll- I'll even change my name if-_"

"_Hey! Hey! Electra!_" Misty blurted out while waving her paws. She frowned, "_You don't have to do any of that._"

Electra's eyes shot open and she looked at them in surprise, "_R- really?_"

Brock smiled sadly, "_Of course. What kind of friends would we be if we forced you to change everything about yourself?_"

Electra's eyes widened, "_We- we're all friends?_"

Everyone jerked and shared a surprised look. They looked back at Electra and Pikachu asked, "_What the Yvel did you think we were?_"

"_I- I-_" Electra stuttered in shock.

Ash smiled softly, "_We'd be happy to have you join us, Electra. Exactly as you are._"

Everyone else nodded; also smiling, "_Ye_a_h._"

Electra started to tear up as she stared at the group in awe, "_You guys…_" She smiled softly, "_Thank you._" She sniffled and wiped away the tears, "_You have no idea how much this means to me._" She looked around hopefully, "_So, it'll really be okay if I don't battle?_"

Ash nodded, "_I promise it will. We're not going to force you to do anything you don't want to._"

Electra smirked and raised a brow, "_Anything?_"

Ash snickered, "_Anything within reason. We'll have to be a little strict every now and then._"

Brock smiled a raised a digit on his paw, "_Like with stuff that includes your health and well-being. Which will include some exercise to keep you in shape and maybe a little target practice to keep you in touch with your abilities._"

Electra blinked in surprise, "_That's it?_" She smiled, "_Okay, yeah. Deal._"

"Sweet." Soot said happily before shifting to a sly smile, "Still. If you ever want to start battling, we're not going to say no."

Electra smiled up at Soot, "_Never gonna happen._" She perked up upon realizing something and looked at Brock with a raised brow while pointing at Soot, "_Wait. Did she call you 'Slate' before?_"

Brock perked up, "_Oh, right._" He smiled and put a paw to his chest, "_My last name is Slate._"

Electra blinked in surprise. She sat down where she stood and stared at the group intently, "_Go on._"

Misty chuckled before smiling, "_My full name is Misty Waterflower._ _No middle name._"

Electra blinked in surprise, "_Humans can __not__ have a middle name?_"

Ash gave an unsure expression, "_Sometimes._" He smiled, "_Although, they can also have multiple middle names._"

Electra stared at him in bright-eyed awe. She shook it off and looked at them with an excited smile, "_Go on._"

Brock raised a paw with a smile, "_Brock Slate. Also, no middle name._"

Ash smiled, "_Ashton Satoshi Ketchum._"

Electra looked at him in surprise, "_Ash__ton__?_"

"Sometimes humans shorten one of their names for the sake of convenience." Soot said with a smile, "And my name Soot Ketchum."

Electra blinked in surprise, "_You and Ash have the same last name?_"

Soot snickered, "Well, duh. I'm his daughter."

Ash smiled, "_A last name can also be called a 'family name.' As the term implies, it's shared by everyone in a family. Mother, father, son, daughter, and sometimes other relatives._"

Electra pointed at him, "_Okay, we're coming back to that 'sometimes' part later._" She raised a brow; still looking at Ash, "_So you're the only one here with a middle name?_"

Ash smiled slyly, "_Not exactly._" He glanced at Soot. Electra perked up and followed his gaze. Pikachu and Clefairy blinked in surprise.

Soot glared at them, "No."

Ash pouted, "_Aw come on, sweetie._" He jumped up and put an arm behind Electra's back, "_You've seen how much she loves this stuff._"

Misty smirked slyly, ran over to Electra as well, and put an arm behind her back, "_Yeah. We're all friends here. Why don't you just tell us already?_" Misty looked at the other female pikachu with a smile, "_You wanna know too. Don't you Electra?_"

Electra looked Misty with a nervous smile and sweat dropped, "_Um. I- I guess?_"

Pikachu raised a brow, "_Soot has a middle name?_"

Clefairy smiled brightly, "_What is it?!_"

Soot glanced around the group with an annoyed glare. She groaned and mumbled, "lil…"

Misty put a paw to her ear, "_Sorry. We didn't hear th-_"

"LILIUM!" Soot shouted angrily, "My middle name is Lilium! Alright?!"

Brock stared at her confusion, "_…That's it? That's the name you've been so embarrassed about?_"

Misty sweat dropped, "_Yeah. That sounds pretty normal._"

Clefairy smiled, "_I like it. It sounds pretty._"

Soot grumbled and her eye started twitching.

Ash snickered, "_It was mom's idea. It's the technical term for a lily. In this case, a black lily known as the 'Lilium Night Rider'._" He glanced at Soot with a sly smirk, "_When she was a poochyena, mom called her 'little Lily pup'._" He raised a digit on his paw, "_Not to be confused with the actual species._"

**Ohirume: Credit goes to Wizzer96 for suggesting 'Lilium'. They were also the one who did the research to find it.**

Misty snickered, "_Okay. Now that's cute._"

"That's the problem!" Soot said angrily, "It's freaking embarrassing! What the Yvel kind of name is Lily anyway?!"

Misty deadpanned, "_Soot, that's my sister's name._"

Soot glared at her, "I mean for a mightyena."

Electra glanced around anxiously, "_Um._" She looked at Ash, "_So, about that 'sometimes' thing._"

.

*One and a half hours later

Eventually, everyone left the clearing and made their way back through the tribe grounds; en route to Electra's tent.

Electra led the way with a bright, overjoyed smile and a dreamy look in her eyes.

Soot looked at her with a smirk; eyes back to their inherent state, "I guess you're just a little bit excited?"

Electra spun around to look at the Dark-type as she started walking backwards; her smile never faltering, "_How could I not be? After so long, I'm finally going off with tra-_"

Ash started coughing. He recovered and cleared his throat, "_Sorry. I think I just __slipped up__ for a second._" He shot Electra a glance.

Electra grimaced, '_RIGHT! Secret!_' She perked up and forced a smile; albeit a nervous looking one, "_Y- yeah. I get it. No worries._" She recovered and shifted to a kind smile, "_I'm just really excited to join a pack of beings who really get me. It's like a dream is coming true._"

Misty smiled softly, "_I know what you mean._" She moved a paw to the Lens on her stomach, "_Sometimes life can surprise you like that._"

Ash glanced at her and smiled softly, "_Yeah._"

Electra spun back around and closed her eyes; back to her bright smile, "_I'm so happy that I don't even mind everyone whispering this time._"

Brock raised a brow, "_What whispering?_"

Electra blinked in surprise and she looked back at him with a raised brow, "_Do you seriously not hear all the-_" She stopped in her tracks -as did everyone else- and her eyes widened in surprise.

Pikachu looked around before his ears drooped, "_Now that you mention it, everyone's actually looking at us._"

Electra looked back at him in surprise before looking around the tribe.

All of the pikachu and raichu around the tribe grounds were giving her strange looks. And not the 'annoyed to be in the same clearing as her' strange that she was used. Everyone seemed more … unsure? There were a few of the regular annoyed or wary glares mixed in but they didn't seem as harsh as usual. Regardless, none of them said a word.

Electra blinked in surprise as she continued looking around and mumbled, "_What the-_"

"_Sibling!_"

Everyone looked over to see Raichu walking over to them with a raised paw and a smile.

Electra perked up, "_Hey brother._"

Raichu made his way over to them and smiled, "_Where are you all heading?_"

"_Back to my tent._" Electra stated matter-of-factly before glancing around again, "_Hey, what's going on with everyone?_"

Raichu frowned and crouched down in front of her, "_Electra, it's like I said before. Don't let them get to-_"

"_No. Not that._" Electra interrupted while shaking her head. She looked around again, "_I mean- no one's saying anything this time._"

Raichu perked up and looked around in confusion. He blinked in surprise, "_You're right._"

Misty stared in confusion before leaning closer to Pikachu and whispering, "_Do you have any idea what they're talking about?_"

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_Nope._"

"_I might have an idea._" Ash said sorrowfully.

Everyone looked at the hat-wearing Electric-type.

Ash looked back at Electra with a frown, "_You saved them all with the soldering iron. With stuff you got from humans. Given the way they've treated you and all your stuff up until now, that had to come as a surprise to them. They might be not sure what to think anymore._"

Electra's eyes widened slightly in realization. Raichu stared at Ash in surprise.

Clefairy blinked in surprise before pouting angrily, "_What do you mean they don't know what to think?! They should feel bad for treating her bad and should be treating her better now!_"

Misty nodded with a glare, "_Yeah! I'm with Clefairy! They should be grateful!_"

Soot nodded, "Agreed." She glanced at a pair of pikachu and her eyes narrowed; making them flinch slightly, "But pride's a real son of a glitch."

Pikachu pouted and crossed his arms, "_Well that's stupid._"

Brock frowned, "_No kidding. Even a simple 'thank you' would be better than nothing._"

Raichu looked around the group in surprise. He looked down thoughtfully before his eyes narrowed.

Electra smiled sadly and waved her paws, "_Guys. It's okay. Besides, soon I won't have to worry abou-_"

"_HEY!_"

Everyone flinched at and looked Raichu in surprise.

The larger Electric-type glared at surrounding tribers, "_Is this seriously how you're going to treat the being who saved you yesterday?!_" Raichu put a paw to his chest, "_My sibling is the reason any of us are even here right now! She stuck her neck for all of us and you're __still__ treating her like this?! You should all be thanking her!_"

The surrounding tribe's looks seemed to soften in shame. Most started rubbing the back of their necks or looking downward shamefully.

Ash, Brock, Misty, Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy looked at him with soft smiles.

Electra stared at Raichu in awe, "_b- brother…_"

"_Sure,_" Raichu continued with a frown, "_humans aren't something most of us are comfortable with and the idea of their stuff being useful isn't something we like to think about._" His eyes narrowed further, "_But if that's actually going to keep you from thanking the one who saved your sorry tails, then just go back to your nests already! Leave my sister alone!_"

The surrounding Mouse Pokémon flinched slightly. Most left the clearing immediately. Others lingered behind and glanced at Electra warily. But, eventually, they left as well.

Soot glared, "Cowards."

Clefairy pouted angrily, "_Rude._"

Electra smiled sadly and her ears drooped, "_Really. It's okay._"

"_'__xcuse me._"

Electra jerked slightly, turned around, and looked down to see a male pichu looking up at her curiously. Specifically, the same one that spoke to her during the attack.

Electra blinked in surprise, frowned, and crouched down, "_Hi. Y'know that your pa- um, meema might not want you talking to me. Right?_"

Pichu tilted his head in confusion, "_But, meema's okay with it._" He looked back and waved, "_Hi meema!_"

Everyone followed his gaze and found a male pikachu a few feet back. The pikachu chuckled softly before waving back. Electra's eyes widened slightly.

Pichu looked back up at Electra with a kind smile, "_I wanted thank you for saving us._" He walked closer and hugged her, "_So, thank you._"

Electra looked down at him in shock before hugging him back, "_Y- your welcome._"

Pichu let go and ran back to his meema. The male Electric-type crouched down to pick them up. The pikachu looked back at Electra with a soft smile and nodded. He then started walking out the clearing with the hatchling in his arms.

Electra stared in awe as they left, "_in- insane._"

Brock smiled, "_Well, it's a start._"

Ash walked up to Electra and patted her shoulder; snapping her out of it, "_That's something you'd have to get used to if you were staying._"

Raichu looked at him in surprise, "_Wait, what?_"

.

*Shortly later; Electra's tent

"_Wait! What?!_" Raichu blurted out while staring at Electra in shock.

Electra smiled brightly, "_Isn't it great?! I'm even gonna get to bring along my stuff!_" She stopped, blinked, and looked back at the group, "_Right?_"

Ash chuckled, "_Yes. You can bring along your stuff._"

Misty glanced around at all of the items and sweat dropped, "_Still. You might want to be a little picky. There is __a lot__ in here._"

Electra chuckled nervously and rubbed the back on her head, "_Yeah. You might have a point._"

Raichu continued staring at Electra in shock, "_Y- you're really leaving?_"

Electra looked back at him and smiled sadly, "_Yeah. I've been thinking about it for a while and asked them last night._" She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "_I mostly came back here to pack._" She looked up at her brother worriedly, "_Are you mad?_"

Raichu jerked and crouched down in front her, "_No. No. Electra, of course I'm not mad. I knew you'd leave the tribe someday. I just- I didn't expect it to be so sudden._"

Electra smiled sadly, "_Yeah … me neither, I guess. So, you're really okay with this?_"

Raichu smiled softly and pulled her into a hug, "_I promise I am. Everyone has to leave the nest someday. And I'm happy you found a pack like this, sib- sister._"

Electra smiled softly and hugged him back, "_Thank you, brother._"

"_Although, if I'm being honest,_" Raichu continued with a sly smirk, "_I always kind of expected you to go off with a trainer._"

Electra flinched slightly and glanced to the side, "_Uh … yeah._"

After a few more seconds, the pair separated and Raichu walked over to the group.

Raichu looked at Ash and crossed his arms, "_Is it safe to assume you're the leader of this pack?_"

Ash blinked in surprise, "_Um._" He looked back at Brock and Misty. The pair shared a look and shrugged. Ash looked back at Raichu, "_Yes._"

Raichu held out a paw to Ash, "_Then I guess you already know what I'm going to say._"

Ash nodded with a smile and shook his paw, "_Yeah. I promise to keep Electra safe. You have my word._" His smile softened, "_And, if it's any consolation, we weren't planning to leave today. We can stay for up to three more days._"

Raichu's eyes widened slightly before he smiled softly, "_Thank you._"

.

**Short Time Skip**

A little while later, everyone decided to split up again. Ash, Electra, and Raichu chose to stay back in the tent.

Misty, Brock, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Soot decided to head back into the tribe grounds. Although, they hadn't left just yet.

Pikachu looked back at Ash, "_Are you sure you don't wanna join us?_"

Brock looked at them as well and frowned, "_Yeah. Aren't you worried about missing out on anything?_"

Electra flinched slightly and looked at Ash. Her ears drooped as she frowned.

Ash smiled and waved a paw, "_Guys, I promise it's fine. I want you all to enjoy yourselves while we're here._"

Clefairy frowned, "_Are you sure?_"

Ash nodded with a soft smile, "_Positive._" He set his sights on the Water and Rock trainers "_I know you were excited to do this and I don't want you to miss out on anything._" He slung an arm across Electra's back and grinned, "_Besides, who else is gonna help Electra pack?_"

Raichu sweat dropped and raised a paw. He stopped and looked around the tent before sweat dropping, "_Okay, yeah. Fair enough._"

Misty chuckled, "_Alright. Have fun, you two._"

Soot smirked, "See ya."

Everyone left through the tent flap.

Raichu glanced at Electra before perking up. He ran up to Ash and Electra, "_Sorry, but I'll be back in a bit._" He ran out of the tent before they could respond.

Ash sweat dropped, "_Okay?_"

Electra looked at Ash; ears still drooping, "_Hey, uh- they kind of have a point. You don't have to miss out on anything for my sake._"

Ash looked at her with a raised brow and a smirk, "_Is that what you think I'm doing?_" Electra's eyes widened slightly as Ash looked back at the flap and continued, "_Don't worry. I've done this kind of thing before when I was younger. Brock and Misty haven't. All of this is a brand-new experience to them, and I want them to enjoy it as much as possible._" He looked back at Electra with grin, "_Besides, I've got something I wanna show you before we leave._"

Electra perked up in surprise, "_Wait, really?!_" She smiled brightly and started trembling with excitement, "_Well, what are you waiting for?! Show me!_"

Ash chuckled before pointing a thumb at a large box in the tent, "_Well, it involves that._"

Electra looked where was pointing and blinked in surprise, "_That thing?_" She looked back at Ash, "_Soot called it a microwave, right?_"

Ash looked at her with a smile and nodded, "_Yeah._" He looked back at the box before something occurred to him. He back at Electra with a raised brow, "_Have you tried opening it by chance?_"

Electra looked at him in surprise before pouting angrily, "_Okay, for real. How much of my stuff could open all this time?_"

Ash chuckled, "_I'll take that as a no. Come on._" He made his way over to the microwave.

Electra followed him. As she did, she looked around the inside of the tent. She soon spotted something that made her stop in her tracks.

Ash stood in front of the microwave and looked back at Electra with a smile, "_So, we'll be-_" He stopped and blinked in surprise, "_What is that?_"

Electra smiled sadly as she stared at a AA battery in her paw, "_It's just the battery I was talking about._" She looked around the inside of the tent and her ears drooped.

Ash looked at her worriedly, "_Are you okay?_"

"_Y- yeah._" Electra said before looking back at the battery in her paws with a sad smile, "_I think it's only just hitting me about what's going on._" She looked around at the holes in her tent, "_Just yesterday, we were working on finding a way to fix this thing._ _ And now I'm getting ready to leave it all behind._" She jerked and looked at Ash with panicked expression, "_Not that I'm second guessing going along with all of you! I just-_" She glanced to the side, "_It's a lot to take in all at once._"

Ash smiled softly, walked back over to her, and placed a paw on her shoulder, "_Trust me. I understand. I only left home a few months ago._"

Electra stared at Ash in surprise, "_How did you deal with it?_"

"_I made sure I was prepared._" Ash responded; still with a soft smile, "_And I had my friends there to help._" He put a paw to his chest, "_Just like how you'll have us._"

Electra stared at Ash in awe before smiling and pulling him into a hug, "_Thanks Ash._"

Ash hugged her back, "_Your welcome._"

And then, Raichu came back.

"_Hey._" Raichu said as he pushed through the tent flap; making Ash and Electra flinch, "_Sorry about th-_" He stopped and stared in surprise, "_Am I interrupting something?_"

Ash and Electra quickly separated.

The female pikachu waved her paws defensively, "_I- it's nothing brother._" She ran up to him and grabbed his paw, "_Come on. Ash is gonna show us how the microwave works._"

Raichu raised a brow, "_MicrowAAH!_" He cried out as Electra started pulling him over to the appliance. Ash walked over to it as well.

Electra sat down and smiled brightly, "_Alright! Now show us!_"

Raichu stared in confusion before sitting down next to his sibling.

Ash smiled sadly, "_First, I should probably say this. We can't use the microwave._"

Electra flinched and looked at him fearfully, "_What?! What's wrong with it?!_"

Ash waved his paws, "_There's nothing wrong with it._" He gestured to the machine, "_Microwave ovens are powered by electricity. And not in a way that we can supply._" He walked around the back and reappeared a moment later with the power cord in his paw, "_This is how you get power to them._"

Raichu raised a brow, "_What is that?_"

Electra looked up at him, "_An electrical cord. There's a lot of copper wire in it._" She perked up and looked at Ash excitedly, "_Are we making another soldering iron?!_"

Ash chuckled, "_Actually, we're not making anything._"

Electra pouted, "_Aww._"

Raichu sweat dropped, "_So, uh, what does that cord-thing do?_"

Ash smiled and held up the end of the cord, "_See these shiny parts at the end? They're what you feed the electricity into to power the microwave. Countless human-made machines are powered like this._" He focused on Electra, "_Including human-made soldering irons._"

Electra smiled brightly and her tail started wagging, "_Insaaaane._"

Raichu just stared in confusion, "_So, why can't we just do that? It sounds like we just need to shock it like that heating-thing you made._"

Ash smiled sadly, "_That's easier said than done. The soldering iron we made was only powered by a single continuous stream of electricity. Machines that run using electrical cords aren't as straightforward._" He held up the end of the cord again, "_The silver parts each stand for something. Positive. Neutral. And ground since this one has three._"

Raichu raised a paw, "_Um-_"

"_Not ground as in Ground-type or dirt._" Ash stated, "_In this case, ground means inorganic metal that take in electricity and safely get rid of it. Similar to the Lightning Rod ability._"

Raichu put his paw back down.

"_Each part of the plug needs a specific electrical charge and/or lack thereof._" Ash continued, "_Without a power supply that can sync up with this cord, we can't turn on the microwave._" He put a paw to his chin, "_Technically, we could train ourselves to create condensed jolts of electricity of the exact electrical charges required and set up a kind of stand to act as the ground._" He sighed and shrugged, "_But, that would require an amount of work that would ultimately defeat the purpose._"

Electra looked down sorrowfully, "_Aww man._"

Ash smiled, "_Don't worry. Turning it on was never our goal._"

Electra looked back at him curiously, "_So, what are we doing with it?_"

Ash smirked, "_We're tearing it to pieces._"

Electra and Raichu's eyes widened in shock, "_…huh?_"

.

*Meanwhile; Brock, Misty, Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy

The quintet made their way to the tribe's training grounds for a little … well, training. Luckily, they had the entire area to themselves.

**Omega: *eye roll* Because of course they did.**

"_So,_" Misty said, "_now that things have settled down a little bit._" She looked around the group with a bright smile, "_Can we talk about how awesome yesterday was?!_"

Soot gave with a small smirk, "I didn't think you liked Team Rocket attacking us that much."

Misty glared at her; deadpanned, "_You know that isn't what I meant._" She smiled again and held out her paws, "_Just look._" Her eyes narrowed slightly as a ball of white energy appeared in her paws. Misty smiled brightly as she stared at the ball in awe, "_Hidden Power! We can actually use an attack!_" She held out the sphere to Pikachu, "_And mine's even Water-type!_"

Pikachu flinched and pushed her paws away, "_Please don't point that at me._"

Brock smiled and held out his paw too, "_I know what you mean._" His paw became engulfed in red energy and his smile brightened, "_It's unbelievable. I've never felt a rush of energy like this. I almost can't believe we pulled it off._"

Soot smiled, "It's not as surprising as you may think. Hidden Power is one the most common and easy to learn attacks in existence. Out all Pokémon, only sixteen species can't be taught the move. And in most cases, that's only before their final evolution." She glanced upward thoughtfully, "The only real exceptions to learning it … sort of are ditto, smeargle, the wynaut line, pyukumuku, and unown. Ditto can only know Transform. Smeargle can only learn Sketch; which can lead to Hidden Power. Wynaut and wobbuffet can only learn defensive, delayed reaction, and retaliation-based moves. Unown know Hidden Power from birth and can't learn anything else. And pyukumuku…" She raised a brow, "No one really knows."

Soot looked back at the Gym Leaders with a smile, "It was even the first move dad figured out how to use after getting the watch … before Power Integration." She shifted to a sly smirk, "Even without any primary move training, it'd be incredibly embarrassing if you guys couldn't even draw on the power to use it. Especially since it was already in your move set."

Misty glared at the canine. She sighed, dispelled her Hidden power, and crossed her arms with a cocky grin, "_Y'know what? I don't care. I can use a Water-type attack and nothing you say is going to ruin that for me._"

Soot snickered, "Alright. Fair enough." She straightened up and smiled, "So, training. How do you wanna-"

"_SOOT!_"

Everyone flinched and looked over to Soot's pichu friend running over to her excitedly.

Soot smiled, "Hey, Pichu!" She laid down and, almost immediately, the Tiny Mouse Pokémon jumped up and climb onto her head. Soot sat up and smiled up at her, "What brings you out here?"

"_That would be me._"

Everyone looked over again to see Raichu standing there with a raised paw as he glanced at Soot warily. To clarify, it's the raichu that intercepted them at the tribe's entrance yesterday … Guard Raichu.

Raichu looked back at them with a stoic expression, "_I brought her here to practice Thunder Wave. I didn't expect anyone else to be here._"

Soot blinked in surprise, "Thunder Wave? Really?" She looked up at Pichu and smiled, "Well, look at you learning some big girl moves."

Pichu raised a paw and cheered, "_Yeah! I'm gonna be super duper strong even before I evolve!_"

Soot chuckled softly before perking up and looking at Raichu with a smile, "Hey, how about we help? She can spar with Misty."

Misty perked up and looked at Soot in surprise, "_Huh?_"

Raichu frowned, "_Are you sure that's a good idea?_" He glanced at Misty warily, "_They seem a little out of her league._"

Soot smirked, "I wouldn't worry. Misty's only attack is Hidden Power and it's Water-type."

Raichu blinked in surprise and stared at Misty in shock, "_Seriously? You don't even know Thunder Shock?_"

Misty crossed her arms and pouted, "_Hey. Everyone learns at their own pace._"

"_Still,_" Raichu said a raised brow, "_our kind know Thunder Shock from the moment we hatch. Even if you've forgotten that attack, Hidden power can't be the only thing you can use._"

Misty and Brock jerked and shared a nervous look, "_Ummmm…_"

Clefairy flinched, ran in front of Misty, and gave a nervous grin, "_Well, there's a really good reason for that. It's- uh-_"

"She's out of practice." Soot jumped in with smile, "Remember? We spent a lot of time around humans and some of us fell out of practice." She gestured to Brock and Misty, "Namely these two. They have other moves but Hidden Power's the only one they really remember how to use."

Brock and Misty sweat dropped as they looked at the Dark-type; deadpanned.

Raichu blinked in surprise, "_Wow. That is… really… really sad._"

Misty's eye twitched, "_Yeah. Sure._"

Soot snickered before looking up at Pichu with a smile, "So, what do you say kid? Wanna spar with Misty?"

Pichu smiled brightly and pumped a fist, "_Yeah!_" She moved around and slid down Soot's back; laughing the whole way. She landed and looked up at Soot excitedly, "_You're gonna stay and watch right?_"

Soot smiled, "Of course." She perked up upon and frowned realizing something, "Oh, uh- Actually, there's something I need to do first. I'll be back soon." She vanished on the spot.

Pichu frowned and her ears drooped, "_Awwww._"

Raichu blinked in surprise and looked at Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and Clefairy in confusion, "_What was that about?_"

Pikachu raised a brow, "_Honestly, no idea._"

.

*Meanwhile; Ash, Electra, and her brother

"_Bu- but how-_" Raichu stuttered as he stared at the detached microwave window in shock. It was currently propped up against the outer shell of the microwave. Every so often he poked it and flinched, "_How does this even work?_" He looked back at Ash, "_You __swear__ this isn't a screen style Reflect, Barrier, ice or some kind of rock?_"

"_Yes._" Ash responded; deadpanned, "_The only attacks that __may__ have been used in making that were Fire-type attacks. It's molten sand that's been cooled down._"

Raichu blinked in surprise before staring back at the glass pane, "_Insane…_"

Ash sweat dropped, "_I expected you guys to be impressed. But I really didn't think your brother would be __this__ mesmerized by glass._"

Electra looked at him with a bright smile, "_Yeah, but come on! A human made material that you can see through, looks like ice, and is made out of _sand_?! That's so freaking awesome!_"

Ash looked at her with a smile, "_Well, get used to seeing it. Humans use glass all over the world for all sorts of projects. The odds of going to a town or city and not finding any glass are slim to none._"

Electra started trembling excitedly right down to her tail and looked up dreamily, "_Insaaaane._"

Ash chuckled softly. He jerked and his ears shot up when he heard something touch the ground. He turned around and flinched slightly when he saw Soot poking her head through the tent wall and place his and Brock's belts on the ground next to Brock's bag. She then stuck her head in further and Misty's bag fell out of her neck.

Soot took a deep, slow breath before mumbling, "Arceus, I missed breathing normally." She glanced over at Ash and flinched when she saw him looking back.

Ash blinked in surprise before looking around at the others in the tent. Raichu was still distracted by the window and Electra was still staring off into space dreamily. Ash looked back at Soot and shrugged.

Soot smiled nervously before disappearing back through the tent wall.

Ash glanced at Electra and sweat dropped, '_Good timing, I guess._' He shrugged it off and shook Electra's shoulder.

Electra snapped her out of her trance looked at him curiously, "_What is it?_"

Ash smiled, "_Partially making sure you're okay._" He walked over to the microwave and pulled out a gray box-looking thing, "_That and I need help pulling apart the magnetron._"

Raichu jerked and looked at Ash in shock, "_We're doing __what__ to a magneton?_"

Ash snickered, "_Magne__tron__ not magne__ton__._" He put the box down, "_This thing. It's the heart of a microwave._" '_Thank Arceus Franz let me stare at everything in his kitchen._'

Raichu's eyes widened in shock and he glanced at the stripped microwave warily, "_heart?_"

Ash sweat dropped, "_Not literally. The microwave was never alive to begin with. Even before Electra found it._" He sighed and patted the magnetron, "_What I mean is that this thing is what makes a microwave a microwave. Without the magnetron, it'll never work._"

Electra smiled brightly as he said all that. She leaned in closer, "_So how do we pull it apart?_"

Ash smiled and removed his paws from the device, "_I just need you to hold it steady._" He held out his paws as lit up with Brick Break, "_I'll take care of the rest._"

**Ohirume: Caution! All of the steps that Ash, Electra, and Raichu will and have gone through require electrical protection.**

**These precautions are ****ONLY**** being ignored in this story because the ones doing everything are Electric-types.**

**If you want to even consider trying this, ****look up a video like I did.**

Electra ran over excitedly. Raichu followed suit; albeit much slower.

After a few awkward seconds of the two of them putting their paws all over the magnetron and trying to figure out how to hold on to it-

"_Stop._" Ash jumped in with a raised, glowing paw, "_That'll do. Just stand still._"

Electra and Raichu nodded.

Ash walked up and clamped his paws onto the inside and outside of the side and started grunting. Electra and Raichu stared in awe as the metal started warping outward slightly. Ash let go and sighed in relief.

"_Insane._" Electra muttered; still staring in awe.

Raichu blinked in surprise, "_Woah. I'm impressed._"

Ash looked at him with smile, "_Thanks, but I'm done yet. Just hold it a little bit longer._" He shook of the glow on his paws, grabbed onto top of the box, and yanked as hard he could.

"_WAH!_" Ash cried out as he immediately fell back with the cover still in his paws; making Electra and Raichu flinch. Ash blinked in surprise, looked at the cover in confusion, and mumbled, "_Huh. Looser than expected._"

Electra ran over to him with a worried expression, "_Are you alright?!_"

Raichu ran over as well; equally worried, "_You're not hurt, are you?!_"

Ash raised a paw, "_Don't worry. I'm fine._" He sat back up and tossed the cover to the side, "_I was just caught off guard._"

Electra sighed in relief before smiling, "_So, what's nex-_" She stopped and blushed when her stomach started growling.

Raichu chuckled, "_How about we stop for lunch?_"

Electra frowned, "_But-_" Her stopped and held up her paws, "_No, wait, right. Vale wasn't built in a day._"

Raichu blinked in confusion, "_Huh?_"

Ash snickered, "_It's nothing._" He walked over to the tent and looked back, "_Come on. We can collect some berries._"

Electra looked at him with a bright smile, "_Can we have Pokémon food too?!_"

Ash smiled, "_Of course. I'll get it out when we get back._"

Electra pumped a fist, "_Yes!_" She ran through the tent flap immediately, "_Let's hurry!_" Ash chuckled and ran after her.

Raichu flinched and ran after them, "_Wait! What's Pokémon food?!_"

.

*Tribe Training Grounds

Soot and Raichu sat off to the side as Brock, Misty, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Pichu got some training in.

After Misty got thrashed by Pichu … four times, Brock took over sparring with the hatchling. This gave Misty the chance to finally start learning how to walk on all fours. Pikachu stood to the side to observe give her pointers, and Clefairy was cheering her on the whole time.

Raichu stared at Misty and the others in shock, "_She- she doesn't even know how to walk properly?_"

Soot snickered while stilling looking ahead, "Humans are exclusively bipeds." 'more or less' "Like I said, we spent a lot of time around them."

Raichu sweat dropped, "_Freaking Yvel. I didn't really think human influence could have this much of an effect on our kind._"

Soot snickered again. She shifted to a sad smile and glanced at Raichu, "So, uh, are you still on the fence about me."

Raichu looked at her in confusion, "_Fence? Like offense or defense?_"

Soot chuckled, "No sorry." She smiled sadly again, "I mean- are you still worried about me being here? You said you'd be keeping an eye on me."

Raichu stared at Soot warily for a moment. That broke when he groaned in annoyance and put paw to his forehead, "_No. I gave up on that when I saw you with the hatchlings yesterday._" He glanced up at Soot, "_I admit it. You really aren't a threat. You proved that even more by helping us all last night._" He sighed and looked down shamefully; ears drooping, "_And I'm sorry for treating you like that before._"

Soot smiled softly, "Thanks. Still, I understand where you were coming from." She looked down sadly; ears drooping, "My kind aren't exactly in the top ten list for loving and easy Pokémon."

Raichu looked up at Soot sorrowfully. He looked back at Pichu -who was currently giggling wildly at Brock as he twitched from Paralysis- and smiled softly, "_Then I suppose its lucky that you're the mightyena who's visiting our tribe._"

Soot smiled softly before following his gaze, "Yeah. I guess it is."

Brock had just gotten back to his feet. After a moment, Pichu into her natural fighting stance and Brock took up a fisticuffs-like fighting stance.

Pichu smiled slyly before putting their paw to their mouth and looking at Brock cutely with a twinkle in their eye, "Pichu…"

Brock smiled softly, "_aww- AHHH!_" That was interrupted by the immediate Thunder Shock. He fell back in a daze; eyes in swirls.

Pichu laughed wildly.

Pikachu overheard, looked over, and sweat dropped; deadpanned, "_Brock. For the last time. __Stop. __Falling. __For Charm._"

Misty snickered before she slipped again and fell onto her face. "_Crag!_" Misty cried out; voice muffled by the dirt.

Clefairy smiled with a determined glare and clenched her hands into fists, "_Don't worry, Misty! I'm sure you'll get it on the next try!_"

Misty pushed off the ground and glared at her, "_You said that the last thirteen times._"

"_And at some point, I'll be right!_" Clefairy reassured happily.

Misty groaned and her ears drooped.

Soot snickered before looking back at Raichu, "Hey, one more question. Why, exactly, were you the one who brought Pichu here?"

"_I'm her sibling._" Raichu stated casually.

Soot blinked in surprise, "Oh."

.

*Electra's tent

"_Sho good!_" Electra squealed happily while devouring the bowl of Pokémon food.

Ash chuckled before popping a piece into his mouth and biting into a Pecha berry, "_Yea'. An' da berries really add some ex'a f'avor._" He gulped, "_Sorry. I meant extra flavor._"

Raichu glanced at the pair curiously before looking back at his own bowl. He picked up a piece and sniffed it curiously. He tilted his head, "_Huh…_" before eating the piece.

Raichu squeaked and his eyes widened in shock.

Ash and Electra looked over at him.

Electra blinked in surprise, "_What the Yvel?_" She stood up and ran over to him. Electra looked up at her sibling in confusion, "_Are you alright, brother?_"

Raichu just continued staring off into the distance.

Ash sweat dropped with a smirk, "_I think the Pokémon food made his brain short circuit._" He squinted, "_Luckily, figuratively._"

Electra blinked in surprise while looking back at Ash before looking back at Raichu. She cocked her head, "_Huh. So, that's what it looks like from the other side._" She looked back at Ash, "_By the way, why are we taking apart the magnetron?_"

"_I thought you might like to keep the magnets._" Ash said before he bit into the Pecha berry again.

Electra jerked and frowned worriedly, "_Like from a magnemite?_"

Ash snickered, "_Well, yes. But the magnets I'm talking about aren't from any Pokémon. They're an inorganic, human-made kind._"

Electra jumped and stared at Ash in awe, "_Humans can make magnets too?!_" She smiled brightly, "_Insane! How do we get it out?!_"

Ash smiled, "_At this point, pretty easily._" He stood back up, ran over to the magnetron, and started pulling at a thick, metal ring that was around a copper-looking pole. With one final grunt Ash yanked it out and stumbled a bit as he tried to keep his balance.

As Ash pulled out the ring magnet, a pair of washers flung off the pole. One of them hit Raichu in the head and snapped him out of it.

Raichu looked around in shock, "_What the-_"

Ash recovered, sighed in relief, and held up the ring magnet, "_And here we are._"

Electra stared in shock, "_That's really a magnet?!_"

Raichu looked over in surprise.

Ash nodded with a smile, "_Yeah. And there's actually one more to get out._"

Electra stared trembling excitedly. She shot over to what was left of the magnetron and held it in place, "_Well what are we waiting for?!_"

Ash chuckled, "_Alright, alright._" He ran over to his bag and pulled out Calm Mind tool case. He pulled the wire cutters, "_But we will need these._"

"_Yeah, yeah, whatever! Come on already!_"

Ash chuckled and ran over.

Raichu looked at the pair curiously as Ash shook the center … thing in the magnetron and started pulling at it. After a few second Ash pulled out the thing; leaving behind two long, curled stretches of … brown, metal string? The final evo noticed the 'washer' that looked like it was covered in gold flakes and stared at it intently. He glanced at Ash and Electra before reaching over and picking it up.

Raichu failed to notice Ash glancing back at him from the corner of his eye.

Electra perked up and stared at the 'string' in surprise, "_Wait! Is that copper wire?!_"

Ash looked at her with a smile, "_Actually, yeah. I probably should have mention that you can find it in almost anything electronic. Not just cords._" He grabbed the wire with the digits on his paw and started rubbing it between them, "_And this kind isn't as sharp as the kind in wires. But you still have to be careful at the tips._"

Electra's eyes started sparkling as she stared at the wires in awe, "_insaaaaaaane…_"

Ash snickered before looking at her with smirk and raised brow, "_You really like that word, don't you?_"

Electra snapped out of it and looked at Ash in confusion, "_Huh? What do you mean?_"

Ash blinked in surprise before sweat dropping and glancing to the side, "_Uh, nothing._"

The male pikachu quickly cut the wire as close to each end as he could. He removed the second magnet before he picked up the first again and held out both to Electra, "_And here we are. Two ring magnets._"

Electra looked at them with a massively bright smile, "_So cool._" She reached out to them slowly, "_C- can I-_"

Ash chuckled before handing them to her, "_Of course. They're yours, after all. We got them out of __your__ microwave._"

Electra squealed happily before quickly taking them and stared at them in awe, "_Awesoooome!_" She held them a little too close to each other and they snapped together; making Electra flinch. She stared in awe, "_Woah._" She smiled brightly again, "_So insane._"

Ash smiled happily, "_I know, right?_" He raised a finger, "_And they can attract a lot more than each other._" He pointed toward a pile of Electra's stuff, "_I bet a lot more of your stuff would be drawn to them pretty easily._" He walked closer and whispered, "_But please stay away from mine, Brock, and Misty's bags; Soot brought them here earlier. There's stuff in them that can get really messed up if magnets get too close to them._"

Electra nodded excitedly. She immediately ran towards a pile with the magnets still in her paws.

Ash smiled softly before frowning, turning towards, and walking over to Raichu.

Raichu noticed and looked over at him in confusion, "_H- hey. Is everything alright?_"

Ash crossed his arms, "_Possibly. Though, that depends on why you took that ring._"

Raichu flinched. He frowned and pulled the piece in question out from behind his back "_I was … curious. I- I thought it seemed pret-._"

Ash sighed, "_Stop it. A know a lie when I hear one._"

Raichu flinched and glared at him, "_I- I'm not-_"

"_And._" Ash interrupted with a raised paw, "_Even if that were true,_" He glared at the piece, "_that's a magnetron gasket with beryllium in it. If it breaks it'll produce a powder that'll become airborne like a small Stun Spore. If anyone inhales that powder, they'll contract a dangerous illness and might not survive without someone who knows how to treat it. Namely, human doctors._"

Raichu's eyes widened in horror. He looked at the piece fearfully before slowly putting it on the ground and pulling his paw away quickly.

Ash sighed and looked at Raichu sorrowfully, "_Okay, look. You haven't given me a reason to not trust you, so just tell me the truth about why you wanted it. I promise I'll hear you out._"

Raichu frowned and glanced at Electra worriedly. She was still testing out the magnets against everything shiny.

Ash caught on and nodded. He looked back at Electra with a smile, "_Hey, Electra! Your brother and I are gonna head outside for a bit._"

Electra waved back at them without looking, "_Yeah, cool, have fun._" She smiled brightly and thought out loud, "_I wonder if the fork or spoon are magnetic._"

Ash sweat dropped, '_She might not like the answer._'

He turned towards the flap and motioned to Raichu to followed. After they left, Electra pouted and her ears drooped, "_Aww._"

.

*Ash and Raichu; one quick explanation later

Ash blinked in surprise, "_That's why you wanted it?_"

Raichu rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "_Yeah. Misty suggested it._" He chuckled nervously, "_Although, I guess that ber- berry- uh_"

"_Beryllium._" Ash stated.

"_Yeah that._" Raichu said before smiling sadly, "_I guess it'd be a pretty bad idea to use that._" He jerked and looked at the tent fearfully, "_Wait! It is safe for Electra to be in there with that thing?!_"

"_You mean this?_" Ash asked while holding up the gasket.

Raichu stared at Ash in shock, "_Wh- when did you-_" He shook his head, "_No. It doesn't matter._" He raised a brow, "_How do we get rid of that without hurting anyone?_"

Ash put his paw down, "_Don't worry. I have a safe place to put it and a method to get rid of it after we leave the tribe._"

Raichu sighed in relief before smiling, "_Thank you._" He frowned, "_So … about that other thing._" He looked at the tent worriedly.

Ash smiled and waved his paw not holding the gasket, "_Don't worry. I won't tell Electra._" He put his paw on his hip, "_And I think I have an idea on how to help. Though, it'll take some work._"

Raichu stared at Ash in surprise before smiling and nodding, "_Alright, what do I have to do?_"

.

*The next day; afternoon

"_Why do we have to go the training grounds?_" Electra whined to Ash and Brock as they walked beside her, "_I told you I didn't wanna do any battling._"

Brock smiled, "_And you won't have to. But Misty said she wanted to show us something._"

Ash smirked, "_Besides, even if you won't be battling, you'll at least have to get used to sitting through everyone else training. Mine and Misty's teams are mainly battlers after all._"

Electra perked up and looked at Ash in surprise, "_Just yours and Misty's?_" She looked back and forth between him and Brock, "_But I thought all three of you were trainers._"

Ash smiled, "_We are. But, not all of us have the same goals._" He put a paw to his chest, "_My dream is to become a Pokémon Master. It's basically a title for a high-ranking trainer who's well-known for their battling abilities. Which often involves a league champion title._" He looked ahead again, "_Misty wants to be a Water Pokémon Master. It's like a regular Master but with that person mainly using Water-type Pokémon._"

Brock smiled with a raised paw, "_And I'm training to be a renown Pokémon breeder. We're trainers who focus a lot less on battling and more on caring for and raising Pokémon. We still train our Pokémon to be battle ready but that's mainly to keep them in shape or when the situation requires it. Most breeders rarely battle for sport._"

Electra stared in awe as Ash and Brock said all this, "_I- I didn't know there were different kinds of trainers like that._"

Ash chuckled and crossed his arms, "_Yeah. And there are still tons of other professions. Professor, coordinator, performer, connoisseur, watcher, and so many more that I can't even count them all._" He looked back at Electra with a soft smile, "_All of them have different interests and ways of training. Even among others of the same profession._"

Electra stared at Ash in awe before looking ahead with a dreamy smile, "_Insaaane._"

Ash smiled softly, '_Good._' He looked back ahead, '_This should give Raichu plenty of time._'

The trio made it to the training grounds and found Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy waiting for them.

Pikachu smirked and crossed his arms, "_'Bout time._"

Brock smirked with a raised brow, "_Hey. We didn't take that long._"

Electra perked up, blinked in confusion, and looked around, "_Hey. Where's Misty?_"

Ash looked at Brock with a raised brow, "_Yeah. You said she wanted to show us something, right?_"

Brock looked around in confusion, "_I, uh- Good question._"

Soot smirked, "She said she wanted to get a running start."

Brock perked up, "_Oooh._" He smiled, "_Yeah. That makes sense._"

Ash and Electra looked at Brock in confusion, "_Huh- WOAH!_"

They were cut off by a white flash zipping past them and shouting, "_COMING THROUGH!_"

Ash kept an eye on the flash as it zipped around the training grounds. It shot around the entire area while running in random, zigzagging directions and even ricocheting off the trees and rocks scattered around. Eventually, it shot back towards the group and skidded to a halt; kicking up a small cloud of dust.

It cleared to reveal Misty on all fours, grinning cockily, and panting softly, "_So. What do you think?_"

Electra blinked in surprise, "_The thing you wanted to show us was you learning Agility?_"

Ash looked at the long-haired pikachu and smiled, "_Also her running on all fours._" He looked back at the viridian-eyed pikachu; still smiling, "_I have to admit, that was impressive. Especially for someone who's only been a pikachu for three days._"

Misty smiled excitedly, "_Would you say vaporeon-impressive?_"

Electra titled in confusion, "_Huh?_"

Ash looked at Soot, "_Has she been doing this all day?_"

Soot nodded with a smile, "As well as a decent portion of yesterday and all last night." She snickered, "She's even been eating without using her hands."

Misty glared at Soot, "_Hey, I wanted to make sure. Vaporeon don't use their paws to eat either._" She looked back at Ash, "_Soooo?_"

Ash looked back at Misty with a grin, "_Yup. I think you've earned it._"

Misty smiled brightly, got back on her hind legs, and raised her fists in triumph, "_YES!_"

"_Yay!_" Clefairy cheered. She ran over to Misty and pulled her into a hug, "_I knew you could do it Misty!_"

The Water trainer smiled softly and hugged her back, "_Yeah. Thanks, Clefairy._"

When they separated, Misty smirked and pointed at the watch's symbol on Ash's stomach, "_You hear that, Vaporeon?! You are __mine__ in-_" She slapped the Lens on her stomach.

Lockdown Mode in-effect. Approximate time until release: forty-six hours and three minutes.

Misty stared at the Lens and sweat dropped, "_Two days._" She shook it off and smiled, "_Ah whatever. I'm gonna be a vaporeon in two days and nothing's changing that._" She looked Ash in the eye and her eyes narrowed, "_Right?_"

Ash chuckled, "_Yes. They're all yours. I'm a man of my word._" He pointed at her, "_Still, I'd like to ask that you practice switching back and forth between biped and quadruped for random occasions until we time out. That way, you don't become more comfortable with one than you do the other._" He raised a digit on his paw, "_If you're mainly going to be using a quadruped form, it's important that you don't forget how to walk in either fashion._"

Misty blinked in surprise, "_Huh._" She shrugged, "_Okay._"

Electra looked around in confusion, "_I, uh- I have no idea what you're talking about._"

Pikachu smiled at her, "_Vaporeon is one of Ash's other Pokémon forms._"

Ash looked over as well, "_And Misty's been wanting to use it ever since I finished the Change Lenses. Water Trainer, remember?_"

Soot looked over too, "Vaporeon are exclusively quadruped so we wanted to make sure Misty was ready. Your kind's dual-pedal properties have been helping ease her into it."

"_Oh._" Electra said with a small nod.

.

*Back at the tent

Raichu sighed in relief while wiping the sweat off his forehead. He looked down with a smile, "_Alright. It actually looks decent._" He blinked in surprise and looked down thoughtfully, "_Wait. Didn't Ash say something about-_" He perked up and his eyes widened in realization, "_Oh, right!_"

He jumped to his hind paws and looked around the tent, "_Where did he say-_" He cut himself off by snapping and pointing at the destroyed oven, "_Microwave!_"

He ran over to the device and looked inside the cavity.

The large Electric-type smiled, "_There you are._" He looked around a bit and his eyes widened in surprise, "_What the- He made __those__ in a minute?!_" He sweat dropped, "_Freaking Yvel._"

Raichu shook it off and reached into the cavity.

.

*Later; still at the tent

Electra looked over the sprawled-out, sleeveless sweater in confusion, "_We're actually using __this__ to carry my stuff?_"

"_Sort of._" Ash said with a smile as he had the umbrella's completely bare pole over his shoulder, "_We're gonna use these as a bindle._"

**Mizuro: The ****'s a bindle?**

**Seishin: Hobo sack. :I**

**Illavera: Wha- That's what they're called?!**

**Ohirume: Yup.**

Raichu sweat dropped, "_Uh, sure. Whatever that means._" He looked back at the sweater, "_Is there a limit to how much it can hold?_"

Ash looked at him, "_Not in terms of weight. Soot can lighten it as much as we need._" He walked over to a pile and dug around for a moment, "_But, in terms size,_" He pulled out a plastic bag. He stared at the bag intently before tying a small knot in the bottom of it.

Ash held the bag out to Electra with smile, "_However much we can fit in this all at once._"

Electra stared at the bag in shock, "_That much?!_" She looked Ash in the eye with a bright smile, "_Really?!_"

Ash grinned and handed her the bag, "_Yup. Go nuts._"

Electra took the bag excitedly and ran over to one of piles.

Ash chuckled before walking over to Raichu. He turned back to watch Electra right as she found the soldering iron. "_Made any progress?_" Ash whispered.

Raichu nodded with soft smile and whispered back, "_Yeah. Tons. I really can't thank you enough for helping the way you did._"

Ash smiled softly, "_You're welcome. Where is it now?_"

"_Your hatchling is holding on to it for me. She and your sibl- sister came by and left before the two of you got here._" Raichu replied, "_Misty already helped me test the length and showed me how to put it on._"

"_Perfect._" Ash responded; still smiling, "_I'm sure she'll love it._"

Raichu looked ahead with somber smile; ears drooping, "_I really hope you're right._"

Ash smiled softly and patted the larger Mouse Pokémon on the back, "_Hey. She will. I'm sure of it._"

Raichu took a deep breath before smiling softly again, "_Thank you._" He reached up to scratch his cheek nervously, "_Still, I'm not sure what to do for the last piece._"

Ash glanced at him, "_What do you mean?_"

Raichu sighed, "_I mean what it should look like or what to make it out of._" He smiled, "_But, luckily, Soot said she'll be able to cut out whatever I choose._"

Ash chuckled softly, "_Yeah. She's a pro with intangibility._" He looked back at Raichu with a soft smile, "_Don't overthink it. Just make it something you that'll make Electra think of you. Something simple, but meaningful._" He raised a digit on his paw, "_As for the material, some kind of rock would probably be best._"

Raichu looked at Ash in surprise. He looked down thoughtfully and mumbled, "_Something, that'll make her think of me. Some kind of-_" After a moment, his ears shot up and his eyes widened in shock.

Ash smirked, "_You thought of something._"

Raichu smiled brightly and jumped to his hind paws, "_Yeah!_" Electra flinched and looked over in surprise. "_I'll be back later!_" Raichu called out as he shot through the tent flap with Quick Attack.

Electra stared at the tent flap and blinked in surprise, "_What was that about?_"

Ash looked at the tent flap with a raised brow, "_Uh … something about a Rock-type, I think?_"

Electra raised a brow, "_Weird._"

Ash shrugged and looked back at Electra, "_So, how's packing going?_"

Electra smiled brightly, "_Great!_" She held out the bag, "_Take a look!_"

Ash walked over and looked into the plastic bag. Inside he found the soldering iron (obviously), the folding fan that Misty used to knockout Electra, the bundle of stainless steel rods from the umbrella, the leftover copper wire from making the soldering iron and that they extracted from the microwave, the ring magnets, three cassette tapes that seemed to have less cracks than most of the others, the fork, the spoon, the stainless steel thermos, and a small stack of the cut up nylon from the umbrella.

Ash smiled, "_Alright. Nice work._"

"_Thanks._" Electra said happily. She shifted to a sad smile and her drooped, "_Still-_" She looked back.

Ash followed her gaze and found the AA battery sitting on the ground. He smiled softly, "_You're more than welcome to bring it._"

Electra sighed, "_But it doesn't do anything. It ran out of electricity a long time ago. All of them did._" She looked down with a sad smile, "_It's no more important than any of the others._"

Ash smiled softly, before walking closer, and placing a paw on Electra's shoulder; catching her attention, "_It's important to you, Electra. It has sentimental value and that's what makes that battery more important than any of the others._" He shifted to a sly grin, "_Beside, one little battery isn't gonna take up any space. You can even put it in the thermos if you're that worried._"

Electra looked at Ash in mild awe before smiling softly, "_Thanks._"

.

*Tribe Training Grounds

Soot laid curled up near the edge grounds with a relaxed smile. Pichu showed up again and was currently curled up Pichu on Soot's back; sleeping peacefully. Guard Raichu rested up against her with relaxed smiled and his paws behind his head.

In the middle of the field, Misty continued practicing Agility by racing Pikachu. The score was currently zero to nine. But some of the races were admittedly close.

Brock worked mostly on Brick Break by sparring with Clefairy. He actually managed to win one on the matches … with Clefairy taking the other seven.

Soot took a deep, calming breath, "This is the life."

"_Yeah._" Raichu said happily.

"_sooooot._"

The Bite and Mouse Pokémon both blinked in surprise and looked off to the side. They found Electra's brother running towards them on his hind paws; looking like he had he had something in his forepaws.

Electra's brother ran up to them; panting with a bright smile, "_I- I've got it._"

Pichu's sibling raised a brow, "_Got what?_"

Electra's brother held up a jagged rock, "_This. For Electra._"

Soot's eyes widened in surprise, "Wha- where did you find that?"

Guard Raichu looked Soot in the eye, "_It's from the caves where we go to collect Thunderstones. We find those weird of rocks sometimes, but they don't really do anything. So, we usually don't bother bringing them back to the tribe._" He looked back at the other raichu, "_They look neat, though._"

Electra's brother nodded with a smile, "_Yeah. That's why I want to use this._" He focused on the Bite Pokémon hopefully, "_Will it work?_"

Soot smirked happily, "Yvel, yeah. It's- I couldn't imagine a better material for this." She stopped and reconsidered, "Well, within reason." She smiled at Raichu, "Have you thought of a design?"

The Mouse Pokémon nodded with a smile and raised a paw towards his head, "_This._"

Soot sweat dropped and deadpanned, "Yeah. I'm gonna need more of an explanation than that."

.

**Time Skip**

The next day came around seamlessly. The group's final day in the tribe and the day Electra leaves home.

Soot already had the bindle phased into her body … alongside her spine. The bag itself was halfway in her chest and throat; between Ash's and Misty's bags.

A few of the tribe members came to see them off. Well, five of them, really.

"_I don't you to goooo!_" Pichu whined while hugging Soot's foreleg and tears streaming out of her eyes.

Soot smiled softly and nuzzled her head up against the hatchling, "I know. But I have to." She licked her head, "It's just the way things are."

Pichu looked up at her with big sad eyes; ears drooping, "_But why can't I come with you?_"

Guard Raichu sighed and looked at her sorrowfully, "_I'm sorry, sibling. But you're still too young to join a pack. No matter how big it is, you need to be at least a month old._"

Brock stared at Raichu in shock, '_She not even a month old yet?!_'

"_It's not faaaiiir._" Pichu whined before sitting down with very sad pout; ears drooping.

Soot crouched down to look her in the eye and smiled softly, "Hey. It's not that bad. Sure, I'm leaving, but you still have a lot of other friends here in the tribe."

Pichu looked down with her cheeks puffed in a pout, "_I guess…_" She jumped up to hug Soot's snout, "_But, I'm still really really really __really__ gonna miss you._"

Soot smiled softly, "And I'll miss you too."

The other pichu hugged Electra while his meema stood off to the side with a soft smile.

Pichu looked up at the long-haired pikachu happily, "_Thanks again for saving us miss Eleka._"

Electra chuckled softly, "_You're welcome._"

The pikachu walked up and smiled sadly, "_Thank you. I'm sorry to see you go with everyone else still … y'know._"

Electra grinned, "_Hey. It's fine. I'm just grateful you showed up._"

The pikachu chuckled before picking up their hatchling and walking back a little.

"_Electra._"

The 1st evo Electric-type looked over at her brother and smiled softly. She started walking over and held up her paws, "_Don't think I'd forget about y-_"

Raichu raised a paw, "_Wait._"

Electra stopped and blinked in surprise, "_Huh?_"

Raichu smiled softly, looked towards Soot, and nodded. The Dark-type smiled and started walking over to him.

Electra looked around warily, "_Wha- What's going on?_"

Soot glanced at her with a soft smile and looked at Raichu, "Right foreleg."

Raichu nodded and held out his paw.

"No, my right. That means your left."

Raichu chuckled nervously, "_Oh._" He reached into the other leg and started feeling around. After a moment, he pulled out a-

Electra's eyes widened in shock, "_B- brother … wha- what is-_"

Dangling from Raichu's paw was a long necklace with a charm on the end the size of their Electric sacks. The cord was made of tied-together, multicolored wires that Electra remembered seeing in the microwave. They were all connected at the ends with the electrical tape -that Ash showed her yesterday- covered up ay exposed copper wire. At the tips of the cord were a tiny ring and a thin, bending hook; both covered in electrical tape.

The charm was made of a translucent rock that almost reminded her of glass. It was in the shape of a Kantonian and Alolan raichu ear attached at the inner, straight portion and in the shape of a heart.

Electra stared at the necklace in absolute awe, "_Wha-_"

Raichu smiled softly, "_The others called it a necklace. Remember? You said that if you ever evolved, you'd want to become an Alolan Raichu. Since I already evolved, I thought making this for you would be good way for you to remember me._"

Electra looked up at Raichu in awe, "_you- you __made__ this?_ _for me?_"

"_I didn't do it alone._" Raichu said before looking at group, "_Misty gave me the idea to make a necklace, Ash taught me how to make it and made the hooks, and Soot cut out the charm._"

Ash shrugged, "_Still, Raichu put the whole thing together on his own._"

Soot smiled, "And he chose the charm design."

Misty crossed her arms with a soft smile, "_The most I really did was help make sure it would fit a pikachu._"

Brock smiled and pointed at the charm, "_The charm is made of a rock called quartz. It's very heat resistant, doesn't conduct electricity at all, and is a tough as concrete._"

Clefairy smiled happily, "_And it's really pretty._"

Pikachu nodded, "_Yup._"

Electra looked around the group in awe. She looked back at the piece of jewelry; still in awe.

Raichu smiled softly and held up the necklace with an end in each paw, "_Here. Turn around and I'll put it on you._"

Electra looked at Raichu in surprise. She quickly turned around.

Raichu walked over and brought the necklace up the front of her neck, "_Hold your hair up._"

Electra complied without question. Raichu hooked on the necklace and let go. Electra let go of her hair and looked down at the dangling gem.

Raichu walked around and looked at her with a soft smile, "_What do you think?_"

Electra held up the charm and stared at it in absolute awe. She began tearing up and her lips stared to quiver.

Raichu grimaced and waved paws, "_Oh no! Electra please don't cry! I know it could be better! I- I'll work really hard to make something el-_"

He was cut off by Electra running into him lightly and pulling him into a hug. She smiled sadly as tears flowed down her face, "_Its perfect._"

Raichu stared at his sibling in surprise. He smiled softly and hugged her back, "_I'm gonna miss you._"

Electra sniffled and hug him tighter, "_I'm gonna miss you too. I love you, brother._"

"_I love you too, sister._" Raichu replied softly. He started tearing up as well.

After a solid minute, the pair separated and stared at each other with sad, tearful smiles.

Raichu put his paws on Electra's shoulder and licked her on the forehead, "_Promise you'll stay safe._"

Electra chuckled lightly before getting on the tips of her hind paws and licked Raichu on the cheek, "_I promise._"

The pair hugged again.

Everyone else smiled softly.

Soot laid down and rubbed her head up against Ash. Ash smiled softly and leaned his head against her snout. The rest of the group crowded around the canine.

Two more minutes passed, and the sibling pair separated again. They nodded and Electra started walking over to the group.

Ash smiled softly and held out a paw to their new teammate, "_Are you ready, Electra?_" Everyone else looked over at Electra as well; also with a soft smile.

Electra glanced back at the tribe. Pichu and his meema were both waving at her with happy smiles. Guard Raichu waved with a calm smile while his sibling waved with both paws.

Raichu was waving with a soft smile.

Electra smiled sadly and put a paw on her necklace's charm. She looked back at the group and grabbed Ash's paw, "_yeah._"

.

.

**The new comment response will be posted on "Random-ish stuff on the side" on 3/25/2020 at approximately 11:00 p.m. Central Standard Time.**

**…**

**Omega: *Sniffles while holding a shotgun to Seishin's head* Bring up me crying again and we repeat that Britain Animal Shelter PSA.**

**Seishin: *gulps* Got it.**


	46. Ch 40: Omni Paras?

**Omega: Are you sure about this?**

**Ohirume: Not by a whole lot, but I thought we could go ahead and get this one over with. Also, I couldn't think of a way to make this episode interesting.**

**Omega: The readers didn't seem too fond of it last time.**

**Faux: *pouts* It wasn't that bad.**

**Luke, Pike, and Laura: *simultaneous nod while glaring***

**Ohirume: *sigh* Will you four just go already?**

**Omega: Fine. *sci-fi portal sound* Come on guys! *Jumps***

**Illavera and Mizuro: WOO! *Jump***

**Nuevo: *sweat drops before jumping***

**Ohirume: *looks at readers* Alright. You all can probably guess what's about to happen. So, I apologize in advance.**

**Omega: *pokes out of portal* Also, B.F.P., go ahead and get that 'decent chap' comment ready.**

***sci-fi portal sound***

**Ohirume: I don't own Pokémon, Ben 10, FLCL, Kill La Kill, Akame Ga Kill, Parasyte, Castle, or Naruto.**

**And, once again, I'm sorry.**

.

.

**Paras, Parasect, Parasyte (the mushroom bug wants to evolve, why?)**

.

"_COME ON OUT!_"

Sixteen pokéballs burst open as all of Ash, Brock, and Misty's Pokémon appeared in a flash and looked over at their trainers. Most perked up in mild surprise upon finding four pikachu and Clefairy in front of them. Even more surprising was the fifth pikachu staring at Ash's inflated pool in bright eyed awe.

Muk blinked in surprise, "_What did we mi-_"

"_We're sorry!_" Ash, Brock, and Misty blurted out while slumped forward in shame.

The released Pokémon all stared in confusion.

"_What?_" Geodude asked.

Brock looked back up with a sad smile, "_We're sorry for leaving you all in your pokéballs for almost five days. We were preoccupied and couldn't let you out._"

Charmander's eyes widened slightly.

Pidgeotto stared in confusion, "_We- what are you-_"

Misty raised a digit on her paw, "_And__ we know that that doesn't excuse making all of you go hungry like that._"

Krabby raised a claw with a deadpanned expression, "_Okay, seriously. What are you ta-_" The River Crab Pokémon was cut off by Squirtle pushing his claw down.

The other Water-type put his paws together with a sly smirk, "_Go on._"

"_Well, before we start,_" Misty said before glancing at her flopping Goldfish Pokémon and her Dragon Pokémon who was currently lying on his stomach; sweat dropping, "_can someone fill up the pool for Goldeen and Horsea?_"

"_Yes! We'd really appreciate that!_" Goldeen called out.

"_Please!_" Horsea whined.

Starmie raised a side spike, "_On it._"

Staryu turned to face Starmie, "_I'll help. It'll go faster with both of us._"

Starmie faced them and their top three spikes bent down and back up for a moment; their version of a nod, "_Thank you sibling._"

The Star Shape and Mysterious Pokémon hopped over to the small pool and started filling it up with Water Gun. Electra jumped slightly and stared in surprise as they did this. She went back to her bright smile a moment later and started bouncing excitedly.

Ash leaned closer to Misty and whispered, "_The two of them are siblings?_"

Misty blinked in surprise, "_It's news to me too._"

The Water-types finished filling the pool. Mankey went ahead and picked up Goldeen and Horsea before throwing them -not gently- into the pool. The resulting splash soaked the long-haired pikachu.

Electra snapped out of it and blinked in surprise. She shook herself dry before glaring at Mankey, "_Hey! What was that for?!_"

Mankey raised a brow before looking at the pikachu-trainers while pointing a thumb at Electra, "_So, who's the newbie?_"

The Pig Monkey jumped when Brock appeared in front of him in a white flash. Onix and Vulpix's jaws dropped, Geodude blinked in surprise, Zubat stared at Brock stiffly with his jaw hanging as usual, and every other in-the-dark Pokémon just stared in pure shock. Except Psyduck, who still hadn't put it together that the weird eyed pikachus were their trainers.

Brock smiled before walking over to the female pikachu and placing a paw on her back, "_Everyone, meet Electra. She'll be joining us from now on._"

Electra waved with a nervous smile while sweat dropping, "_H-hi._" She leaned closer to Brock and whispered, "_You're sure they won't think I'm weird?_"

Brock chuckled, "_I promise they won't. Besides, I think their trainers are a lot crazier than anything about you._"

Electra chuckled before smiling softly, "_Thanks._"

Ash perked up with a smile, "_Anyway, to make it up to all of you for the last few days. For the next,_" He slapped the watch's symbol on his stomach.

Lockdown Mode in-effect. Approximate time until release: seventeen hours and three minutes.

"_No pokéballs,_" Brock followed.

"_No scheduled training,_" Misty continued; making Mankey slump slightly.

"Aaaand." Soot's voice went on from nowhere; causing all of the non-Mouse and Fairy Pokémon the flinch and look around for her. They all flinched again when Soot literally appeared behind Ash and their eyes widened in awe.

Soot and Ash grinned and held up a paw as they stood in front of a massive pile of Pokémon food and various berries, "A_L_L _Y_O_U_ C_A_N _E_A_T_!"

Squirtle pumped a fist, "_WOO!_"

The small horde of Pokémon charged the pile and started tearing into it immediately. Electra smiled brightly before she ran over to join them. Brock walked over as well.

Horsea looked at the pile of food sadly, "_I want some too._"

Goldeen sighed, "_One of the downsides to being water-bound._"

"_Did you actually think I forgot about you guys?_"

The pair flinched slightly and swam over to one of the edges and looked over it. Misty smiled up at them while standing on all fours with a large bowl of Pokémon food and berries on her back.

Goldeen blinked in shock, "_Okay, seriously, what did we miss?_"

.

*Meanwhile

Two figures walked side by side through the forest. Wild Pokémon could be seen running and jumping all around playfully; minding their own business. They both ignored that.

One of them was an eighteen-year-old with black hair and brown eyes. He wore a metallic green, long-sleeve jacket with black lightning bolts stretching across the arms and abdomen, and a pair of eye symbols with yellow sclera and red pupils on the shoulders. He wore matching green jeans and black sneakers. He also had a raichu tail wrapped around his waist with the bolt acting as a buckle.

A.K.A. Omega.

The other was a seventeen-year-old with mid-length purple hair and black eyes. He wore a dark purple and black jacket with a teal undershirt, gray jeans, and blue and black sneakers with white soles.

"Why are we doing this again?" The purple haired one asked while sweat dropping.

"Don't ask me, Nuevo." Omega said with his arms crossed, "Rob's the one who decides this crag." He paused and groaned, "Hate this censoring system."

"Yeah, agreed." Nuevo responded while still sweat dropping. He looked back, "By the way, should we be worried about them?"

Omega followed his gaze. Standing a few feet behind them were two more figures looking around the forest in awe; one male and one female.

The guy was a seventeen-year old with spikey, Mahogany Hair and Dark Viridian eyes. He wore a black collared shirt, purple cargo pants, and a white belt. Most notable was the brown bass guitar strapped to his back.

The girl -also seventeen- had long light brown hair and blue eyes. She wore a red short-sleeved shirt with a navy-blue semi-circle on it, dark blue shorts, and red shoes with yellow and white stripes.

The guy looked all around with a bright smile, "This is so awesome! New animals! New plant life! New … Everything!" His eyes lit up, "I've always wanted to do an Isekai!"

The girl's eyes lit up and she pointed up at a mankey in a tree, "Look at that one! It looks like a big puff ball with a pig nose!" She looked around before spotting a victreebel. Her eyes widened in awe, "Woah! Look at the size of that pitcher plant! And-" She caught sight of a venomoth and flinched, "Dear Arc that is a big moth." She blinked in surprise, "Wait, Arc? Like Noah's Ark?"

Omega sweat dropped, "Maybe." He looked back at Nuevo, "Come to think of it, why don't you seem that interested?"

Nuevo shrugged, "You know I've never been that much into cartoons or Video Games."

Omega shrugged, "Fair enough." He looked back at the pair and motioned for them to come, "Mizuro! Illavera! Come on! We need to discuss something!"

The pair ran over.

The guy, Mizuro, pouted, "Let me guess. You're going to say we need to stick to the task at hand and not get distracted."

Omega gave a small smile, "Not this time. We need to discuss our cover names."

Illavera blinked in surprise, "Why do we need cover names? It's not like anyone would recognize-" She stopped and deadpanned, "Actually never mind. I just remembered where we were." She sighed and crossed her arms, "And I was so excited to learn about the local flora and fauna." She stopped before looking back at the victreebel, "Or, however it works in this world."

Omega chuckled lightly, reached into his back pocket, pulled out a large red device, and held it out to her, "Here."

Illavera blinked in surprise, took the box, and looked at it with a raised brow, "What's this?"

"A Pokédex." Omega responded, "Its essentially an electronic encyclopedia on all things Pokémon and has a built-in scanner for ease of use. I swiped it off Faux before we left."

**Faux: HEY!**

Illavera smiled brightly, "Awesome!" She opened it and pointed it towards the mankey.

Omega put a hand over it, "Later. Right now," He reached into a jacket pocket and pulled out three name cards with colored backs; one purple, one brown, and one pink, "they should be easy enough for each of you to memorize."

Nuevo took one and raised a brow upon looking at it, "Really? It's just my middle name and-" He blinked in surprise and squinted, "Wait, you misspelled my last name."

Omega snapped and pointed at him, "Exactly."

"WHAT?!" Mizuro blurted out upon seeing the name. He looked at Omega with a bright smile, "You actually made my last name-"

Omega smirked, "Yup. I wanted to make sure you wouldn't forget it."

Illavera raised a brow while staring at her card, "What does-" Her eyes widened, "Oh right." She looked at Omega with a smile, "Like an opposite to your last name."

Omega nodded with a soft smile, "Also correct."

Illavera smiled softly as well, "Thanks." She brought up the Pokédex and smiled excitedly, "Sooooo-"

Omega rolled his eyes with a smile, "Yeah. Go ahead. Just do it as we walk."

"YES!" Illavera called out while pumping a fist. She immediately pointed the device at the mankey.

Mankey, the Pig Monkey Pokémon. A Fighting-type. Known for its superior footwork, it packs a powerful punch.

Nuevo glanced at the device with a raised brow, "How does footwork translate to-"

Although Mankey is usually calm, it does have a bad temper. Once Mankey begins to Thrash, stopping it is impossible.

Illavera's eyes widened before she looked up at the Fighting-type warily, "So, don't make the monkey mad. Got it." She then pointed the dex at the victreebel.

Victreebel, the Flycatcher Pokémon. A Grass and Poison-type and the evolved form of Weepinbell. Victreebel lures its prey with the sweet aroma of honey. Swallowed whole, the prey is dissolved in a day, bones and all.

Everyone in the group's eyes widened in shock.

Illavera stared at Victreebel frightenedly, "I- I thought lifeforms didn't eat each other in this world."

Omega blinked in surprise, "I … thought that too."

**Faux: They don't. The Pokédex is talking about berries and fruit.**

Nuevo looked at the sky in dumbfound shock, "Then why the absolute freaking Yvel did the thing mention bones?"

**Faux: … Uh- Huh … That is kind of weird.**

**Ohirume: Don't think about it.**

Mizuro snickered, "Hah. Rick quote."

Nuevo raised a brow, "Who the freak is Ri-" He was cut off and flinched when Mizuro pulled the base off his back and pointed the headstock at him.

Mizuro glared and put his hand over the strings threateningly, "Don't."

Nuevo just continued staring at the base, "… okay, then."

Omega sighed before turning back towards the path and gesturing for them to follow, "Come on. The sooner we do whatever it is we're here to do, the sooner we can leave."

The others ran after him. Omega, Mizuro, Nuevo, and Illavera came up to the village shortly and stood on the hill overlooking the small, quaint village.

Illavera smiled, "Woah. It's actually a little village. I almost never thought I'd see one like this."

Nuevo smiled softly, "No kidding. You'd never see one of these back in the city."

Mizuro grinned, "It's almost like your family's old-" He stopped and flinched, "Oh." He looked at Omega sorrowfully, "sorry."

Omega sighed, "It's fine. Let's go." He started walking down the trail.

Illavera immediately ran after Omega and put an arm around his back. Nuevo followed as well and slapped Mizuro in the back of the head as he passed.

The guy grimaced and rubbed the back of his head, "I deserved that." He followed as well.

After the quartet disappeared, Team Rocket crashed into a bush behind them.

Jessie laid on her back in a daze, "H- how long were we in the sky for?"

"Uuuuuhh" James groaned, "Four days?"

Meowth just laid on the ground face first and mumbled incoherently.

"Oh no! Are you okay?!"

Jessie and James looked over to see a girl with green hair and buns looking over Meowth worriedly. She was wearing a pink bow on the back of her head, long red pants, and a white top.

.

*Electra, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle

Electra squealed happily while chowing down on the Pokémon food. She finally got to try Brock's recipe.

She swallowed and her eyes lit up, "_Oh dear Arceus! Where have you been all my life?!_" She bit into it again.

Squirtle, Charmander, and Bulbasaur watched as she devoured the food excitedly. The three of them shared a worried look.

They looked back and Squirtle asked, "_Hey, um, Electra. Right?_"

Electra swallowed again before looking over at them with a smile, "_Yeah?_"

"_Were you, uh … well-_" Bulbasaur started before glancing at Charmander warily, "_um…_"

Squirtle glanced at the Fire-type as well before scratching his head and mumbling, "_How do we say this without-_"

"_Were you abandoned by a trainer too?_" Charmander asked Electra suddenly.

Electra flinched and her eyes widened in shock. Squirtle and Bulbasaur looked at him in surprise.

"_Charmander…_" Bulbasaur muttered somberly.

Charmander looked at the Grass/Poison-type and Water-type with a soft smile, "_It's okay. Really._" He took a deep breath, "_Still. Thank you for trying._"

Squirtle smiled softly, "_No problem, bud._"

"_W- wait, what?_" Electra said before looking around at them worriedly, "_That can happen?_"

Bulbasaur nodded with a frown, "_Yeah. All three of us were abandoned by our trainers before Ash._"

Squirtle glanced at Charmander with a somber expression, "_Some of us had it worse than others._"

Charmander looked down with a sad smile, "_yeah…_" He shook it off and perked up, "_But it's better now. Ash isn't anything like my old mas-_" He jerked slightly and cleared his throat, "_m-my old trainer._"

Bulbasaur brought out a vine and placed it on Charmander's shoulder while smiling softly, "_Yeah._"

Squirtle sighed, "_Still, this kind of thing happens to a lot of Pokémon. I actually used to lead a team of four other squirtles who were also abandoned._"

"_B- but I don't want that to happen!_" Electra cried out in alarm as she jumped to her hind paws; startling the starters. She grabbed her head with a frightened look, "_I finally found a trainer- no, THREE of them who understand me and are okay with me not battling! I- I don't wanna lose that! I CAN'T lose that! If they leave me behind, I- I wouldn't even know how to get back to the tribe! I- I-_" She started hyperventilating.

Charmander ran up to her, grabbed her shoulders, and started shaking her, "_Hey! Electra! Calm down! Take deep breaths._" He smiled softly, "_Ash, Brock, and Misty are not going to abandon you. They never will._"

Electra looked at him in surprise before looking at Squirtle worriedly, "_But- but you said that-_"

"_I didn't say the whole story._" Squirtle interrupted with a soft smile, "_My old trainer,_" He gestured to the other starters, "_All of ours were humans who didn't care about us._" He put a paw on his chest and smirked, "_I mean, seriously. My stupid trainer threw me away because she thought I wasn't cute._"

Bulbasaur snickered, "_Mine left me behind because they thought I wasn't strong enough. They were one of those, 'why train when you can have the best' types. I wouldn't be surprised if they were still badge-less._"

Charmander smiled sadly, "_And Damien… he- um…_"

"_He was a bad person._"

All four of them flinched and looked over to see Ash and Pikachu looking at them with soft smiles.

"_A- Ash! Pikachu!_" Charmander said in alarm. He frowned, "_How much did you hear?_"

"_All of it._" Ash said; still smiling softly. He tapped his pointed ear, "_These really do pick up on a lot._"

"_And it's true._" Pikachu said before walking up to Electra and placing a paw on her shoulder, "_Everything they said was true._ _And so was what you said._"

Electra looked at him in surprise, "_What I said?_"

Ash smile softly, "_Understanding you. Accepting you. You literally described why we're not going to leave you behind._" He looked around at Brock and Misty, "_Why none of us will._"

Pikachu patted her shoulder, "_Friends. Remember?_"

Electra chuckled softly before smiling softly, "_Right. I guess I freaked out over nothing._" She perked up, blinked in surprise, and looked at the starters with a frown, "_Wait. Why did you think I had a trainer before?_"

"_You were crazy excited over Pokémon food._" Bulbasaur stated, "_We've seen it before._"

Charmander raised a paw with a nervous chuckle, "_Guilty._"

Squirtle pointed at her, "_Also the name and your necklace. We thought an old trainer gave them to you._"

Electra chuckled, "_Ah. I actually chose my name myself._" She looked down at her necklace with a soft smile and placed a paw on it, "_And my brother made this for me as a goodbye gift. So that I'll always remember him._"

Squirtle smiled softly, "_He sounds like a pretty cool dude._"

Electra nodded, "_Yeah._" She perked up and went back to her regular smile, "_Anyway,_" She looked back at the food, "_I've never even heard of Pokémon food until a few days ago._" Her smile brightened and her tail started wagging, "_I always thought humans were cool, but I never knew they could make something so insanely good._"

Ash raised a digit on his paw with a smirk, "_And healthy. You can literally have that for every meal for the rest of your life and never have to worry about having an improper diet._"

Electra stared at him in surprise before trembling excitedly, "_Insaaaane._"

Charmander smiled happily, "_Definitely insane._"

Bulbasaur chuckled lightly. He stopped upon remembering something and looked at Ash, "_Hey Ash. Mind if I ask you something?_"

Ash looked at him in surprise, "_What is it?_"

Bulbasaur raised a brow, "_What were you, Brock, and Misty talking about when you said we were in our pokéballs for five days. It didn't feel nearly that long._"

Ash blinked in surprise, "_Wait, what?_" He looked at Squirtle and Charmander, "_Really?_"

Squirtle crossed his arms and looked up thoughtfully, "_Yeah. I don't really get it either. It felt like a day at most._"

Charmander looked down sadly, "_I might have an idea._" Everyone looked at him in surprise as he looked back at Ash, "_All of our pokéballs were in their smaller forms. Weren't they?_"

Ash blinked in surprise again, "_Uh … yeah._" He raised a brow, "_What does that have to do with-_" He stopped, jerked, and his eyes widened in realization, "_Wait … __That's__ what it feels like to be in stasis?_"

Pikachu and Electra looked at Ash in surprise, "_Stasis?_"

"_Y- yeah._" Ash stuttered before he looked down thoughtfully, "_It's a function that's been in every kind of pokéball for decades. It's supposed to keep Pokémon safe after being hurt in a battle and prevent them from developing claustrophobia or separation anxiety._" His ears drooped, "_But I never knew that __that__ was how it did it._"

Squirtle blinked in surprise, "_I still don't get it._"

Charmander looked at him with a sad smile, "_Time feels slower for anyone who's in stasis. A day slows down to a few hours. You don't feel hungry as often as you usually do. An entire month could go by and it'd only feel like a week._" He glanced downward; still smiling sadly, "_I probably know that better than-_" He was cut off when Ash rammed into him and pulled him into a hug. He looked at his trainer in mild surprise, "_Ash?_"

"_I'm so sorry. It must've been horrible to go through that again._" Ash said sorrowfully before hugging him tighter, "_I promise you'll never have to go back into your pokéball agai-_"

"_Stop._" Charmander interrupted before pulling Ash out of the hug and placing his paws on Ash's shoulders. He looked into Ash's eyes with a soft smile, "_Ash. You've let me- All of us out of our pokéballs for two to three meals every single day since we joined you. You've even let us out to rest, to play, and just do whatever we want._" He shifted to a smirk and raised a brow, "_And, after all of that, you're apologizing for five little days?_" He chuckled and shook his head before going back to his soft smile, "_I __never__ had it that good with Damien. Most Pokémon don't have it that good._"

"_He's right._" Bulbasaur jumped in with a soft smile; catching Ash's attention, "_Thinking back, I never ate on a daily basis before Melody took me in._" He raised a brow and looked to the side in confusion, "_Or, what felt like a day when I was in my pokéball, I guess._"

Charmander patted Ash's shoulder; catching his attention again, "_I'm okay with going back into my pokéball and into stasis again._" He pulled him into the hug this time, "_Heck, I'd even be okay if you left me in their for the next week._"

Ash smiled softly and hugged him back, "_Thanks. But, for the record, I'm not going to let it be that long. Even if you'll be perfectly fine, I'll never force you to experience if for that long._"

Charmander chuckled softly, "_I know._"

.

*Mossgreen Pharmacy; Interior

An old woman in a hooded cloak sat at a small bench as she ground up some green powder with a wheel grinder. She had a bored expression and started to yawn.

"I think this is the place." Came a man's voice from outside.

The woman perked up and looked at the tent flap. She smiled brightly, 'Finally! Customers!' She got back to work as she waited for them to enter, 'What should I start with this time?' She glanced around for a second before spotting an old favorite, 'Snakeroot.' She took on a creepy smile, 'This'll be fun.'

Although…

"So … do we knock?" A female voice asked. The woman looked over in surprise.

"I'd assume so." A different male said. A small handprint ran across the tent wall. "Though, I'm not sure any of this is solid."

"We could just walk in." A third male's voice suggested.

"Dude, that's breaking and entering." The second guy said, "This could be someone's home for all we know."

The woman raised a brow, 'What are they talking about? Can't they read the sign?'

"Well, there is a sign." The girl said.

The woman grinned, 'Finally. At least one of them has a-'

"And how do you expect any of us to read that gibberish?" Said the guy that was starting to get on her nerves. The woman's jaw dropped.

"… Good point." The girl said in an unsure tone, "It definitely doesn't look like an Indo-European language. Could it be a Sino-Tibetan or Afro-Asiatic kind?"

The old woman stared at the tent flap in shock and muttered, "Euro- Asia- What the Yvel is she talking about?"

**Ohirume: It's a made-up language they put in the anime to make it easier for other languages during dubbing. Also, the English dub kept painting over the Japanese text for some reason.**

**It didn't get a logical pattern or working cipher until Generation 5.**

**Seishin: Now, get in that pharmacy already! You're getting on the old woman's nerves!**

"Alright. Alright." The first voice said. He then muttered something that she couldn't quite make out.

She flinched when the flap started to move and got back to work.

Mizuro pushed the flap aside and looked in, "Hey. Anyone in here?"

The quartet made their way through the dark tent. Jars filled with various roots, powders, and liquids could be seen all around.

The brunette and purple haired guy looked around curiously.

'Woah.' Illavera thought, 'This is actually pretty impressive.'

Nuevo raised a brow, 'We might actually learn some decent remedies from these people.'

"Excuse me, ma'am." Omega said to the old woman with an unreadable expression, "You sell medicine here, right?"

The old woman smirked, 'Bout time!' She cackled, turned to face them, and held up some yellow-ish roots, "I've got some snakeroot that'll cure insomnia and grow hair on your nose and tongue."

Mizuro and Illavera grimaced.

Nuevo raised a brow, "So it's a caffeinated fungus?"

The woman looked at him in confusion, "Huh?"

"A fungus." Nuevo stated, "Hair-like fibers can grow on your tongue when-"

"Stop." Omega interrupted while glancing back at him, "Seriously, Shinji. Just … stop."

"Yeah." Mizuro said while sweat dropping, "I'd rather keep my lunch down."

Illavera gulped with a frown, "Agreed."

The old woman stared at Nuevo in shock, 'That can actually happen?' She glanced at the root warily, 'I thought I made up the tongue part.'

"Grandma," Everyone looked over to see a girl with green hair glaring at the old woman, "I've asked you before not to frighten the customers."

"I wasn't the one scaring them this time." The girl's grandmother responded with a frown, "Trust me. I tried."

Nuevo raised a hand, "Guilty."

The girl looked at Nuevo in surprise. She shook it off and looked back at her grandmother, "Still, we're here to help trainers with our miracle potions, not scare them away."

Nuevo, Mizuro, and Illavera perked up at hearing that.

Omega looked back at her, "So, I take it you work here or co-own the place?"

The girl nodded with a smile, "That's right. I own this pharmacy with my grandma." She gestured to herself, "My name is Cassandra. And you've already met my grandma Lacy."

Nuevo sweat dropped, 'No last names…' He shook it off and waved calmly, "I'm Shinji Robedello."

"My name is Haruka Kaina." Illavera said with a kind smile.

Mizuro flashed a V-sign with a grin, "Shigeru Haruhara." '*internal overjoyed screaming*'

"Satoshi Hayate." Omega said monotonously.

The other three flinched slightly and looked at the man in surprise.

Cassandra smiled kindly, "It's nice to meet you all." She perked up upon realizing something and looked around the group curiously, "Are all of you trainers by chance?"

Mizuro frowned and shook his head, "Sorry, but no. We're just travelers."

Cassandra frowned, "So you really don't have any Pokémon?"

Omega frowned sympathetically, "I-"

**Seishin: Tut tut tut.**

Omega's eye twitched slightly, 'What?' He coughed into his hand for a moment, "Sorry."

**Seishin: You ****do**** have some special "training dummies." I believe their initials are J. T., S. M., and M. G. R. O.**

Omega's eyes narrowed and cleared his throat, 'I am not using my puppets for this.'

**Faux: Well, sorry Omega. But you guys don't have any Pokémon. And humans fighting Pokémon isn't normal.**

Mizuro yawned, 'Didn't Trix sucker punch a snake in the third chapter?'

**Seishin: So, what if he did? Omega. Puppets.**

Omega gritted his teeth, 'Fine! But just one!' He shook his head and looked back at Cassandra, "Anyway, I don't have any Pokémon." He raised a finger, "But, I do have some pretty advanced training dummies."

Cassandra blinked in surprise before raising a brow in confusion, "Advanced how?"

"They can hit back." Omega responded.

.

*Misty and her team; in the pool

"_You really mean it?!_" Horsea cried out happily and bright eyed.

Misty smiled cockily and crossed her arms, "_That's right! Around this time tomorrow, your trainers gonna be a vaporeon._" She sweat dropped, "_Still not used to saying that._"

"_Don't worry. We're still not used to hearing it._" Staryu responded.

"_Still, congratulations Misty._" Starmie said happily.

Goldeen smiled, "_Yeah. No kidding. I can't believe you actually perfected walking on all fours as soon as you did._"

Misty snickered, "_Was there ever any doubt?_"

"_Yes._" Staryu responded, "_Tons._"

Starmie made a snickering sound.

Misty glared at them; deadpanned, "_You couldn't have pretended, at least?_"

.

*Brock and his team

Onix stared down at Brock warily, "_You know Brick Break?_"

Vulpix blinked in surprise, "_And a, uh, Rock-type Hidden Power?_"

Brock nodded with a smile and held out his paws, "_Yeah. Look._" His left paw lit up white from the Fighting-type attack and his right took on a faint red glow from the pseudo-Rock-type attack. Brock grinned happily, "_It's cool, right?_"

"_Y- yeah._" Zubat stuttered nervously, "_Cool._"

Geodude sweat dropped, '_And there goes our advantage over our trainer._'

.

*Mossgreen

Paras, the Mushroom Pokémon. A Bug and Grass-type. Rare mushrooms called tochukaso grow on their backs and draw nutrients from the host.

Illavera frowned, "Jeez."

"Nature is a frightening glitch." Nuevo stated, 'Even in fiction.'

Mizuro looked at Cassandra, "So, what exactly are we doing again?"

Cassandra looked back at him with a smile, "I'm trying to help Paras evolve into a parasect."

"Parasect, huh?" Illavera said before looking over the Pokédex. She smiled upon finding a button that had a picture of a speaker on it, pressed it, and said, "Parasect."

An image of the Pokémon appeared on the screen, Parasect, the Mushroom Pokémon. A Bug and Grass-type and the evolved form of Paras. The bug host is controlled by the mushroom on its back. They appear to do all the thinking.

Illavera, Mizuro, and Nuevo stared at the device in shock.

"The-" Nuevo stuttered, "The mushroom takes over its mind?"

Mizuro looked at Cassandra worriedly, "Is that accurate?"

The green haired girl nodded with a smile, "It is. And the mushroom's spores can be used to create a very special potion that can really help Pokémon. I want to use it to help Pokémon all over the world." Her smile saddened as she looked back at her Bug/Grass-type, "But, it's been rather difficult. Paras is afraid of battling."

"Got 'em!" Omega called as he made his way back to the pharmacy. He had a large metallic green suitcase rolling beside him.

Cassandra perked up and ran over to him. Paras followed her. The trio stared in shock as she walked away from them.

Illavera looked at the others and whispered, "Are we really about to help her with this? She's talking about zombifying the poor thing."

Mizuro frowned and nodded, "Yeah. Even if it's for a good cause, this is kind of messed up."

"I think this version is more justified." Nuevo said, "Don't forget, these creatures are as sentient as humans and -if I'm understanding this world's definition of evolution correctly- these bugs do this naturally as they mature. They must be aware of the consequences since their parents are likely parasect." He looked back at Paras, "They're might be a hidden benefit in being taken over like that. One that we can't see and that they've come to look forward to over the generations."

"I believe Nuevo is correct."

The trio perked up and looked at Illavera's left hand as it raised itself. An eye appeared next to her thumb, "It sounds very similar to when a member of my species takes on a host. It may be for survival."

Illavera glared at her hand, "Hidari, your kind kill your host in most cases."

Hidari blinked before looking down sorrowfully, "You make a valid argument." The eye disappeared.

Illavera wiggled her fingers to make sure she had control again. She sighed and looked back at the others, "So, what do we do?"

Nuevo looked back at Omega, "I think it'll be best to let Ash take care of it. He's probably seen this kind of thing before."

.

*Omega, Cassandra, Paras

Cassandra blinked in surprise while looking at the suitcase, "Your training dummies are in that thing?"

Omega laid the suitcase down, "Yup." He clicked a pair of buttons on the side and opened the thing before reaching into it.

The green haired girl frowned, "How long will it take to set them up?"

The man held up his right hand. He was now wearing a pair of green gloves with a spool of thread on the back and a series of metal claws on his fingertips. A large cluster of thin strings extended from his pinky, ring, and middle finger to the case, "At this point, zero seconds." Omega forcefully raised his hand into the air, "3XK!"

Cassandra and Paras jumped as a large figure sprang out of the case and landed in front of them.

"W- woah." The girl stuttered.

.

*Mankey and Muk

Muk laid on the ground with a bored expression as Mankey wailed on him mercilessly with every move in his arsenal. Except Seismic Toss. He learned that lesson back at the Giva Dam construction site.

Long story short, it took Muk five minutes to pull himself back together after that.

"_Uh…_"

The Pig Monkey stopped punching as both he and Muk perked up and looked over to find Electra staring at them in confusion.

Electra looked at Muk with a frown, "_Doesn't that hurt?_"

Muk shook in disagreement, "_Actually, no. I have a special technique called Impact Repulsion. It makes it so I don't take damage from physical attacks or anything projectile based._"

Mankey clenched a fist with a determined glare, "_Yvel yeah! This guy makes an awesome punching bag!_"

Muk shot Mankey a glance before looking back at Electra, "_I put up with it sometimes._"

Electra blinked in surprise, "_Woah._" She smiled, "_That must be really useful in a battle._"

Muk shrugged, "_Yeah. Sort of. But it works best when the opposing trainer is someone who doesn't know how to deal with it._" He sweat dropped, "_Ash was not one of those trainers._"

"_Speaking of battles._" Mankey said while cracking his knuckles and looking at Electra with a determined glare, "_How about we throw down for a round or two?_"

Electra flinched and waved her paws with a nervous smile, "_N- no thank you. I'm not a battler._"

Muk blinked in surprise, "_Wait. Really? So, you don't battle at all?_"

Electra nodded with a happy smile, "_Yup._"

Mankey crossed his arms and deadpanned, "_Then why the Yvel did you join a band of trainers?_"

Electra's smile didn't falter, "_Well, because it's something I've always wanted. I've always really liked humans and all of that stuff they can make and use._" Her smile saddened as her ears drooped, "_But, humans catch Pokémon to battle. I knew how hard it'd be to find even one trainer who'd be okay with me not battling._"

Muk smirked, "_And yet, you found three._"

Electra chuckled, "_Yeah. I couldn't believe it at first._" She smiled dreamily, "_Ash, Brock, and Misty accept me for who I am. They're all okay with what I like and even see me as a friend. It was like a dream actually came true when I met them._"

Mankey raised a brow, "_But why don't you battle?_"

Electra looked at him with a regular smile before shrugging, "_That stuff just kind of bores me._"

"_I see._" Mankey said while deadpanning again, "_I can already tell that you and I won't get along._"

Electra jerked a little in surprise, "_Huh?_"

.

*Mossgreen

After multiple failed attempts at training Paras and building up their confidence, the still unevolved Mushroom Pokémon ran away frightenedly. The group split up to try and find them.

Omega, Mizuro, and Nuevo ran through the forest as they searched for the Bug-type.

"Faux. Gem." Omega said quickly. "Are you two positive we're going the right way?"

**Faux: Positive. **

**Gem: Yeah. They should be close.**

Nuevo frowned, "What about May and Cassandra? Shouldn't they be heading this way too?"

**Pearl: No. Illavera is keeping Cassandra busy so that you may deal with Team Rocket how you see fit. I will alert her once you blast them off.**

Mizuro gritted his teeth, "Team Rocket."

Omega shot him a glance, "They're not the same ones, Mizuro. You can't blame these versions for what happened to me."

**Faux: Didn't we trash Pokémon Land because of Giovanni?**

Omega glared at the sky, "Shut up fox."

The brown-haired guy groaned, "Fine. But I still want the first hit."

Nuevo looked ahead, "Well, wish granted."

The three of them came up to a small clearing with Jessie, James, and Meowth standing over a parasect and laughing excitedly.

Mizuro's eyes narrowed, "There you are!"

Jessie, James, and Meowth flinched and turned around to face the other trio.

Before they could say anything, Mizuro pulled the base off his back, reeled back, and shot forward.

He stomped, swung the body of the guitar around, and hit James in the gut, "CHAAANCE!" He kept the momentum, caught Jessie and Meowth in the swing, and shot them into the air.

Team Rocket screamed, "WHAT JUS-" and immediately disappeared with a 'ding' before they could finish.

Nuevo watched with a deadpanned expression as they disappeared, 'He said first hit. Not the last.' He looked at Mizuro, "Don't you think that was a bit much?"

Mizuro looked back at him with a deadpanned glare, "Would you rather I let you use a railgun or an RPG on them?"

Nuevo considered that and shrugged, "Fair."

Omega yawned.

"Parasect!"

The trio of guys looked over to see Illavera and Cassandra running towards them.

The pharmacist ran over to her Mushroom Pokémon with a bright smile and pulled it into a hug, "Parasect! You evolved! I'm so proud of you!"

Illavera walked over to the rest of the group, "Alright, you found it." She looked at the Bug-type's pure white eyes and sweat dropped with a nervous smile, "I'm kind of having mixed feelings about this."

Omega sweat dropped, "Yeah. Same."

Cassandra walked back over to the group of teens and smiled, "I can't thank you all enough for helping. If there's anything I can do to make it up to all of you, please say so."

The quartet shared a look and nodded. They looked back at Cassandra with simple smiles.

"Well, if it's not too much to ask," Omega started, "would you mind pointing us to a cheap inn or hotel or something? All we're really asking for is a place to sleep for the night."

Cassandra blinked in surprise, "That's it? I kind of thought you'd ask for money or free potions."

Illavera waved a hand while smiling, "Nah. We don't want to be a burden."

Cassandra smiled and put a hand to her chest, "Well, how about you just stay at my place for the night? I have a pair of guest bedrooms you can use."

All four stared at her blankly.

"We just met you today." Mizuro said.

Cassandra raised a brow, "Um … yeah. I know."

Nuevo sweat dropped, 'This world is way to innocent.'

.

*The Next Day

All of the natural born Pokémon watched in anticipation as Ash, Brock, and Misty stood on the other side of the small clearing.

After being told what was about to happen, Electra couldn't even attempt to contain her excitement. She was bouncing like a kid in the world's greatest candy store. Afterall, she was finally about to meet humans … that actually looked like humans.

Soot smiled, "It should only be a few more seconds now."

Pikachu smirked, "_Good. I've been missing my spot on Ash's shoulder._"

Clefairy giggled, "_Yeah. Me too._"

Onix smiled sadly, "_Still, I think I'm gonna miss Brock being able to understand us. Even if it is just temporary._"

Goldeen mimicked his expression as she floated in the pool, "_Yeah. Me too._"

Electra snapped out of her excitement and looked back and forth between Onix and Goldeen in confusion, "_Wait a second. Are you saying they won't be able to understand us when they change back?_"

Pikachu looked at her in surprise before facepalming, "_We completely forgot to mention that._"

Soot smiled sadly, "Sorry Electra, but that's right. Only dad can understand Pokémon when he's human. And, even then, he can only understand Pokémon from the same species as what he can turn into."

Clefairy ran over to the female Electric-type and patted her on the back with a kind smile, "_Yeah. Like me, you, and Pikachu._"

Electra chuckled softly, "_Hey. It's better than noth-_" She stopped and her eyes widened when a large red flash lit up in the corner of her eye. She looked back toward the trainers and her eyes widened in awe.

Brock started stretching with a smile on his face, "I have to admit, after all that time, it feels nice to be me again."

"No kidding." Misty followed while she rubbed the back of her neck, "That pikachu form actually felt a little cramped." She jerked and looked at Pikachu with a nervous smile, "No offense."

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_Some taken._/Chu pika."

Brock and Misty looked over at him in surprise before smiling sadly.

"Right." Misty said in slight disappointment, "I guess that's gone too."

They flinched when Ash walked over and slung his arms across their backs.

He smiled at them happily, "Yeah. For now. But we've always got the Change Lenses. Remember?" He grinned, "Just say the word and it's yours."

Brock smiled softly, "Thanks."

Misty nodded; also smiling softly, "Yeah." She perked up, "So, about our deal…"

Ash chuckled nervously, let go of them, and took a step back, "Uh … I'm afraid I can't follow through just yet." The Gym Leaders looked back as he held up the now-red watch. Ash smiled nervously, "During cooldown, I can't even dial up any of my forms. The Lenses won't work until it's ready again."

Misty frowned, "Aw man." She raised a brow, "How long will that be?"

Ash put a hand to his chin, "Well, regular cooldown is approximately one minute for every three minutes that I'm not human. After a Lockdown, it's fifteen minutes for every twelve hours. So, this would be…"

"Two and a half hours." Soot jumped in.

Ash shrugged with a sad smile, "Yeah. Sorry."

Misty smiled and crossed her arms, "It's fine. I've waited ten years to experience what it's like to be a Water-type. What's two hours compared to that?"

Ash chuckled, "Yeah. I guess you're right." He perked up, "Still, I'll let you know as soon as-"

He was cut off by a high-pitched whine. Everyone looked towards the source.

Electra was bouncing excitedly with a massively bright smile and her eyes lit up like a pair of flashlights. She was even leaking sparks from her cheeks.

Ash, Brock, and Misty smiled softly, shared a look, and nodded. The trio walked over to Electra and each held out a hand to her.

Electra snapped out of it and blinked in surprise, "_What are you doing?_"

"She asked what we're doing." Ash translated.

Misty smiled, "Well, we talked it over a few days ago and thought we should let you decide who to officially join."

Brock nodded, "This isn't going to change anything. You just need to be officially registered to one of our trainer accounts so someone else can't catch you."

Ash nodded too, "So, what do you say?"

Electra stared up at them in awe. She smiled softly, "_I choose-_"

.

*OMNI Force

The team of four made their way back through the forest as they left Mossgreen. Mizuro was strumming a tune on his Bat.

"**When a humble young  
Graced a ride along  
With young Satoshi Hayate  
Along came this sooong**"

He paused and the beat picked up a little,

"**From when the spark-tail fought  
Old Ragyo's evil  
Her life fiber scourge  
At her nails did theeey ravel**

**They came after me  
With masterful deceit  
Smashed up my Bat  
And they kicked in my teeth**

**While the angel's swords  
Pierced his hunter tale  
Still came back, our Walker  
He'll never faaaaail**"

"Mizuro," Omega interrupted, "you know you weren't there for any of that."

Mizuro chuckled, "Hey, nice timing Sats. Exact same moment Geralt interrupted in the series."

Omega sighed, "Yes. I get that. But that doesn't change what I said."

Mizuro pouted, "Well what would you have said?"

Omega glanced at him harshly, "I wouldn't be singing this stupid parody in the first place."

Mizuro smirked slyly, "Yeah. That's why I'm the fun one. Are you actually going to stop me from continuing?"

Omega was about to respond but was cut off by Illavera.

"Oh, come on, Ash." The girl brunette said while grabbing him by the hand and smiling, "I actually wanna hear where this goes." She looked at Nuevo, "Don't you, Paul?"

The purple haired man shrugged, "Eh."

Omega glanced at Illavera before groaning, "Just get it over with."

Mizuro smirked and strumming again,

"**Raise your blades for your Walker  
Oh, gracious Kiseijuu  
'Ca-demy Hon-nō-ji, o-o-h  
You won't keep down our Walker  
You freak of The Emptyyyyy-Yyyy-YYYY**

**In a monstrous world  
Fought the Titan horde  
That bashes your wall in  
And leaves you to mooouuurn**

**He survived Night Raid's cost  
Saw the empire's loss  
Smashed the Mid-night Cir-cus  
From Bai Jin's naaaaaame**

**Slayed the Zon-a-pha pest  
Got kicked through his chest  
He's a friend of Imanity  
So give him some reeest**

**That's our epic tale  
A champion prevails  
Defeated the villains  
Now pour him some aaaaaale**

**Raise a glass to your Walker  
Oh, Island, Paradis  
Oh, heroes of Night Raid, o-o-oh  
Toss a coin to your Walker  
A friend of humanityyyyy-Yyyy-YYYY**

**Raise a hand to your Walker  
Driven Shi-ro-ga-ne  
Oh, El-che-a Ci-tay, o-o-oh  
Toss a coin to you Walker  
A friend of Imanityyyyy-Yyyy-YYYY**

**Toss a coin to your Walker  
Oh, realms Ohirume  
Oh, realms Ohirume, a-a-ow  
Toss a coin to your Walker  
A friend of humanityyyyy-Yyyy-YYYY**"

Omega stared at Mizuro; deadpanned. He looked into the sky, "You did not just end that with 'Oh, realms Ohirume'."

**Ohirume: I couldn't think of anything else!**

**…**

**Ohirume: Yeah, don't worry. We're not doing another 'OC team takes over' for the rest of Kanto. Or possibly the next two regions.**

**Gem: *pouts* But what about my team?**

**Ohirume: …**

**…**

**Sorry this is a few hours late. I found a new proofreading method that takes a few hours to finish.**

**But it is efficient as all freaking Yvel.**


	47. Ch 41: Eevee Bros

**Omega: Filler?**

**Ohirume: Filler.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Eevee Bros BRAWL**

.

After returning their Pokémon and packing everything up, the group continued on their journey. They were currently traveling along the trail of the dense forest. Pikachu and Clefairy finally got back their spots on Ash's shoulders.

Electra's repeated joy overloads finally caught up to her. She was currently curled up on Soot's back and sleeping with a content smile. By the way, it turned out she hated pokéballs too. Er, well … not hated. It was more along the lines of, she didn't like going inside it. Seeing the ball resulted in the overload that got her yawning in the first place.

"chaaaa." Electra yawned before snuggling into Soot's fur.

Misty smiled happily, "Aww. She's so cute when she sleeps."

Soot smiled, "Yeah." She glanced up at Brock with a smirk, "But, honestly, I'm still a little shocked she decided to join you, of all people."

Brock frowned, "It can't be that surprising." His new Electric-type's bindle could be seen poking out of his bag.

Misty smirked with a raised brow, "I'm actually with Soot here. Ash was the one hanging out with her the entire time we were at the tribe. You and I didn't even talk to her that much."

"Well, I'm not surprised." Ash jumped in with a smile before looking at Brock, "You're a breeder, so you don't train to battle. You had the least Pokémon on your team, so -out of the three of us- you had the most slots to spare. And you make the, and I quote, 'most crazily insane and amazing food she has ever eaten in her life.' And I really can't argue."

Misty smiled and looked at Brock too, "Okay, yeah. Agreed."

Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy nodded with a smile.

Brock chuckled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Thanks. I guess it is pretty good." He perked up and smirked happily, "I almost couldn't believe it myself. I knew our Pokémon enjoyed my recipes but trying them myself-" He jerked and stopped in his tracks with a shocked expression.

The rest of the group stopped and looked at him in surprise.

Soot raised a brow, "You okay, Brock?"

"Trying them myself…" Brock muttered in shock. He smiled brightly and threw his fists into the air, "ALRIGHT!"

Everyone else flinched. Electra jerked awake and looked around frightenedly.

"I can't believe I haven't realized it until now!" Brock cried out happily, "I can finally taste test my Pokémon food recipes and even find out how to improve on them!" He looked at Ash with a bright smile, "Ash! You're a miracle worker!"

Ash sweat dropped and chuckled nervously, "Um … Thanks."

Pikachu and Clefairy stared at Brock in shock.

"_Improve__ on them?_" Pikachu muttered before he and Clefairy shared their shocked looks.

"_That's possible?_" The Fairy-type followed.

Misty chuckled before looking at Ash, "Speaking of-"

"Again, not yet." Ash said while holding up the watch to her, "It's only been half an hour."

Misty pouted and crossed her arms.

Electra looked around the group warily, "_Wh- what's going on?_"

Brock looked at her and chuckled nervously, "Sorry Electra. I got a little too excited."

Ash smiled down at her, "Change Lens stuff."

Electra looked over at Ash and perked up in surprise upon finally noticing Pikachu and Clefairy on his shoulders. She stared in mild awe.

Brock noticed and followed her gaze before smiling. Electra squeaked and flinched when Brock lifted her off Soot's back without warning. He moved her around to stand on his backpack.

Brock glanced back at her with a smile, "There you go. I thought you might like the view. What do you think?"

Electra looked at Brock in surprise. She looked ahead and her eyes widened in awe, "_woaaaaah._" She smiled brightly, "_Insane._"

Pikachu smirked, "_I know, right? Trainers really make the best platforms._"

Clefairy nodded happily.

Ash sweat dropped and glanced at his Mouse Pokémon, 'Really?'

Soot snickered, "She likes it."

Brock smiled, "Good to hear."

Electra just continued looking around happily. After a moment, she perked up in surprise and her ears started twitching.

Ash, Soot, and Pikachu perked up as well and started looking around in confusion.

Misty looked at them in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"Someone's crying for help." Ash said calmly.

Soot nodded, "Yeah. But it doesn't sound like he's in trouble."

Pikachu looked towards a bush and pointed, "_That way._" He jumped down off Ash's shoulder and bound deeper into the woods. Everyone else followed.

Pikachu stopped and pointed towards a tree, "_Over there._"

Everyone looked over and perked up in surprise upon seeing any eevee in the tree's hollowed-out base. He wore a collar, was tied to a post, and sat next to a bowl of food and water.

Soot blinked in surprise, "An eevee?"

Eevee looked at them with a frown and his ears drooping, "_Can you help me, please? I wanna go home._"

Ash nodded, "Yeah. Of course." Clefairy jumped down before Ash ran over, grabbed the post, and started pulling at it, "I'll have you free in a second."

Eevee looked over at Ash in surprise, '_Did he just-_'

Brock and Misty walked over to the Evolution Pokémon and kneeled down in front of him with worried frowns; catching his attention.

"Hey. Are you alright?" Misty asked.

"You weren't abandoned, were you?" Brock followed.

Eevee blinked as he stared up at them in shock, "_Um, n- no. My partner-_" He raised a brow, "_Okay, sorry. But- can all of you humans understand me?_"

Soot snickered, "Not at the moment." She pointed at Ash, "Out of these three, only dad can understand your kind."

Clefairy raised a paw happily, "_And ours!_"

Pikachu smirked, "_Welcome to the club._"

Misty nodded with a sad smile, "Soot's right. Sorry."

Eevee perked up and looked at Soot in surprise. Electra's eyes widened in realization and she looked at Soot.

Soot noticed Eevee staring and chuckled, "It is exactly what you think."

Electra's eyes widened further in shock.

Eevee blinked, "_Whoa._" He shook it off and looked at the Gym Leaders, "_No, I wasn't abandoned. My partner brought me here and said that I needed to stay here for the day._" He frowned again, "_But, I really miss him. I just wanna go back home._"

Soot glanced up at the Gym Leaders and translated. Electra's jaw dropped.

At around the same moment, Ash managed to yank the post out of the ground, "Got it."

Misty sweat dropped, "Couldn't you have just untied the knot or unhooked the leash?"

Ash looked back at her with a smile, "I thought that …" He looked at Eevee, "What was your partner's name?"

"_Mikey._"

Ash looked at Misty again, "I thought that Mikey might like this back." His eye twitched for a second, 'For better or worse depending on why he did this.'

Brock looked at Eevee with a smile, "And don't worry. I promise we'll get you back to Mikey."

Eevee smiled brightly and his tail started wagging, "_Really?! Thank you so much!_"

Ash smiled softly, "We're happy to help." He held out a hand, "Now, let me see your collar."

Eevee moved closer and sat down in front of Ash.

Ash propped up the small tag, "Stone Town. Number fourteen on the third block."

Brock perked up in surprise, "Wait, Stone Town? As in the Stone Town at the foot of Evolution Mountain?"

Soot glanced back at the Rock-type user with a smirk, "I'm not really surprised you know about it."

Misty sweat dropped, "Um-"

"_Wait a second._" Electra said in a daze while she continued staring at Soot in shock.

Ash and the other Pokémon all looked at her in confusion. Brock and Misty noticed and followed their gaze.

Soot sweat dropped, "Is everything al-"

"_YOU SPEAK HUMAN?!_" Electra cried out in shock.

Everyone flinched.

.

**Time Skip**

Electra bounced excitedly on Brock's backpack with an overjoyed smile plastered on her face. This was something the Pewter Gym Leader would have to get used too. The uncomfortable frown on his face made it clear that that had not happened yet.

Misty sweat dropped with a nervous smile as she held Eevee, "I didn't really think she'd get this excited over you speaking human."

Soot sighed, "Yeah. Though, I really should've seen it coming."

Clefairy put a finger to her bottom lip and looked up curiously, "_I kind of thought she'd be more excited that we're heading to a town._"

Electra looked back at them; expression unchanging, "_It's both! First, I get a trainer! Then, I find out a fellow Pokémon I'm friends with can speak human! And now we're actually going to a real human town?!_" Her smile somehow managed to brighten even more as she squealed happily, "_So freaking Insaaaaaaaaaaaane!_" She looked back ahead, and her tail started wagging wildly, "_I can't wait to get there!_"

Ash glanced at her before looking ahead and smiling, "Well, it looks like the wait's over."

Electra looked back at Ash in surprise before looking ahead again. Her eyes widened in awe upon seeing a cluster of white buildings at the base of a massive mountain.

Misty smiled down at Eevee, "Looks like we'll have you home pretty soon."

"_Yay!_" Eevee cheered.

.

*Stone Town

The group made their way through the rather simple town. Though, that wasn't how Electra saw it.

The little human enthusiast looked all around the town in absolute awe.

"_A real town…_" Electra muttered, "_There are white tents made of flat rock everywhere. All covered in glass with little openings made of wood. And they even have different colored tops._" A small tear started to form in her eye, "_So insane…_"

Ash looked at her with a soft smile, "Those 'tents' are actually called houses. The wooden part is a door and the top portion is the roof. Though, you're right about the glass and what the doors are for."

Brock smiled back at her, "You can think of a house as a human's version of a nest. Just, a lot more complex." He grinned, "And, if you think this is impressive, wait until we get to a city. Some have giant buildings called skyscrapers that seem to reach into the clouds and look like they're almost completely made of glass."

Electra looked at her trainer in shock before looking into the sky. She let out an overjoyed squeal with a bright smile and started bouncing again.

Eevee stared at Electra in surprise and blinked, "_Wow. She really likes human stuff, doesn't she?_"

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_Obsessed might be more accurate._"

Ash translated for the pair.

Misty chuckled, "No kidding. You should have seen her tent when we first met her." She looked at Ash with a raised brow, "By the way, what's so special about Stone Town anyway?"

Ash looked at Misty with a smile, "For starters, Evolution Mountain is practically made of Evolutionary Stone veins. Stone Town here was established at the base forever ago and has become one of the best places in Kanto to get Stones."

Brock nodded, "Yeah. Namely Fire, Water, Thunder, and Leaf Stones."

Clefairy perked up and smiled, "_What about Moon Stones?_"

Eevee looked at her and blinked in surprise, "_What's a Moon Stone?_"

Pikachu smiled sadly, "_I'm guessing that means no._"

Clefairy slumped forward sadly and pouted, "_Aww._"

Misty blinked in surprise, "Wow." She looked down at Eevee with a smile, "I guess that means you can evolve whenever you want."

Eevee smiled sadly, "_Uh, yeah. And I've got three whole options._"

Soot snickered before looking up at the Normal-type with a raised brow, "It's a Yvel of a lot more than three, kid."

Eevee looked at Soot in surprise, "_Huh?_"

Ash nodded, "Yeah. Your kind actually have eight evolutions. The Fire-type flareon, Electric-type jolteon, Water vaporeon, Psychic espeon, Dark umbreon, Grass leafeon, Ice glaceon, and Fairy sylveon. And only five of them are through the use of an item."

Eevee stared at Ash in shock, "_Seriously?_" He looked down; feeling a little dazed, "_Geez. And I thought picking from just three would be hard._"

Ash smiled sadly, "Yeah. Sorry." He translated for Brock and Misty.

Misty smiled softly and pet him, "I'm sure it'll be alright." She grinned, "Though, if you want my opinion, I'd definitely have to choose vaporeon." She glanced at Ash, "Speaki-"

"It hasn't even been an hour since you asked last time." Ash interrupted quickly.

Misty sighed.

Pikachu looked ahead and flinched, "_WHOA!_"

Everyone jerked, followed his gaze, and flinched at the site of the actual mansion at the end of the road. Everyone except Eevee, that is.

The Evolution Pokémon smiled brightly, "_It's home!_"

Soot looked up at him in shock, "This is where you live?!"

Electra stared in awe, "_Insane._"

Clefairy gulped, "_Y- yeah._"

After taking a second to cool down, the group made their way through the gateless entrance. They all perked up in surprise at what all they saw inside.

Clothed tables covered in food littered the front lawn and a large handful of people and Pokémon could be seen enjoying themselves. There was even a large fountain with a few Water-types swimming around in it.

Brock smiled, "Woah. It looks like a garden party."

Ash smiled as well, "Yeah. And a nice one."

Soot sweat dropped with a nervous smile, "Let's just hope it's open invite."

Misty looked around before spotting something. She pointed ahead, "Hey, look."

Everyone looked over right as a guy with spiked up yellow hair tapped a poliwhirl with a Water Stone. The Tadpole Pokémon lit up white and emerged a moment later as a poliwrath. A handful of surrounding trainers applauded.

The spikey haired guy looked at a girl with blue hair and smirked, "Congratulations. Poliwhirl evolved into Poliwrath."

"Thank you so much." The girl said.

Misty smiled, "Wow. They evolved with a Water Stone."

Soot looked around the lawn, "Yeah. And not just her."

All around, they found a wide selection of fully evolved Pokémon. All Stone based.

A cloyster, starmie, vileplume, and victreebel could be seen in the fountain along with Poliwrath. An exeggutor, raichu, and ninetales could be seen with their trainer.

The yellow haired guy could be seen carefully petting a jolteon. To his right was a guy with dark blue hair that resembled fins who was petting a vaporeon. On the left was a guy with red hair with a tuft on the front that resembled a flame. This one stood next to a flareon and had his arms crossed.

Misty blinked in surprise, "You're right."

Brock looked around in mild awe, "They've all evolved with those Stones."

Clefairy smiled, "_Coooool._"

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_Um … yeah._" He looked at Ash worriedly, "_You're gonna keep those things away from me. Right?_"

Ash chuckled and pet him, "Don't worry, buddy. I'll keep you safe."

Brock glanced back at Electra with a smile, "Same. I know you want to be the Alolan version."

Electra smiled, "_Thanks Brock._"

"Good work!" Someone called out.

Everyone looked over at the yellow haired guy. He was standing back up as he spoke to the crowd, "Now that we've seen a round of evolutions, how about comparing attacks, eh?"

He looked over in the groups direction and perked up in surprise, "Eevee?"

The red and blued haired guys perked up in surprise and followed his gaze, "Huh?"

Misty blinked in surprise and looked down at the Normal-type, "So, which one is Mikey?"

Eevee looked back up at her, "_None of them. Those are his older siblings._"

Soot translated quickly.

The trio smiled, "Eevee!" They hurried over to the group.

"Where'd you run off to?" The yellow haired one asked, "We were worried about you, Eevee."

The blue haired one took Eevee from Misty's arms, "Yeah. Thank you for finding Eevee for us."

The red haired one turned to look at his brothers, "This is great!" Everyone looked at him as he continued, "We've got our star back! Now we can go on with the show!"

Ash and co. shared a confused look, 'S_t_a_r_?'

The trio of brothers turned around and the yellow haired one called out, "Mikey! Hey Mikey! Eevee's come back!"

The group all perked up and followed their gaze. Ash's eyes narrowed and he started reaching back slowly.

That is until a young boy with brown hair appeared from behind a table. He started walking over with his head down.

Ash jerked and his eyes widened, 'He's just a kid?!' Everyone else stared in surprise.

Ash quickly grabbed the post that Eevee was tied to, and threw it back and over the lawn wall. No one seemed to notice.

Eevee smiled brightly, "_Mikey!_" He jumped down from the blue haired brother's arms and ran over to the kid. He jumped into the boy's arms and nuzzled up against him.

The brother trio all looked at Mikey as the red haired one asked, "How could you lose it? You've gotta be more careful."

The blue haired one followed, "You might not get your trainer license if this happens again."

The yellow haired one pointed back at the group, "You were lucky that these three were kind enough to bring it back here."

Mikey looked at his brothers before glancing at the group. He frowned and turned to walk back into the party crowd.

"Why'd they have to bring you back so soon?" The boy muttered to Eevee in a sad tone.

Ash and Soot jerked and blinked in confusion, 'So soon?'

Pikachu glared at the boy. Electra frowned and her ears drooped.

Brock, Misty and Clefairy noticed all of this.

Misty leaned closer to Ash and whispered, "Think you can fill us in?"

.

**Short Skip**

Mikey's brothers -apparently named Sparky, Rainer, and Pyro- stood across from Mikey with Eevee still in the boy's arms.

**Seishin: Wait. Which brother is which?**

**Omega: … are you kidding?**

**Seishin: Duh. ;P**

Ash, Brock, Misty, and Soot stood amongst the crowd and watched. Pikachu and Clefairy were still on Ash's shoulders. Electra sat on Brock's backpack and was happily chowing down on a sandwich from one of the tables. She was a little more interested in the assortment of human foods than what the brothers were talking about.

"Listen Mikey!" Sparky said loud enough for everyone to hear, "One day you'll be a Pokémon Trainer just like us."

Rainer spoke up next, "Do you really think you can win your first battle with an unevolved Eevee?"

Pyro followed suit, "All of us won our first battles because we've evolved our eevees. There's no other way to win. The key to a first victory is evolution."

Soot sweat dropped and muttered, "Ah. Surge disciples."

Pikachu groaned and crossed his arms, "_Of course._"

Mikey looked up at his brother sadly, "But I don't care about battles."

"Don'_t ca_re?!" The trio of brothers and eeveelutions called out.

Everyone flinched.

Misty frowned while sweat dropping, "I'm starting to get an idea of what happened earlier."

Brock nodded with a frown, "Yeah."

Electra shot the brothers a glare and muttered, "_Battles aren't everything._" She went back to eating.

Rainer spoke up again, "Everyone's waiting to see what you evolve Eevee into, Mikey."

"You've got three choices." Sparky said.

The group deadpanned, "R_e_a_l_l_y_?"

Eevee blinked in surprise, "_But the boy with the hat said-_"

"A Thunder Stone will make it a jolteon!" Sparky called out dramatically with a smirk, "When a jolteon gets mad, the hairs on its body turn into needles! Then it fires them at its opponent!"

Soot sweat dropped and muttered, "That ability isn't tied to emotion. That's just how they use Pin Missile."

"A Water Stone will make it a vaporeon." Rainer said in the same manner as Sparky; albeit not as loud, "It can melt into water and make itself disappear."

Misty perked up and whispered to Ash, "Does your vaporeon form know Acid Armor?"

"No, but it's okay." Ash whispered back, "I found out how to melt without needing to know the move or be in water."

Misty and Brock stared at Ash in shock, 'That's possible?!'

"A Fire Stone will make it a flareon!" Pyro called out excitedly, "With a blazing flame attack released from its internal fire sack, flareon is the strongest evolutionary choice of all!"

"What?! Are you crazy?!" Sparky shouted at Pyro angrily, "My jolteon is the strongest of all!"

Pyro smirked with his head held high, "Too bad you're the only one who thinks so."

Rainer walked up to Mikey with a kind smile, "Come on, Mikey. I'm sure you'll make the right choice and make it a vaporeon."

Mikey looked down at Eevee sadly. The Normal-type looked back up at him sympathetically.

Brock frowned and muttered, "They sure are competitive. This is a lot of pressure to put on the two of them."

Misty frowned, "Poor guys."

Ash stepped forward with a frown; catching the four brothers' attention, "Hey, come on. Ease up on them a bit. By the looks of it, Mikey still has a few years before he can get a trainer license and Eevee's still pretty young. Why do they have to decide right now?"

Mikey looked at Ash in surprise.

Sparky frowned, "We're throwing this party just for Mikey and his eevee."

Rainer smirked and raised a finger, "You should know you have to start training early if you want to become a master."

Pyro pointed at Ash, "Yeah. One day you're gonna evolve that pikachu and clefairy into raichu and clefable, aren't ya?"

Ash frowned, "Actually, I won't. Pikachu doesn't want to evolve and Clefairy …" He glanced to the side, "well, she does." He shook it off and looked at the brothers again, "But that's beside the point."

Rainer blinked in surprise, "How could you know that you're pikachu doesn't wanna evolve?"

Soot sighed before walking up and sitting next to Ash, "I'd say he has a pretty good way of knowing."

The four brothers and a large portion of the crowd looked at the Dark-type in shock and/or awe.

The Bite Pokémon rolled her eyes before continuing, "Look. Pikachu said in his own words that he doesn't want to evolve. Ever. He had a bad experience with a raichu who looked down on anyone who wasn't fully evolved and grew to hate his own evolved form."

Electra perked up and looked at Pikachu in surprise.

Ash nodded, "Thankfully, he's toned down on the hate."

Pikachu glared at Ash, "_What makes you say that?_"

Ash shot the Mouse Pokémon a confused glance before looking at Electra. Pikachu followed his gaze.

The male Electric-type groaned and crossed his arms, "_Okay, fine. You have a point._"

Ash smirked before looking back at the brothers, "Look. I can understand why you think so highly of evolution, but that isn't how I do things." He frowned, "I'm not forcing anyone on my team to evolve if they don't want to."

Brock and Misty nodded with a soft smile, "Yeah."

Sparky put a hand to his chin and raised a brow, "So, what I'm hearing is that you need a Thunder Stone."

Everyone jerked and stared at the guy blankly.

.

**Time Skip**

After … that, the group split to just enjoy the festivities. Thankfully, the brothers didn't have a problem with any of them letting out non-stone-evo Pokémon.

Staryu, Starmie, Goldeen, and Horsea swam around in the fountain while Misty sat at the edge and watched them. Psyduck was wandering around while holding his head.

Brock, Vulpix, and Electra stood by one of the tables and enjoyed in the wide selection of foods. Zubat was still in his pokéball due to the bright sun and zero available shade. Onix and Geodude decided to stay in their pokéballs to sleep.

Ash, Soot, Pikachu, Clefairy, Muk, and Charmander were at one of the tables as well. Squirtle swam around in the fountain with Misty's Pokémon. Pidgeotto was soaring around happily and kept an eye on Mankey. Namely because the Pig Monkey Pokémon kept trying to stir up a fight with some of the other trainer's Pokémon. Bulbasaur and Krabby chose the same thing as Brock's Rock-types.

"Electra! No!" Brock shouted as he and Vulpix ran over to the front door. The breeder picked up the pikachu and looked down at her with a frown, "I keep telling you, we can't just go into someone's house like that."

Electra looked up at him with a frown and her ears drooping, "_But I just wanna see what's inside. What's so wrong about that?_"

Vulpix sighed, "_Because it'd be breaking and entering. You should know pretty well how different humans are from Pokémon. Forcing your way into someone else's home isn't okay. You could get yourself or Brock in trouble._"

**Seishin: Tell that to the main character of any of the handheld games. ****( ·ᴗ ·)**

**Mizuro: What?**

**Ohirume: Don't ask.**

Brock nodded, "Whatever vulpix just said, I'm sure she's right."

Electra pouted and crossed her arms.

Sparky, Rainer, and Pyro walked over to him with a smile. Their respective eeveelutions walked alongside them.

"So those pikachu and vulpix are yours. Right, Brock?" Sparky asked.

The Pewter Gym Leader looked over and nodded, "That's right." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "And I'm sorry about Electra. She's never been in a town before today and is really curious."

"It's no trouble." Rainer said.

Pyro held up a Fire Stone, "We actually came over to give you these."

Sparky nodded and held up a Thunder Stone, "You can use these to evolve them into ninetales and raichu."

Brock frowned and moved Electra to his shoulder, "Thank you, but I can't accept."

Rainer frowned, "Don't tell us you agree with that Ash kid."

Brock glared at him for a moment before sighing, "It's not just that." He gestured to his pikachu, "I talked to Electra with Soot's help a while back. She does want to evolve, but into an Alolan raichu. Not a Kantonian one."

Electra nodded with a smile. The trio and their Pokémon perked up in surprise.

Sparky sighed, "Alright, fine. I guess I can't argue that." He held out the Thunder Stone again, "But you're still gonna need this for when you get to Alola."

Brock smiled and accepted the rock, "Thank you."

Pyro raised a brow, "What about the vulpix?"

Brock perked up and looked down at the Fox Pokémon, "Do you want to evolve?"

The brothers looked at Brock in surprise. Vulpix looked up at Brock for a moment before tilting her head with an unsure expression.

Brock raised a brow, "Do you think you might want to some day?"

Vulpix looked down thoughtfully as she considered that. She started nodding slowly before picking up the pace and looking up at Brock with a smile.

Brock smiled, "Some other day, it is."

Jolteon, Sparky, Flareon, Pyro, Vaporeon, and Rainer stepped forward and glared, "_D_o_n_'t _b_e _d_u_m_b_!_"

Brock, Vulpix, and Electra flinched.

Sparky smirked with a clenched fist, "Evolution is what Pokémon are all about!"

Rainer nodded, "It's like we said before, it's the key to victory!"

"You can't win with an unevolved Pokémon." Pyro added before pointing at Brock, "All you're doing is holding your Pokémon ba-"

The flareon trainer stopped, flinched, and his eyes widened in shock. As did Sparky and Rainer. Brock tensed up and grimaced.

After a few seconds, the three brothers gasped and started looking around frightenedly.

"W- what the Yvel was that?!" Rainer blurted out.

Jolteon, Vaporeon, and Flareon looked up at their trainers in confusion, "_Huh?_"

Electra blinked in surprise, "_What are they talking about?_"

Vulpix looked up at her, "_We'll tell you later._"

Brock shivered before glancing towards a table. He gave a quick thumbs up as he mouthed the word, 'thanks.'

.

*Ash

Ash smiled back with a thumbs up. Most of the surrounding party goers were looking around either warily or fearfully.

Muk glanced around at them before sweat dropping, "_Never thought I'd be this grateful to not be a human._"

Charmander sweat dropped with a nervous smile, "_Yeah._" He looked up at Ash, "_You're intimidate must be really powerful, huh?_"

Soot swallowed before grinning slyly, "You mean like this?" Her eyes narrowed slightly.

Pikachu, Clefairy, Muk, and Charmander frowned uncomfortably.

Pikachu perked up and blinked in surprise, "_Wait. That's it?_" He looked up at Ash in confusion, "_That's what everyone else feels when you use intimidate?_"

Ash chuckled, "Yup. Targets aside, my intimidate is no different from Soot's ability."

Clefairy looked at him with a raised brow, "_Then why does everyone always look so freaked out when you do it?_"

Soot smirked, "Because no human has ever felt the effects of Intimidate before dad got the ability. None of them know how to deal with it."

Ash nodded, "Whereas putting up with that level of shock and fear is a lot easier for Pokémon. The overall effects are a lot less debilitating."

Muk raised a brow, "_So, really, it's because humans are frailer?_"

Soot blinked in surprise before shrugging, "Yeah. I guess so."

Ash sweat dropped, "Do I wanna know what he said?"

Pikachu snickered, "_Probably not._"

"Um, excuse me?!" Someone called out.

Soot's eye twitched, 'Son of a-' She looked over with a bored expression and saw a man standing next to his exeggutor a few feet away. She walked over, "Let me guess. You want me to translate for him."

The man smiled cheerfully, "If it's not too much trouble."

Soot sweat dropped, 'Yeah. Sure.' She sighed and looked the Coconut Pokémon in the eyes on the center head, "Alright, shoot."

Ash looked at his hatchling with a sad smile. He perked up in surprise when something came down and landed on the table. He looked over in confusion, "Pidgeotto?"

The Bird Pokémon frowned, "_Ash, we've got a problem._"

.

*Misty

The Cerulean Gym Leader watched with a smile as most of her team swam around in the fountain, "Feels nice, doesn't it? There's a lot more room than the pool."

Horsea looked over to Misty and nodded happily.

Starmie turned to face Misty as well and started saying something.

Misty sweat dropped, "Was that about the Lenses?"

Staryu nodded.

Misty sighed before smiling sadly, "Last I heard from Ash, it'll be another hour. Besides," She glanced around, "I think this is a bit too public."

Goldeen looked around before sweat dropping, "_Agreed._"

A cloyster looked over and blinked in confusion, "_What?_"

Squirtle glanced at the Bivalve Pokémon before taking on a sly grin, "_Oh, nothing special. They're just talking about how my trainer's gonna turn this girl into a vaporeon later._"

Misty's Pokémon flinched slightly. Misty perked up upon seeing that and glanced around warily.

Cloyster stared at Squirtle blankly for a moment before deadpanning, "_Ha ha. Very funny._" She swam away from them.

Goldeen swam over to Squirtle, jumped, and spun to slap him in the back of the head with her tailfin.

"_Wah!_" Squirtle cried out as he fell forward and disappeared into the surprisingly deep fountain with a splash. He reemerged a moment later and glared at the Goldfish Pokémon, "_What the Yvel was that for?!_"

Goldeen deadpanned, "_Are you kidding?_"

Misty blinked in surprise, "Um…" She stood back up with a nervous smile, "I'll just leave you all to … whatever this is."

She looked over at Mikey sitting on a bench with Eevee in his arms. The boy was looking down sadly and Eevee looked up at him with a sympathetic frown.

Misty frowned. She perked up and started walking over to one of the tables.

"Hey, Soot?" Misty asked.

Soot groaned, "What?" She turned to glare and flinched slightly at seeing who it was, "Oh. Sorry, Mist."

Misty smirked with a raised brow, "Everyone's been bugging you to be a translator, haven't they?"

Soot sighed, "Yup." She perked up in realization and shot Misty a wary glance, "That isn't why you're here, is it?"

Misty sweat dropped, "Well, um …" She glanced back at Mikey, "Sort of."

Soot followed her gaze and smiled softly, "Alright. This one, I'm okay with."

Pikachu looked over at the girls before following their gaze.

.

*Mikey and Eevee

"You guys hungry?"

Mikey and Eevee looked up and saw Misty holding out a plate of sandwiches with a kind smile on her face. The talking mightyena was standing next to her with Ash's pikachu on its back.

Everyone looked in surprise as Psyduck stole a sandwich from the plate and ate it immediately.

Misty's eyes narrowed, "Psyduck, that wasn't for you."

Psyduck looked up at her blankly, "Psy?" He reached for another sandwich.

Misty held the plate up and pushed him back while glaring, "Hey! These aren't for you! If you're hungry, go to Ash or Brock!"

"Psy-y-y-y-duck!" The Duck Pokémon whined as he tried to reach the plate.

Eevee tilted his head in confusion as Pikachu pinched the bridge of his nose.

Soot deadpanned, "Really?"

Misty looked down at her, "Let me guess. He didn't say anything that time either."

Soot sighed, "That he did not." She glanced at Mikey and saw him staring back at her in awe. The Dark-type sweat dropped before shaking it off and smiling, "Mind if we join you?"

Mikey nodded with an excited smile.

Misty sat down on the other end of the bench and put the plate down between them. Mikey took one of the remaining sandwiches and started eating. Pikachu and Eevee moved over to the plate and started eating too. Soot was currently walking back from chasing Psyduck over to a table.

"How is it?" Misty asked.

Mikey looked back at her with a smile, "Really good. Thanks."

Misty smiled, "You're welcome." Her smile saddened, "Hey, Mikey?"

Mikey blinked in confusion, "Hm?"

"If you don't mind me saying," Misty said, "It doesn't really seem like you want Eevee to evolve."

Mikey looked down sadly, "Well … I don't know. I was trying to hide Eevee from my brothers, just until the party was over." He perked up and looked at the girl with a smile, "Then they couldn't force me to make it evolve."

Soot sat down by the bench and frowned, "Still, Eevee really missed you. We only came across him because he was crying to go home."

Misty nodded, "We almost thought he was abandoned."

Mikey perked up in surprise and looked down at Eevee worriedly, "Really?"

Eevee looked up at him with a frown and his ears drooping.

The brown-haired boy frowned, "But I really was gonna come back for you later."

Eevee perked up and nuzzled the boy.

Mikey smiled sadly, "I don't really care if Eevee evolves or not. I just want him to be my best friend."

The Water-type trainer smiled, "That's great."

Mikey looked up at her in surprise, "Huh? You really think so?"

Misty nodded happily, "Yeah." She raised a finger with a sad smile, "Still, you shouldn't have hidden Eevee like that. All you were doing was running away from your problems. You should've told your brothers how you feel."

Pikachu glanced at the trio in question warily, "_Yeah. If they'll listen._"

Eevee looked at them with a sad smile, "_They really can be a bit stubborn._"

Mikey smiled sadly, "You're probably right."

Soot smiled, "By the way, you might want to get an Everstone."

Mikey looked at Soot in confusion, "But I thought Everstones couldn't stop other kinds of Stones from working."

Soot smirked, "Look who's done their homework." She shifted to a regular smile, "They don't. But it will stop Eevee from evolving into one of his non-item evolutions."

Mikey's eyes widened in shock, "W- what?"

Soot snickered, "Your brothers might not know as much as you think they do. The eevee species actually have eight evolutionary options. Espeon, umbreon, and sylveon are the forms they can evolve into without the use of an item. All they depend on is your bond during training, time of day, and whether or not Eevee knows a Fairy-type move." She perked up and looked at the Normal-type, "Do you happen to know Baby-Doll Eyes or Charm?"

Eevee shook his head, "_Although, I used to._"

"Then sylveon's off the table." Soot said casually before looking up thoughtfully, "Unless you get a Heart Scale."

Mikey stared at Soot in shock. He looked down; feeling a little dazed, "Geez. And I thought picking from just three would be hard."

Misty smiled softly, "That's actually the same thing Eevee said when we told him about his other forms."

Mikey perked up and looked at Misty in surprise, "Huh? How do you know that?"

The Bite Pokémon held out a paw to him with a smirk, "Soot Ketchum. Talking mightyena. Nice ta meet ya."

Mikey looked at her before chuckling nervously, "Oh. Right."

Eevee blinked in surprise, "_Huh?_" He looked at Pikachu in confusion, "_But wasn't your trainer the one who told her and the other human that?_"

Pikachu looked back at him with a smile, "_Ash doesn't always like humans knowing that he can understand some Pokémon. Brock, Misty, and a few others are the only ones who know._" '_And even then, it's not always the full truth._'

"Mikey!" Sparky called out.

They looked over and saw the boy's brothers looking at them as Sparky continued with a smirk, "Have you decided on Eevee's evolution yet?!"

Mikey frowned, "Um…" He looked at Misty.

The Cerulean Gym Leader nodded with a soft smile, "Go ahead."

Pikachu and Eevee nodded with determined smiles, "_You can do it._"

Mikey smiled and nodded.

"A jolteon, right?" Sparky said.

"A flareon, right?" Pyro said.

"A vaporeon, right?" Rainer said.

Mikey took a deep breath and stood up. He looked at his brothers with a determined glare, "I want to-"

He stopped and flinched when a series of firecrackers started going off all around. Most of the party goers started jumping around frantically.

"It's show time everybody!"

Brock, Misty, and all of their Pokémon's eyes widened before they groaned.

Except Electra. She flinched upon recognizing the voices, "_Wait. Was that-_"

Team Rocket's balloon hovered downwards.

The eevee brothers ran over and glared at them.

"Who invited you?!" Pyro shouted at the tRio.

Jessie and James jumped down from the basket, landed on a table, and you know the rest.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

The pair paused for a second as they and Meowth shot over to a table and started eating ravenously.

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Dat's delicious!" Meowth called out.

Soot sweat dropped, "Y'know … sometimes I can't help but wonder why we let them finish with that."

Misty and Pikachu groaned.

Electra stared in shock, "_W- what are __they__ doing here?_"

Vulpix sighed, "_You get used to it._"

James wiped his mouth before looking ahead with a grin, "Weezing!" His Pokémon emerged from the balloon basket, "Use-"

"Now!" Ash called out.

Everyone's eyes widened in shock when a glowing wheel shot down from the sky, through the tRio's balloon, and drove the Poison Gas Pokémon into the dirt faces first. Team Rocket stared back at the deflating balloon in shock.

The 'wheel' sped across the lawn before slowing into a tumble. Pidgeotto managed to stop and laid on her back in a dazed heap.

Clefairy jumped onto Ash's shoulder as he ran over and propped up the Normal/Flying-type's head. He smiled, "Nice job. You're getting better at that."

"_Thanks._" Pidgeotto groaned before putting a wing to her head, "_How do you deal with the motion sickness?_"

Clefairy translated.

Ash chuckled and whispered, "Not well."

"Hey!" Meowth shouted angrily, "Dat was a cheap shot and ya know it!"

Misty glared and shouted back, "You're one to talk!"

Electra looked back at Misty in surprise. She perked up and looked at Meowth in shock, "_No freaking way._"

"_Yup._" Muk said before flicking an entire sandwich into his mouth, "_He's a human talker too._"

Charmander bit down on a sandwich in his paws, "_'e doesn' talk as well as Soot, t'ough._"

Sparky perked up and looked around at Ash, Brock, and Misty in surprise, "Wait, do you all know those two?"

Meowth glared at the yellow haired brother.

Ash sighed, "Unfortunately, yes. They're a band of crooks who kidnap Pokémon."

"What?!" Rainer blurted out worriedly, "Then why aren't you more worried?!"

Brock shrugged, "We run into them a lot."

Ash started stretching, "We'll handle this." He looked back and called out, "Hey, Mankey-"

"Wait!" Pyro called out. The brothers and their eon's walked up to stand in front of everyone and glared at the tRio with cocky smirks.

"These crooks crashed our party." Sparky called out, "So leave this battle to us."

Rainer grinned, "We'll show you all just what a fully evolved Pokémon can really do."

Ash sweat dropped, "You're still going on about that?"

James looked at his Poison-type worriedly, "Weezing, can you still battle?"

Weezing managed to get up shakily and shook wildly before looking ahead at the eeveelutions with his usual expression, "Weezing."

Jessie pulled out and tossed a pokéball, "Go Arbok!"

The Cobra Pokémon materialized next to Weezing and glared, "Chabok!"

"Jolteon!" "Flareon!" "Vaporeon!" Sparky, Pyro, and Rainer called out, "GO!"

The evolved eevees glared and jumped forwards into their fighting stances.

Soot smirked, "This should be fun."

Misty and Pikachu chuckled. Mikey and Eevee looked ahead with worried frowns.

"Arbok!" Jessie called out, "Poison Sting!"

Rainer's eyes narrowed, "Vaporeon! Counter with Water Gun!"

Pyro smirked, "Flareon! You counter with Flamethrower!"

Arbok fired a swarm of glowing white needles. The Bubble Jet Pokémon inhaled and unleashed a large stream of water at the oncoming attack. At the same time, the Flame Pokémon shot a large stream of flame at the same target. The two attacks collided in mid-air and cancelled each other out into a mist. The Poison Sting still shot through.

"Flare!" "Vay!" The pair cried out as the needles struck.

Everyone in the group stared in shock and most muttered, "Wh_at?_"

Mikey's frown saddened.

Rainer glared at his red-haired brother, "What was that Pyro?! I had that attack covered!"

Pyro glared back, "No! I did! Flareon would've handled that attack way better that Vaporeon."

Rainer's glare intensified, "As if!"

Sparky moved to the front with a smirk, "Let me show you a real Pokémon! Jolteon! Pin Missile!"

Soot sweat dropped, "He's joking, right?"

James grinned and held out an arm, "Weezing! Sludge!"

Jolteon jumped in front of Flareon and Vaporeon and fired a barrage of needles from the tips of his fur. Weezing retaliated by spraying black sludge from his mouths. The gunk swept away the needles before washing over the three eons and forcing them back.

Sparky grimaced, "Jolteon! No!"

Rainer smirked with his arms crossed, "So much for 'showing us a real Pokémon'."

Sparky glared back at his brothers, "Like either of you did better!"

Brock stared in shock, "Are they serious?"

Ash sighed, "Mankey may get his chance after all."

Mankey -who moved to stand next to Ash earlier- took on a sly expression and crossed his arms, "_Fine by me._"

The tRio each had bright smiles.

"Dis battles in da bag!" Meowth said excitedly.

James laughed, "We've lost so many times that I almost forgot what it felt like to win!"

Jessie grinned wickedly and clenched a fist, "Then, let's finish this and collect our prizes!"

Soot sweat dropped, "They just forgot we were here. Didn't they?"

Pikachu sweat dropped as well, "_Probably._" He glanced towards Eevee and his eyes widened in surprise.

Jessie and James pointed ahead, "Weezing! Tackle them!" "Arbok! Use Bite!"

The pair shot towards the downed Electric, Fire, and Water-types.

"Take Down!"

Team Rocket's smiles faded when a brown blur shot into Arbok's side and rammed him into Weezing. The pair shot to the side and laid on the ground in a heap.

"What da?!" Meowth cried out in shock.

Eevee skidded to a halt in front of his upper evos and glared at the Poison-types. The brothers looked in surprise and jerked slightly when Mikey ran up beside them.

"Mikey?!" They shouted in shock.

"What are you doing?!" Rainer said, "It's dangerous over here!"

Pyro smiled, "Yeah. But, don't worry, Flareon and I have this covered."

Rainer shoved his red-haired brother and pointed a thumb into his own chest, "He means Vaporeon and I do!"

Sparky smirked and got in front of the others, "They're both wrong! Jolteon and I will-"

"STOP IT!" Mikey blurted out while glaring up at them; making them flinch, "Don't you get that you're losing because you're fighting each other?! These bad people are here to steal our Pokémon! So why are you still trying to one-up each other instead of trying to stop them." He clenched a fist angrily, "This is exactly why I tried to hide Eevee from all of you!" He flinched and his eyes widened upon realizing what he just said.

The brothers' eyes widened in shock.

"Wait, what?" Pyro asked.

Sparky kneeled down in front of their younger brother, "Mikey, is that true?"

Mikey frowned and nodded, "I don't wanna evolve Eevee." He looked back at his Evolution Pokémon with a soft smile, "And he doesn't wanna evolve either."

Jolteon, Flareon, and Vaporeon perked up and looked at Eevee in surprise. The Normal-type frowned with his ears drooping and nodded.

Rainer step forward, "Why didn't you tell-" He cut himself off and put a hand to his chest, "We would've under-" He stopped again and rubbed the back of his neck.

Pyro frowned shamefully, "We never really gave you a chance, did we?"

Sparky frowned, "Mikey, we're sor-"

"Blah blah blah." Jessie interrupted, "We're in the middle of a battle, remember?"

James smirked, "That is, unless you're ready to give up now."

Meowth grinned and crossed his forepaws, "If so, we'll be takin' our prizes."

Arbok and Weezing managed to get back up and moved in front of their trainers again.

The quartet glared back at the tRio.

Sparky stood back up, "Mikey, I promise we'll make it up to you in a bit. But-"

"Yeah." Mikey jumped in with a nod, "I get it."

Pyro's eyes narrowed, "Then let's show these crooks what the four eevee brothers can really do!"

Sparky, Rainer, and Mikey nodded. Their respective Pokémon crouched down into their fighting stances.

Jessie frowned and muttered, "Outnumbered again." She spoke up, "Arbok! Acid!"

James clenched a fist, "Weezing! Another Sludge!"

"Dodge it!" The brothers called out.

Arbok and Weezing fired off their attacks again. The Evolution and evolved Pokémon all jumped out of the way.

Sparky and Rainer shared a look and grinned. They looked ahead again, "Vaporeon! Water Gun!" "Jolteon! Amp it up with Thunder Shock!"

Vaporeon inhaled deeply as Jolteon jumped into the air. The Water-type shot a stream at Arbok and Jolteon unleashed a bolt of lightning alongside the stream. The attacks connected before striking Arbok.

"Chaaaaaa!" The Cobra Pokémon cried out as the electrified water pushed him back.

Jessie grimaced, "Arbok no!"

James glared, "Weezing! Sludge them!"

Pyro held out a hand, "Not so fast! Flareon! Use Fire Spin!"

Flareon inhaled and quickly shot a large spiral of flame towards Weezing. The Poison-type flinched and looked around frightenedly as the flames formed a cone around him.

Mikey held out a hand, "Eevee! Shadow Ball!"

A solid black sphere with a purple core formed in front of Eevee's mouth before shooting towards the trapped weezing. It struck the flaming spiral and exploded violently. The Poison-type blasted backwards and landed on the ground in front of his trainer.

"Ahh! Weezing!" James cried out.

"Now!" Rainer said with a clenched fist, "Let's finish this!"

"Yeah!" Pyro, Sparky, and Mikey nodded.

"Flareon!" "Vaporeon!" "Jolteon!" "Eevee!"

"USE SWIFT!"

Team Rocket flinched and looked at the quartet of Pokémon frightenedly. Their eyes all widened in shock at the sight of the blizzard off golden stars approaching them.

The tRio deadpanned, "Crag."

.

*Blast-off scene

Jessie laid on her side with a bored expression, "Another loss, another blast-off."

James had his arms crossed while upside down, "Still better than that crazy guy with the guitar."

Meowth sighed, "Yeah, dat was jus' weird." He cocked his head with a raised brow, "Come ta think of it, di'n't dat shiny green guy kinda look like an older twoip?"

Jessie perked up and looked up thoughtfully, "Now that you mention it, yeah. It was uncanny."

James put a hand to his chin, "Maybe it was the guy the Phantom got his human form from?"

Jessie looked at him with a raised brow, "What?"

James looked back at her and nodded, "I mean, yeah. That ditto had to see something to turn into it, right? Maybe it's the same for the phantom."

Meowth considered that, "Huh." He shrugged, "Maybe."

"We're blasting off again!"

*ding*

.

*Back on the ground

"Alright!" Mikey called out as he jumped for joy.

Eevee ran over to Mikey with a bright smile, jumped into his arms, and started licking the boy's cheek. Mikey couldn't help but laugh happily. Rainer, Sparky, and Pyro looked over with sad smiles. They all shared a look and nodded.

"Mikey." They all said in unison.

The brown-haired boy looked over in confusion, "Yeah?"

Sparky smiled softly, "We wanted to say sorry about before. We really should've listened to you."

Pyro nodded with a regular smile, "Even though you always said you didn't wanna battle, you really were great out there." His smile became somber, "Still, we're sorry."

Rainer smiled sadly as well, "If you really don't want to battle or for Eevee to evolve, then that's fine by us."

"Well, actually," Mikey said with a smile; making his brothers perk up in surprise, "I think I get why you all like to battle so much." He took on a determined smirk, "I've decided that I do wanna be a trainer like you guys." He looked down at Eevee happily, "But I still want my partner to be Eevee. As he is."

Eevee smiled happily and nodded, "_Me too._"

The three older brothers blinked in surprise before going back to their usual smirks.

"Well then," Sparky said, "It looks like we all have some work to do."

Mikey looked up at him in surprise, "Huh?"

Rainer nodded, "Yeah. If you're battling with Eevee, then you're gonna need to start training some more. Something we'll be happy to help with."

Pyro grinned and clenched a fist, "That's right! By the time we're done, Eevee's gonna be as strong as an unevolved Pokémon can g-" He stopped, jerked, and sweat dropped with an embarrassed smirk, "I- I mean the strongest eevee there is."

Mikey laughed before looking at his brothers with a soft smile, "Thanks guys." He smirked and clenched a fist, "So, should we start now?"

Eevee jumped down from Mikey's arms and crouched down, "_Yeah! I'm ready whenever!_"

"Later." Sparky said with a grin, "But for now," He threw up a fist, "let's all celebrate you're first win, little bro!"

Mikey, Rainer, and Pyro smirked and threw up a fist as well, "YEAH!"

The quartet looked back at the party and jerked in shock. Only Ash, Brock, Misty, and their Pokémon were still present. Misty was sitting back on the edge of the fountain. The talking mightyena and Ash's pikachu had moved back to the table Ash was at. The pidgeotto had fallen asleep on an empty table. The mankey was looking at the four of them with an annoyed expression before it turned away sourly. None of the other Pokémon had moved from where they were.

"What the Yvel?!" Pyro said in shock.

The four brothers and their Pokémon ran over to the table Ash was at.

"Ash, what happened?!" Sparky asked worriedly, "Where is everyone?!"

Ash swallowed before starting, "A handful ran away when Team Rocket showed up. A few more followed when we said who they were. More got scared and ran when Weezing swept away you're Pokémon with Sludge. And the rest left when you blasted them off." He went back to drinking.

Rainer blinked in surprise, "But then, why didn't any of you get scared off?"

"It's like Brock said." Soot jumped in; catching their attention, "We run into them a lot." She propped herself up on the table and bit down on a sandwich.

The surrounding Pokémon and Brock all nodded. Except, again, for Electra.

She looked around at everyone warily, "_So, them being at the tribe __really__ wasn't a freak thing?_"

Clefairy shook in disagreement, "_Nuh uh._" She looked up at her trainer and held up a glass, "_Hey Ash, can I have a refill?_"

Pikachu held up a glass to Ash too, "_Me too?_"

.

**Time Skip**

Despite everything that happened, the rest of the party went off without a hitch … as much as a party with only seven trainers and their twenty Pokémon can go.

Ash, Brock, and Misty returned their Pokémon, and everyone was currently standing at the archway as the brothers saw the group off. Pikachu and Clefairy took back their spots on Ash's shoulders. Electra was standing on Brock's backpack again.

Ash shook hands with Sparky while smiling, "Thanks again for having us. It was a fun party."

Brock scratched the back of his head with a sad smile, "Still, we're sorry about Team Rocket scaring everyone off."

Sparky smiled and waved a hand, "Hey, no problem. It's not your fault they showed up."

Pyro smirked, "Yeah. It's not like you invited them."

Soot sweat dropped, "Well, you're right about that."

Misty sweat dropped as well, 'Not sure if they would've shown up without us, though.'

"Miss Misty?"

Misty looked down at Mikey before crouching down, "Yeah?"

Mikey smiled and whispered to her, "Thanks again for helping me. I'm not sure I would've been able to tell my brothers without your advice."

Misty smiled softly and whispered back, "I was happy to help. Besides, I kind of knew where you were coming from. My older sisters used to bug me about stuff I didn't care about too."

Mikey looked at Misty in surprise before smiling softly, "Still, thanks."

Misty smiled happily before glancing at Ash. She perked up in surprise when she saw the watch was green again.

Ash noticed, put a hand behind his back, and gave a thumbs up.

Misty stood back up and looked at the older brothers, "Would you guys happen to know if there's a good fishing spot nearby?"

Rainer smiled, "Actually, yeah." He pointed into the distance, "There's a pretty nice lake about a mile south of here."

Misty smiled brightly and looked at Ash. The boy glanced at her and smirked.

.

*The lake

"_So,_" Electra said with a frown, "_how often __do__ you- uh, we usually run into those Rocket people?_"

Pikachu looked up with an unsure expression as he wore Ash's hat, "_Um … it's kind of hard to narrow it down. Though, it happens pretty often._"

Soot shrugged, "I don't think we've ever gone two whole weeks without running into them since Viridian City."

Electra's ears drooped and she looked at her trainer, "_So, when Ash said I didn't know what I was getting into by joining you guys, that's what he meant?_"

The spikey-haired pikachu shrugged; the green Lens could be seen on his chest, "_Maybe a little. Though, I think it was mostly the 'we're actually human' thing._"

Electra looked down worriedly, "_hmm._"

"_Hey, don't worry!_" Clefairy said cheerfully with a determined smile, "_We've beaten them every time before and we're gonna do it again every time they mess with us!_"

Soot snickered, "I'd be afraid to jinx it if we were talking about anyone else. But, Clefairy's right. Even if Jessie and James each manage to gather a full team, we'd still outnumber them by six. And that's not including you, dad, Brock, Misty, or anyone else who might join us."

Brock smiled, walked over to Electra, and put a paw on her back, "_Yeah. It'll be okay, Electra. We promise._"

Electra looked up at Brock and smiled softly, "_Thanks._"

.

*Meanwhile; IN the lake

Misty looked around in awe as she sat on the bottom of the lake. She'd been underwater before, but that had nothing on this.

The water was clearer to see through than any pair of goggles would've allowed or the cleanest swimming pool imaginable. The way she could feel the water's movements across her scales and fins was even more refreshing than the wind through the pikachu form. The thing she probably appreciated second most was that the form let her choose her density/buoyancy in the water … even if Ash had to teach her how to control that. The first was undoubtedly the water-compatible lungs and gills.

**Omega: I … what?**

**Faux: Most Water-type Pokémon can breathe underwater and can breathe air.**

**Nuevo: *raised brow* So, they're all like lungfish?**

**Laura: The Yvel's a lungfish?**

**Ohirume: *obviously reading off something* They are a species of freshwater rhipidistian fish that belong to the subclass Dipnoi. Lungfish are best known for retaining characteristics primitive within Osteichthyes, including the ability to breathe air.**

**Seishin: What can't google do? ;)**

**Ohirume: Wha- How'd you know I used google?!**

**Seishin: ,':\ I read the action descriptor. Also figment.**

**Omega: That still doesn't explain the "water compatible lungs."**

**Ohirume: Oh, I just made that **** up. Though, to be fair, a vaporeon literally can melt into water. So, non-fiction biology is pretty much void.**

**Omega: … In all honesty, I've heard weirder.**

The part she was still coming to terms with was the fact that she could hear everyone around her. She knew that Water-types could take commands from underwater, but still…

"_Is it everything you thought it would be?_" Ash asked.

The viridian-eyed vaporeon with a hair tie on her left ear and green Lens on her stomach looked over at the brown-eyed vaporeon floating a little above her. Goldeen, Squirtle, Horsea, Staryu, and Starmie were with him.

Misty smiled softly, "_And then some._" She took a deep, relaxed breath before looking up at the surface with a sad smile, "_I've only ever dreamed about this kind of thing before. I'm almost afraid I'll wake up._"

Horsea swam down and nuzzled her happily, "_I don't think that's gonna happen._"

Squirtle snickered and crossed his arms, "_We're about a week and four pikachu transformations past dreaming._"

Goldeen smiled softly, "_You're wide awake, Misty. No doubt._"

Staryu and Starmie nodded, "_Yeah._"

Misty chuckled softly before nuzzling her Dragon Pokémon back, "_Thanks._"

"_Oh, and Misty?_" Horsea said as he backed up a bit, "_One more thing._"

Misty raised a brow, "_Yeah?_"

Horsea took on a cheerful expression, "_You're it!_" He swam away as quick as he could. Squirtle and the rest of her Pokémon smirked -if possible- and sped away too.

Misty jerked, "_Wha- Hey!_" She got back on all fours and glared at them, "_That wasn't fair!_"

"_Too late now!_" Staryu called out.

Misty pouted angrily. She perked up and looked up at Ash.

Ash smirked, "_Not gonna work, Misty._"

The female vaporeon grinned, "_We'll see about that._"

Misty bounced off the lake bottom and swam towards Ash as fast as she could. Ash just continued floating in place. Misty's eyes widened in shock when Ash faded away in front of her and she shot through where he was. She stopped and looked back to Ash. He was already reforming and now facing her.

"_Told ya._" The male vaporeon said with a sly smirk.

Misty glared, "_Oh, come on! I don't know how to melt yet!_"

Ash grinned, "_Yup. Now, you might want to hurry. A vaporeon may be a naturally faster swimmer than the others, but you are still in training._"

Misty grumbled before sighing. She looked back at Ash with a smirk, "_Fine. But I still want you to teach me how to melt._"

Ash raised a brow with a smirk, "_Of course. It'd be pretty petty of me not to after I told you it was possible._"

Misty smiled, "_Thank- Woah!_" She was cut off by a small current hitting her in the back of the head and flipping her around.

"_Come on, Misty!_" Squirtle called out in a sly tone, "_I thought you were a vaporeon! Not a slowpoke!_"

Misty glared into the water, "_I'll make you eat those words, shell boy!_" She sped off after him.

.

.

**Gem: *frowns* Sparky … why does that sound so- WAIT A SEC!**

**Faux: *chuckles* Finally realized it, huh?**

**Illavera: What?**

**Pike: *grin* Sparky is also the name of another pikachu. They belong to a trainer named Ritchie.**

**Nuevo: *sweat drops* So, the anime reused a human's name for a mouse?**

**Seishin: That they did. :P And, to make it weirder, that pikachu's Japanese name was Leon. ****Leon!**

**Yugo: *perks up and stares at Seishin in shock* What?**

**…**

**Ohirume: Eh … Midnight on Saturday. 7:30 in the afternoon on Wednesday. What's the difference?**

**Omega: *deadpanned* Seventy-six and a half hours.**

**Ohirume: *grumbles* I got tired of waiting. Alright?**


	48. Ch 42: Snorlax

**Omega: So-**

**Ohirume: Filler.**

**Mizuro: Seriously?! How long has it been since the last Gym Battle?**

**Seishin: By this point, ten chapters/seven episodes(winter themed special episodes not included). ;P**

**But don't worry, it's just another sixtee- fifteen episodes until Cinnabar.**

**Omega, Mizuro, Nuevo, and Illavera: WHAT?!**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**WAKE UP!**

.

The group set up camp for the night in a forest clearing and Brock got to cooking. Geodude and Onix stayed by his side and helped where they could.

Misty and her team lounged around in the pool and mostly talked amongst themselves. The Water trainer couldn't get enough of the vaporeon form. Seriously. She's been considering asking Ash to Lockdown with her.

Ash and his team kickstarted another training session. Speaking of which, all of the Pokémon finally got to see what a porygon was.

Pikachu looked at his trainer with a bright smile, "_I can learn that?!_"

"_Yup._" Ash said happily, "_Signal Beam is one of the stronger and more versatile Bug-type attacks that a lot of non-Bug-types can learn. It'll help against Grass, Psychic, and Dark-types, has a decent chance of inducing Confusion, and you'll even be able to use it for propulsion so long as you keep Thunderbolt. I almost couldn't believe that Franz managed to program it into Porygon._"

Pikachu clenched a fist and smirked, "_Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's get to work!_"

The Virtual Pokémon took on a determined expression, "_Oh yeah._" Ash turned towards a tree and the tip of his face became shrouded in pink energy.

.

*Ash and Brock's Pokémon

The large group just sat off to the side and watched as the pair got to work.

"_Woah._" Bulbasaur muttered while staring at Ash in awe.

Muk laid next to him in about the same state, "_His voice… not even the magnemite line talk __that__ much like robots._"

Everyone else just stared silently in pure awe. Mostly.

Vulpix's eyes were sparkling in amazement, Psyduck was lying on the ground about a foot away because of course he was, and Electra…

"_Human-made Pokémon…_" Electra mumbled aimlessly, "_Human-__made__ Pokémon. A human made a-_" She let out a soft squeak and hugged her tail tighter.

After finding out the porygon species was human-made, Electra resigned to laying on her side and curling up in a fetal position as she struggled with this overwhelming conflict of her interests.

Soot looked down at the Electric-type worriedly, "Geez. This is the worst one yet."

"_Well sure._" Pidgeotto said, "_But, seriously. A Pokémon made by humans is- is-_"

Clefairy giggled, "_Insane?_"

Pidgeotto glanced back at her with a raised brow, "_Not what I was really going for, but yeah. I guess._"

Squirtle looked back at Clefairy and Soot with a raised brow, "_And you two knew about this all along?_"

Soot shrugged with a smile, "Eh, sort of. Dad and I knew Franz had been working on the species for a while, but we didn't know he actually succeeded until we got to Matcha City."

Clefairy raised a paw with a happy smile, "_And I had no idea before meeting the chafer guy._"

Soot sweat dropped, "Schaffer." She looked back around at everyone, "And, by the way, human-made Pokémon are a little more common than you all think."

Everyone -except Clefairy- perked up and looked at her in surprise. Electra snapped out of it, scrambled to sit up, and looked at her in shock.

Charmander blinked in surprise, "_Wait, what? Really?_"

Soot snickered, "Yup. Not counting evolutions, porygon's the seventh man-made Pokémon on earth."

Electra's jaw dropped.

Muk's eyes narrowed, "_Name one._"

Soot grinned and looked the Poison-type in the eye, "Why? I'm looking at one right now."

Muk's eyes widened in shock as he flinched; causing all of him to start jiggling. Everyone else jumped and looked at the Sludge Pokémon in shock.

Muk glared at Soot, "_Wait a second! I was not made by humans. I hatched out of an egg just like every other grimer._"

Soot smirked, "Well, yeah. You all did. Can't say the same for your ancestors. Grimer and trubbish were created a little over a century ago from irradiated human pollution."

Muk stared at Soot in shock. He brought up his hands and stared down at them, "_I'm-_"

Soot frowned, 'May have been a little too blunt.' "You alright?"

"_Y- yeah._" Muk stuttered. He put a hand to his head, "_That's just- a lot to take in all of a sudden._" He perked up and looked at Soot in surprise, "_Wait. Does that mean my kind __aren't__ responsible for pollution?_"

"Huh?!" Soot cried out as she jerked and stared at him in shock, "That's what you thought?!" She smirked with a raised brow, "Muk, that couldn't be further from the truth."

Muk blinked in surprise, "_R- really?_"

Soot nodded, "Yeah. I read it in an old history book. After your kind started popping up, pollution levels plummeted worldwide. Yours, the trubbish, and the koffing lines have the ability to consume toxic materials and waste, and safely integrate them into yourselves." She snickered, "Obviously shaymin do it better. But they aren't nearly as common or easy to find." The Dark-type looked back at the Poison-type with a soft smile, "Your kinds' appearance played a part in fixing the world's pollution problem before things got out of hand. You weren't the cause. You were part of the cure."

**Illavera, Mizuro, and Nuevo: *blank, dumbfound stares***

**Nuevo: *muttering* Their world doesn't even have to worry about pollution…**

**Illavera: *muttering* I knew the air seemed fresh. But I thought it was because we were in a dense forest.**

**Mizuro: ****. That is just unfair.**

**Illavera: *flinches upon realizing something* Wait. Does that mean they don't have to worry about global warming?**

**Nuevo: *eyes widen before face-palming* Which also means they don't have ******* arguing over whether it's real.**

**Mizuro: Son of a *****! That's even more unfair!**

**Omega: *sigh* It really is.**

**Gem: *whispering to Faux* What are they talking about?**

**Faux: No idea.**

Muk blinked in surprise and looked at his hands again. After a moment he smiled softly, "_huh._" He perked up and looked at Soot in confusion, "_Hold on. What about Gringey City? It's packed with my kind and is still a wreck._"

Soot smiled sadly, "Every cure has its limits. Gringey City's one of the better-known examples of that."

"_OH! Right!_"

Everyone perked up and looked at Ash. The porygon hovered over to his backpack. Pikachu watched and pouted as he flew away.

"_That reminds me._" Ash said before he pulled out a zip lock bag and hovered over to Muk with it in his appendages.

Muk raised a brow as he stared at the gold-ish ring in the bag, "_What is that?_"

"_It's a gasket we got from Electra's microwave._"

Electra perked up and looked at Ash in surprise, "_Huh?_"

"_It has beryllium in it._" Ash continued, "_It's a metal that's incredibly toxic and can damage a being's lungs if inhaled._" He held out the bag to the Poison-type, "_Mind eating it?_"

"_What?!_" Mankey blurted out, "_But, you just said-_" He stopped and blinked, "_Oh._"

Electra stared at the ring frightenedly, "_I- I had something that dangerous?_" She gulped and her ears drooped, "_Really not insane._"

Pidgeotto glanced back at her in surprise before perking up, '_Ohhhhh. Right._'

Muk looked at the gasket curiously. He smiled softly and took the bag, "_I'm happy to help._" He tossed the bag into his mouth and swallowed.

The Sludge Pokémon perked up and shivered for a bit, "_Woah._" He looked at Ash, "_Do we have any more of that?_"

.

**Short Skip**

Charmander and Vulpix stood on either side of the clearing and stared each other down. Ash stood off to the side and looked back and forth between them.

Soot sat next to him with Clefairy and Bulbasaur on either side of her. Squirtle and Mankey were sparring with Muk. Krabby was firing Bubble Beam at Pidgeotto as she flew around and deflected the Water-type attack with Gust and Ominous Wind.

Electra lost all interest when Ash transformed again and went over to watch Brock cook. No change for Misty and her team. Though, Ash had to cut the Cerulean girl off after the fourth Lens.

"_You guys ready?!_" The ponyta called out with a smirk.

The Lizard and Fox Pokémon nodded, "_Yeah!_" Vulpix started stomping the ground with her forepaws repeatedly.

Ash got up on his hind legs, "_Then,_" He fell back down and stomped, "_GO!_"

"_Flame Charge!_" Charmander and Vulpix cried out before breaking into a sprint towards each other.

The Fire-types started sparking a bit before a large plume of flames burst out and shrouded them. The pair picked up speed and rammed into each other with a pair of headbutts. An explosion immediately erupted, and the pair disappeared into a large cloud of smoke.

"Vul!" Vulpix cried out as she flew out of the smoke and tumbled along the ground for a second.

The dust cleared to reveal Charmander staring at her in shock. His eyes lit up, he smiled brightly, and threw up his paws in triumph, "_YES! I did it! I won!_"

Vulpix got back to her paws, shook it off, and looked at him with a sly smirk, "_Well, enjoy it now. Because I'm not losing the next one._"

Charmander looked back at her with a determined smirk, "_We'll see about that._"

Ash couldn't help but smile softly at his Fire-type, '_Charmander._' He perked up with a regular smile and spoke up, "_You two can worry about a rematch later. For now, take a break. You've earned it._"

Vulpix nodded happily, "_Sounds good._" She turned towards Brock and started running over. After a second, she flinched and skidded to a halt. The Fox Pokémon blinked in surprise and looked back, "_What the Yvel?_"

Soot grinned, "That'd be the side effect of Flame Charge. Your speed jumps a bit every time you use it."

Vulpix stared at Soot in surprise, "_E- __every__ time?_" She looked down at her paws in awe, "_Wow. No wonder Suzie wanted me to learn this so bad._"

Ash chuckled.

"_Hey Ash?_" Charmander asked.

The ponyta-trainer looked down to see the Lizard Pokémon looking up at him hopefully, "_So … um-_"

Ash raised a hoof, "_Hold that thought._" He reached down and tapped the watch's symbol with his muzzle. Ash lit up green and reemerged in dragonite form.

The Dragon-type kneeled down in front of Charmander with a smile, "_You were saying?_"

Charmander chuckled softly before continuing with a smile, "_I wanted to ask how I did. So …_" he trailed off.

Ash smiled softly and pet him, "_You did great. I'm proud of you, bud-_"

He was cut off by a loud crash. Everyone flinched and looked over. They found squirtle struggling to get his shell out of a hole in a tree. The spiral of water around his tail faded.

Muk glared at him, "_I warned you about using Aqua Tail from a tree like that! You need to remain steadfast against my skill!_"

Squirtle glared back, "_Shut up and get me out of here!_"

Mankey raised a paw, "_On it!_" He ran around the tree before anyone could respond.

Squirtle flinched, grimaced, and glanced back, "_Wait! How exactly are you-_"

"_Karate Chop!_" Mankey shouted as he shoved his fist through the back of the tree and hit Squirtle in the shell.

"SQUIRRRRRR!" The Tiny Turtle screamed as he shot towards the pool, hit the rim, and fell in with a splash. Misty and her Pokémon managed to get out of the way just in time. Squirtle reemerged floating on his back with his eyes in swirls and water slowly pouring out of his mouth.

Everyone started laughing wildly at the dazed Water-type.

Ash glanced down at the happily laughing charmander and smiled softly again, '_Very proud._'

.

*The Next Day

The group continued on their journey towards -eventually- Cinnabar Island. They were currently walking down a trail alongside a forest.

Electra and Clefairy were sleeping soundly on Brock and Ash's backpacks, respectively. Pikachu sat on Ash's shoulder and lounged against his trainer's head with a calm smile and his paws behind his head. Misty was pouting with her arms crossed.

Ash sighed before looking at the girl with a frown, "Misty, I'm sorry. But you can't just keep burning through the Lenses like that. It's not fair to Brock."

Brock sweat dropped and waved his hand with a nervous smile, "Really, it's okay. I'm fine with wait-"

Misty cut him off with a sigh, "No. Ash is right. I guess I'm being a little selfish." She looked up with a sad smile, "But I Just can't help it. It was everything I'd dreamed of and so much more than I expected." She took a deep breath and smiled sadly again, "Fresh air almost tastes bitter now."

Ash smiled softly, "Trust me, I get it. It can be one Yvel of an experience."

Brock smiled softly and nodded, "Yeah."

Soot looked up at Misty with a grin, "And don't forget. Dad is still working on upgrading the Lenses."

Ash nodded, "Yeah. I think I'm already getting close to upping the time limit by another minute."

Pikachu sweat dropped and glanced at Ash, "_Just a minute?_"

Ash shot back a glance at the Electric-type, "Hey, these things aren't exactly simple machines." He perked up and looked back at his friends, "Also, I think I'm gonna try and find a way to add a Lockdown Mode into the Lenses."

Misty looked at Ash in surprise, "I thought they already had that."

Ash chuckled and shook his head, "Not exactly. If you remember before, I said that my Lockdown would carry over to you." He raised a finger again, "What I'm thinking of is a standalone Lockdown with a much shorter time limit."

Brock raised a brow, "So, it won't last for a few days?"

Ash smiled, "That's the plan. I'm thinking of just a few hours. That would tie in pretty well since the Lenses aren't as powerful as the watch." He put a hand to his chin and looked down thoughtfully, "But, I'm still not sure if I can do it without the time randomizer."

Misty smiled brightly, "Well, however it works, be sure to let us know immedia-"

Soot whistled; catching the quartet's attention. She looked at them, "Guys. You're gonna wanna cut the watch talk for now." She looked back ahead.

The group followed her gaze to find a short man sitting on a large rock. He wore faded green clothing, had long white hair covering his eyes with a mustache, and had a blue, diamond-shaped charm on a necklace.

The man noticed them as they walked up to him, "Groovy. Greetings, children of the universe."

Soot tensed up and her eye started twitching, "Hi."

Misty raised a brow, "Are you all by yourself?"

"I have my music." The man said before reaching around and pulling out a yellow flute that looked like it was skewering a pokéball.

He began playing a soft melody. Ash, Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Soot smiled softly and enjoyed it. Clefairy and Electra stirred awake calmly and stretched. They moved over to their trainers' shoulder to look at the source of the music. Electra's eyes widened in awe.

The song ended and everyone -except Soot, Clefairy, and Electra- applauded. The female Fairy and Electric-types noticed and joined in. The Dark-type looked down at her forepaws and sweat dropped.

"Thank you." Brock said.

"That was really nice." Misty followed.

The man looked at them, "Glad ya liked it." He held out a hand, "But now that you've heard my music, you've gotta give me some food."

"H_u_h_?_" Everyone said in surprise.

Soot sweat dropped, "We assumed it'd be free."

The man frowned, "Can't I at least get a sandwich for my performance?"

Ash frowned, "We're actually heading to the nearby town to restock." He perked up upon remembering something, "Oh, wait." He reached around, removed his backpack, and dug around in it, "We don't have sandwiches-" He stopped, perked up, and looked at Brock, "Right?"

Brock frowned, "I'm afraid so."

Ash shrugged and went back to sifting through his bag, "Would you settle for some fruit, though?"

The man perked up in surprise, 'Wait, really?' "Uh, yeah. Sure. Ya have apples?"

Ash smiled and pulled out two large apples, "Enough that we can be a little generous." He walked over and held out the fruit, "Here."

The man stared in surprise before taking them, "Th- thanks."

Ash walked back over to the others and slung his backpack back on, "Alright. See ya."

Brock and Misty waved, "Bye."

The group continued down the trail.

The long-haired guy watched in surprise as they left. He looked down at the fruit, 'My concert wasn't free for once.' He smiled softly and bit into one of the apples, "Nice kids."

.

*Group

Electra looked back in the direction the man was in while standing on Brock's shoulder.

Misty noticed and smiled at her, "I take it you liked the music?"

Electra looked at Misty with a raised brow, "_Huh? Yeah, it was nice, I guess._" She looked back in his direction, "_But, what was that thing he was using?_"

Soot snickered, "A flute. The finger holes on the front were what he used to change the sound."

Electra smiled brightly and her tail started wagging, "_Coooool._"

Brock held up a hand to keep the tail from smacking him in the face. He looked at Ash and smiled, "That was pretty nice of you to give him those apples."

Misty nodded, "I didn't actually know we had that much fruit left."

Ash chuckled nervously, "Um … about that. I may have exaggerated a bit."

Soot glared at him, "And exactly how much is a bit?"

Ash cleared his throat, "I gave him half of what I had left."

Everyone jerked and looked at Ash in surprise.

Misty deadpanned, "Of course you did."

Ash rubbed the back of his head nervously, "At least we're planning to restock, right?"

Soot sighed, "Yeah. Fine. It's not like we can take the fruit back from that hippie anyway." She perked up and muttered, "At least, not without feeling like total scum."

Brock smiled, "Well then, let's move. The town should be close."

Electra perked up and looked down the road, "_A town?_" She smiled brightly again and pointed ahead, "_Yeah! Let's go! Come on!_"

Ash chuckled, "Alright, alright."

The group continued down the path.

Clefairy looked at Soot, "_Hey, what's a hippie?_"

.

**Time Skip**

The group walked down the not-at-all busy streets of the small town.

"_Wooaah._" Electra said as she stood back on Brock's backpack and looked around in awe, "_So insane. This place doesn't look like that other town at all._"

Ash smiled at her, "Yeah. That can happen. Some towns may have a few things that'll look similar, but you're not gonna find an exact copy that easily."

Electra started bouncing happily, "_Insaaaaane._" She looked over to an alley way, perked up, and pointed at it, "_Let's go that way!_"

Soot snickered, "Not so fast. We're mainly here to restock, remember?"

Brock smiled, "Still, we might be going to a lot of different places while we're here."

"Like over there!" Misty said while pointing ahead and smiling, "It's a bakery!" She ran over to it, "Come on!"

Ash and Soot blinked in surprise and looked at the building. They each raised a brow, 'Why don't I smell any-'

"What the?!" Misty blurted out.

Everyone else ran over and looked at the display counter. Every shelf was completely empty.

Brock stared in surprise, "There's no bread at all?"

Electra frowned and her ears drooped, "_That's bad, right?_"

Soot raised a brow, "More like weird." She looked at the front door, "I mean- they're still open."

Ash walked closer and knocked on the top of the counter, "Excuse me! Is there anyone here?!"

A man dressed up like a chef walked up to the counter, "What's that? A customer?"

Ash nodded, "Yes. Hello. Do you have any bread in the back or something?"

The chef frowned, "I'm sorry. But we don't have any bread left."

Misty slumped forward, "No bread at a bakery?"

Soot raised a brow, "Wait. If you don't have anything in stock, why are you open right now?"

The chef looked down at Soot in surprise, "Wha-" He looked back at the trainers, "Where did you get a talking Pokémon?"

Ash deadpanned and spoke in monotone, "I raised her from an egg." He raised a brow, "But Soot has a point. Why are you currently open?"

The chef raised a finger, "Well, that's because-" He stopped, perked up, and blinked in surprise, "Um…" He looked around the shop, "Huh."

.

**Time Skip**

It'd been about an hour since the group started looking around town for … well, anything at this point. For once, they had no such luck.

The group resigned to sitting around a rounded stone … bench(?) by the road. Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra sat on the ground next to their trainers and Soot laid down in front of Ash. Ash, Brock, and Misty went ahead and cut up the two apples they had left. Thankfully, they had enough Pokémon food for now.

Misty swallowed before looking up with a worried frown, "What the Yvel is going on here?"

"I don't know either." Brock said, "I mean, how can every bakery, produce market, and restaurant in this town be out of food?" He took another bite of the apple slice.

Ash sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "It doesn't make any sense. It's insane."

Soot swallowed, "And not in a good way."

Electra and Pikachu's ears drooped and Clefairy frowned, "_Yeah._"

"Excuse me."

The group looked over at the squint-eyed, gray-haired man who had just walked over to them. He wore a long-sleeved blue shirt, gray pants, a brown and beige hat, and was using a cane.

The two Electrics and the Fairy-type blinked in surprise and looked back and forth between him and Brock, '_Their eyes are the same…_'

"What seems to be the matter here?" The man asked.

"We came here to restock." Brock responded, "But everywhere seems to be out of everything."

Misty looked at him curiously, "Would you happen to know what's going on around here?"

Soot raised a brow, "Also, we still have no idea who you are."

The man looked at Soot in surprise, "Oh my."

Soot rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Talkin' dog. Wow. Cool." She looked at him, "Now, who are you?"

The man jerked slightly, "O- oh." He put a hand to his chest, "I'm the mayor of this town."

Electra's ears sprang back up and she looked at the mayor curiously, "_Mayor?_"

The mayor frowned, "As for the food. I'm afraid our river has completely dried up and is killing all of our produce. As a result, food in town has become scarce."

Misty blinked in surprise, "Really?" She raised a brow, "I didn't think the weather had been that dry this year."

The mayor shook his head, "It isn't the weather that's the problem." He gestured for them to follow before walking down a pathway, "Come look."

The group followed.

.

*Town river

Everyone stared in shock at the sight of the large river that had been reduced to a collection of puddles.

The mayor frowned, "This is the river that used to flow through our town. It's been like this for two weeks now."

Soot gulped, "Yikes."

Ash looked over at a field near the river. He frowned at the sight of the dried-out garden, "And the plants have all dried up too."

The mayor nodded, "We can't produce wheat or vegetables. Our town's in real trouble."

Misty perked up, "Wait." She looked at Ash with a smile, "What if our Water-types just started spraying around the field? That'd help, wouldn't it?"

Ash considered that and shook his head, "It would definitely help for the time being, but it won't be a permanent fix."

Misty frowned, crossed her arms, and looked down thoughtfully.

Brock perked up and looked at the mayor, "Maybe the problem is somewhere upstream?"

Soot looked up at him, "It's at least worth checking."

Misty smiled and nodded, "Yeah. I'm sure we'll find the problem easily."

"_Yeah!_" Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra cheered; each with a raised paw.

The mayor frowned, "I'm afraid that's easier said than done. We went to investigate ourselves, but the pathways have been blocked off by thorny vines. It's dangerous to go there."

The group shared a look, smiled and nodded, and looked back at him.

"I think we'll be okay." Ash said.

.

*Ash and co.; later

The septet made their way down the dried-up river. They came up to the massive vine wall the mayor mentioned.

Brock frowned, "So this is what he meant."

Electra frowned and her ears drooped, "_Are we gonna have to go __through__ that?_"

Ash pulled out a pokéball, "Nope." He tossed it into the air, "Bulbasaur! Come on out!"

The Grass/Poison-type appeared in a flash. He looked at the vines and flinched slightly.

Bulbasaur blinked in surprise, "_Yikes._" He looked back at Ash with a raised brow, "_You want me to cut them up with Razor Leaf, right?_"

Pikachu translated.

Ash smiled and nodded, "Exactly. You won't have to go anywhere near them."

Bulbasaur sighed in relief, "_Thank Arceus._" He turned to face the vines again and smirked, "_Leave it to me._"

The Seed Pokémon unleashed a large swarm of the sharpened leaves. They tore through the thick vines with ease.

Misty smiled and clenched a fist, "Alright! Way to go Bulbasaur!"

"Nice job." Ash said before holding out Bulbasaur's pokéball again, "Return."

Bulbasaur disappeared into the red beam and the group continued through the now cleared path … and then came up on even more vines.

Pikachu deadpanned, "_Really?_"

Clefairy frowned, "_Aww._"

Misty smirked and pulled out two pokéballs, "Don't worry. This one's mine." She reeled back.

Everyone flinched when another pokéball burst open from Misty's belt and Psyduck emerged directly over the thorns.

Soot grimaced, shifted her eyes, and pounced at Psyduck. She grabbed and held him in her forepaws before they fell into the vine cluster.

The Dark-type walked out of the vines while holding the Duck Pokémon by the neck and had an annoyed look on her face. Soot spat him out onto the ground and stuck her tongue out in disgust.

She shifted her eyes back and glared at the Water-type, "You need a bath."

Psyduck sat up and went back to holding his head, "Psy Duck."

Ash sweat dropped, 'I really need to start working on that Calm Mind.'

Misty stared down at the Duck Pokémon in shock, "What the Yvel?"

Brock stared in shock as well, "Since when could he do that?"

Ash scratched the side of his head, "I mean … I've heard that it's possible for a caught Pokémon to break out like that. But I've never actually seen it happen before."

Soot deadpanned, "And yet Psyduck found out how to do it."

Misty sighed, "I really hope this isn't a regular thing."

**Gem and Faux: *worried groans***

**Omega: *glances at pair in confusion* Huh?**

Misty pulled out and held Psyduck's pokéball towards him, "Return." She tossed the other two pokéballs into the air, "Starmie! Staryu! Double Tackle!"

The Star Shape and Mysterious Pokémon emerged in midair and spun like circular saws as they shot towards the vines. The sibling duo shredded through the vines with ease. They continued moving through as they cleared the path.

Brock smiled, "Nice thinking Misty."

Misty grinned, "I try."

The group ran after the Water-types. They came up to the end of the carved-out vines. The sibling Water-types were standing there and waiting for them.

Misty smiled down at her Pokémon, "Way to go you two." She perked up and raised a brow, "Hey. Come to think of it, do you guys ever get dizzy from doing that?"

Starmie looked up at Misty, "_What? Why would that make us dizzy?_"

Soot translated.

Misty blinked in surprise, "I mean … you're spinning nonstop when you use Tackle."

Staryu stared at her blankly, "_I'm not following._"

Clefairy translated for Ash, who then relayed the message.

Misty sweat dropped, "Well, its…" She shook her head, "No, never mind." She held out their pokéballs, "Thanks for the help. Return."

The pair disappeared into the red beams and the group continued onwards yet again. They came up to a giant hole with small puddles of water littered around.

Brock frowned, "I guess the problem is still a little further away."

Soot, Pikachu, and Electra's ears all twitched, and they perked up. Ash blinked in surprise, "Snore?"

Misty looked at Ash in surprise, "What?"

Ash looked around a bit before pointing ahead, "I can hear something snoring down that way. And they're literally saying 'snore'."

Soot looked at Ash in surprise, "Huh?" She perked up, "Wait. That means-" She turned back towards the source and ran towards it.

Everyone else followed and came up to a full grown snorlax sitting against a wall of the spring.

Brock blinked in surprise, "A snorlax? What're they doing here?"

Soot looked at where the Normal-type was sitting and frowned, "That."

Everyone followed her gaze and saw a small trickle off water coming from behind him.

Misty frowned, "So Snorlax is blocking the water from the spring. Okay…" She looked up at the Pokémon worriedly, "How do you wake up a snorlax?"

Brock raised a finger, "Use Worry Seed to give them the insomnia ability?"

Soot perked up and blinked in surprise, "Actually, yes. That would work incredibly well."

Ash sweat dropped, "Except that none of our Pokémon or any of my forms can do that."

Brock chuckled nervously, "Oh … right."

Clefairy perked up, "_Oh!_" She held up a paw and smiled brightly, "_What about my Wake-Up Slap?! That'd work, wouldn't it?!_"

Ash frowned, "It's not a bad idea but we don't really know how he'd react to that. He could end up being a little passive aggressive or incredibly violent when woken up by force." He translated what Clefairy said to Brock and Misty.

Misty looked at Ash, "So, what do you think we should do?"

Ash pulled out a pokéball and enlarged it, "We could catch him."

Pikachu, Clefairy, Soot, Misty, and Brock jerked and looked at Ash in surprise, "W_h_a_t_?"

Electra perked up and looked around in confusion.

Misty stared at Ash in shock, "Since when do you suggest catching a Pokémon like this?"

Ash shook his head, "I don't mean it like that. Even when sleeping, a Pokémon can fight back once they're in a pokéball. For a snorlax who hasn't been hit by anything, it's a guarantee he won't stay in." He put the ball down and raised a finger, "I'm just thinking that, once he goes in, we knock the ball away, so he comes back out in a different spot."

"Huh." Brock said in mild surprise, "That makes sense." He raised a brow, "What if he has a trainer, though?"

Ash shrugged, "Then this won't work. We won't know until we try." He tossed the ball at Snorlax.

The ball hit the Normal-type, bounced upward, and opened. Snorlax lit up red. Everyone frowned when the red light shattered around Snorlax and the ball fell back to the ground.

Soot sighed, "Guess he already has a trainer, then."

Misty perked up and looked at the others, "But isn't that a good thing? We just have to get his trainer to return him, right?"

Ash crossed his arms and looked up thoughtfully, "Yeah. But we still have to find-"

"Good morning, everyone."

Everyone flinched from recognizing the voice and turned around. James and Jessie were walking over to them casually. James was talking into a microphone while Jessie pointed a video camera at him.

Ash and Soot sweat dropped. Pikachu, Clefairy, Brock, and Misty glared at the pair. Electra squeaked frightenedly and hid behind Brock's head. She peaked at them warily.

"Oh well, it's not really morning anymore." James said into the microphone, "Who cares anyway? I'm here to report on the early awaited awakening of the snorlax."

Ash blinked in surprise, "Why do you have a video camera?"

Soot raised a brow, "Where did you get a video camera?"

Misty glared at them, "What are you doing here?!"

James ignored them and gestured to the Sleeping Pokémon, "Zoom in, cameraperson."

Jessie complied.

James spoke into the mic again, "Ah, it's sleeping. Still sleeping. Watch closely, everyone. This is how Snorlax looks when it's sleeping."

**Omega and Mizuro: *annoyed groans***

Soot deadpanned, "Oh wow. Really?"

James smiled happily; still looking at the Normal-type, "Ooh, doesn't it look cute?" He turned back to the camera and raised a finger, "Now watch carefully as we wake up the snorlax."

Ash sweat dropped, "And, how exactly do you plan to do that?"

The pair turned their attention towards the group. Jessie pointed the camera at them, and James held the microphone out to Jessie.

"Prepare for trouble!" Jessie started.

"And make it double!" James followed as he put the microphone back to his mouth.

They continued switching off as per usual. Though, they kept exchanging the microphone as they did so.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

The pair looked back at the group and flinched.

Ash was sitting on the edge of the spring with his legs crossed and eyes closed. Everyone else lounged around him and waited. Electra flinched when she saw Jessie and James looking their way and turned to look at Ash again.

Jessie glared at them and raised a fist, "Hey! Come on! These things take a lot of rehearsing!"

James raised a brow, "What's the twerp doing?"

"Meditating." Soot responded monotonously, "Dad's gotten rusty with his Psychic abilities over the years and now he has to do this for three hours to use even one of them. In this case, he's trying to mentally scan for Snorlax's trainer."

Electra looked at Soot in surprise before looking at Pikachu and Clefairy, "_Ash is a psychic?_"

Pikachu glanced around for any sign of Meowth. He looked at the other Mouse Pokémon, "_Not really. Soot's telling the truth about the meditating, three hours, and the scan part. But the psychic thing is just a cover story._"

Clefairy smiled, "_They think Ash is the Phantom Pokémon, remember?_"

"_Oh right._" Electra said.

"What?!" Jessie cried out in shock, "Three hours?!"

James frowned, "Well that's not good." He brought out a handheld radio, "This is R2 calling R1, over."

Misty sweat dropped, 'Code names? Seriously?'

"Dis is R1." Meowth's voice came from over the radio; making Electra jerk and look at the device curiously, "All systems are go."

Everyone -except Ash- looked up and saw the tRio's balloon floating towards them with Meowth at the controls.

"Da ultra-deluxe balloon bang-bang is about ta begin."

**Omega, Mizuro, Nuevo, and Illavera: What the ****?!**

Everyone in the group -again, except Ash- cringed. Though Ash somehow twitched for a second.

The bottom of the balloon basket opened and six cables with clamps dropped down from the hatch.

Soot shifted her eyes to their Inherent state and swung her tail through Ash's head without looking.

"GAH!" Ash cried out as he gasped awake. He put a hand to his chest and started breathing heavily. Jessie, James, and Electra stared at Ash in shock.

The Dark-type looked at Jessie and James; eyes back to normal, "So, you're planning to lift him out of here?"

Jessie snapped out of it and smirked, "That's right. Soon you'll be seeing Snorlax on cable."

Misty glared at them, "As if we'd let you-"

"Fine." Ash jumped in with a hand to his head, "Just try to keep quiet, please. I'm still recovering from my meditation being interrupted."

Everyone -except Soot- looked at Ash in shock.

James blinked in surprise, "Wait, what? Really?"

Jessie looked at her teammate frantically, "Don't question it! We need to hurry and hook up the snorlax!"

James nodded, "Right."

The duo from the tRio ran over to the Sleeping Pokémon and started attaching the clamps to his arms and legs.

"Ash!" Brock said harshly, "We can't just let them take him!"

Clefairy frowned and nodded, "_Yeah. I really don't like this._"

"I don't like it either." Ash said before looking around the group and whispering, "But he is a snorlax and they're using a hot air balloon. Even if they managed to lift him, they're not going to get far." He reached around and brought out Pidgeotto's pokéball, "We can cut him down once he's out of the way."

Misty frowned this time, "But wouldn't a fall like that hurt him?"

Soot shook her head, "Doubt it. A snorlax could fall off a three-story building and -so long as they don't land on their head- would only react as if they had a bad dream for about a second." She sweat dropped, "We should actually be worried about the miniature earthquake that'd come from his drop."

Everyone still frowned and shared a worried look.

Jessie and James finished with the clamps and stepped back.

James pulled out the radio again, "Hoist away!"

"Roga!"

Ash and co. looked over as the balloon began gaining altitude. The cables tightened and began raising Snorlax's arms and feet. The tRio grinned and the group frowned worriedly.

Everyone flinched again when all of the clamps snapped open. The balloon started flipping out of control and into the distance.

"WHAAAAAAA!" Meowth screamed as he fell out on the first flip, bounced off Snorlax, and landed on the ground between the tRio and the twerps.

Ash sweat dropped, "Well, that didn't work."

Soot blinked in surprise, "Though, I didn't really expect the latches to be the first thing to give out."

Jessie glared at Ash, "Well, why don't you just move it then, Phantom?!"

James nodded, "Yeah. Even if you can't use Psychic attacks, you can just turn into some superpowered Psychic or Fighting-type and move it, or something."

Soot rolled her eyes, "Dad doesn't have a form that can do that."

Meowth jerked, pushed himself off the ground, and looked at Ash in confusion, "What? I thought da Phantom could turn inta anyt'ing."

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra grimaced.

Ash sighed, "Yeah, 'fraid not." He put a finger to his temple, "I put a mental handicap on myself that limits what forms I can take. The list only has eleven Pokémon and none of them are Psychic-type. The handicap also limits what Pokémon I can understand when I'm in human form. Same list."

Team Rocket looked at him in shock, "WHAT?!"

"Why the Yvel would you do that?!" James cried out.

Soot sweat dropped, "It wasn't his best idea."

Meowth's eyes widened upon realizing something and he pointed at Ash accusingly, "Hold it! Ya turned into a porygon when we were in dat computa!"

Electra's eyes widened, "_Wait. In the what?_"

Jessie caught on and glared at Ash, "Yeah! How do you explain that?!"

Ash sighed in annoyance, "The handicap has weakened over the years. New forms leak in when I interact with a real Pokémon in a certain way. Before I left Pallet Town, I only had five Pokémon on my list." He pointed a thumb at Pikachu, "And the fifth was only because he went through the required steps."

Brock and Misty looked at Ash in surprise, 'That few?!'

James raised a brow, "Interact, how?"

Soot shot him a glare, "Did you actually think we'd tell you?"

Jessie and James glared at her. Meowth was looking at Ash warily.

Jessie grumbled, "Whatever." She looked down thoughtfully before perking up and raising a finger, "I've got it! Sleeping Beauty!"

Everyone looked at her in confusion, "Huh?"

Jessie looked back at them, smirked and clenched a fist, "In the story, the beautiful princess," She put a hand to her chest and put on a prideful smirk, "with whom I identify, was awakened by a the kiss of a noble prince."

James smiled brightly, "Jess, that's brilliant! Snorlax might just wake up with a kiss from a noble Pokémon."

Everyone in the group stared at the pair in shock. Meowth sweat dropped.

"You, uh-" Brock said in a mild daze, "You don't know what kissing means to a Pokémon, do you?"

The human Rockets looked at him in confusion, "Huh?"

Ash deadpanned and put a finger to his throat, "Pokémon reproduce through a mouth-to-mouth kiss." He pointed a thumb at Soot, "I know that for a fact."

James perked up and blinked in surprise, "What?" He looked at Meowth, "Really?"

"Yeah." Meowth answered with a deadpanned expression, "Literally every Pokémon is hatched knowin' dat."

Jessie jerked before glaring at Ash and the others, "Now, wait a second! I've seen a ton of romance movies that include Pokémon kissing! Do you actually expect me to believe that that is what that scene actually was?!"

Soot raised a brow, "That depends. Where they non-genderless, opposite gendered, and from the same Egg Group? And, if so, are you positive that neither Pokémon in that scene was actually a human in a motion capture suit?"

Jessie blinked in surprise, "Um…"

Snorlax started shifting slightly; catching everyone's attention. He settled down after a second.

Misty frowned, "I almost thought he was getting ready to move."

Brock frowned as well, "Same."

Electra noticed something and blinked in surprise, "_Huh?_" She jumped down from Brock's shoulder and ran over to Snorlax's side.

Meowth looked at her and blinked in surprise, "Uh … who are you?"

Brock looked over at his pikachu, "What is it, Electra?"

The female Electric-type looked back at him and pointed at where Snorlax was sitting, "_I think there's something made of plastic under him?_"

Ash blinked in surprise, "Plastic?" He moved over to Snorlax and managed to yank out a light blue doorknob sign, "Got it."

Misty, Brock, and Soot moved over to him and Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra jumped back onto their trainers' shoulders. They all looked over at-

"A 'do not disturb' sign?" Brock said in confusion.

Misty raised a brow, "Like those signs you put on hotel doors? What's this doing here?"

Ash frowned, "Good question." He flipped it over and blinked in surprise, "'In case of emergency, please use a Poké Flute to wake'."

Soot blinked in surprise, "Poké Flute?" She perked up and her eyes widened in realization, "The old hippie!"

Ash's eyes widened as well, "You're right! That's why his flute looked so familiar!"

Jessie looked at them in surprise, "Wait. An old hippie?"

James blinked in surprise, "Poké Flute?"

Soot glared at the tRio, "None of your business!" She shot a round of Shadow Balls at their feet.

Team Rocket cried out as the Ghost-type attack exploded the ground they were on.

"We're blasting off without a chance!" They cried out as they flew off into the distance.

The group watched as the tRio disappeared with a ding.

Brock looked at Ash, "Do you think he could be Snorlax's trainer?"

Ash smiled, "It's possible. The odds are a little high for this to just be a coincidence."

Misty smiled brightly, "Well then, let's go find him!"

Everyone else nodded and ran off.

.

*Hippie on the rock

The old man perked up when he heard footsteps and looked into the direction the town was in. He smiled upon seeing the nice trainers from before running over.

They came up to him and Ash smiled, "Thank Arceus you're still here. We need to ask you something."

The hippie smiled back, "For you cool cats? Of course. Ask away."

Clefairy looked at him in confusion, "_I'm not a cat. I'm a Fairy Pokémon._"

Soot snickered for a moment before smiling at him, "You wouldn't happen to own a snorlax near here, would you?"

The old man perked up in surprise, "Uh … yeah, actually. How did you-" He flinched, jumped to his feet, and reached around, "Wait a sec!" He pulled out a keychain with a snorlax shaped timer on it and grimaced, "Aw crag! I'm late!"

Misty looked at the man in surprise, "So that snorlax blocking the river really is yours?"

The hippie flinched and looked at Misty in shock, "He's what?!"

.

*Dry Spring

The group made their way back to the spring and Snorlax's trainer got to work playing his Poké Flute immediately.

Snorlax's ears started twitching from the music. He sat up instantly and started stretching where he sat.

"Snor lax." The Normal-type said as he got back to his feet and started walking away.

The hippie waved at his Pokémon, "Later, Snorlax."

Ash looked at the hippie, "I kind of expected you to return him. I mean, it seemed easier."

The hippie waved a hand and smiled, "Naw man. My Snorlax are all free spirits. I don't wanna keep 'em all cooped up like that."

Everyone shared a look, shrugged, and looked back at him.

"Fair enough." Brock said.

Soot perked up and blinked in surprise, "Wait, all? As in, multiple?"

The hippie nodded, "I own snorlaxes all over the place. I've made it a bit of a job for myself to wake each of them up every so often." He chuckled nervously and scratched the side of his head, "Though, I ran a bit behind with this big guy."

Ash smiled, "Just try to be a little more careful. The town was-" He perked up and his eyes widened, "Wait a second. Shouldn't the water be flowing again?"

Everyone's eyes widened and they looked back to where Snorlax was sleeping. The group jerked and grimaced at the sight of another patch of thorny vines. These had a small trickle of water coming through.

Soot groaned, "More vines? Are you kidding me?"

Brock sighed and pulled out a pokéball, "I guess that means it's my turn."

The hippie smiled, "Actually, I think Snorlax has this one covered."

Everyone looked at him in confusion. They heard munching and looked back to find Snorlax devouring the vines casually.

Misty blinked in surprise, "H- he's eating the thorns?"

The hippie nodded, "Yup. Thorns are this big guy's favorite snack."

Brock sweat dropped, "And that's safe?"

Ash smiled, "Actually, yeah. The snorlax species' mouth, throat, and stomach are incredibly durable. A few thousand natural thorns aren't gonna hurt him in the least."

"Huh." Misty said before looking at the hippie, "About how long do you think this should take?"

The hippie shrugged, "I dunno. With all these vines it could be five, maybe ten minutes."

Soot perked up in surprise, "In that case, we should move."

Everyone else nodded, "Yeah."

.

*Town; later

"Thank goodness." The mayor said while looking over the running stream, "The river's flowing just like before." He looked at the group, "I can't thank you all enough for helping."

Brock smiled and waved a hand, "Well, we can't really take the credit."

Misty nodded, "Snorlax was the one who got rid of the vines."

The mayor smiled, "Still, thank you all." His expression became somber, "I only wish there was some way to repay you all." He looked over to the still barren field, "But it'll still take a while for everything to get back to the way it was, again."

Ash frowned and looked down thoughtfully. After a few minutes, he perked up and looked at the man, "Would you happen to know if anyone in town has a Grass-type?"

Mayor perked up and looked at Ash in confusion, "Yes. Quite a few people do. Why?"

Ash smirked, "I might know how to help."

.

**Time Skip**

"Alright!" Ash called out to the small group of people and their Grass-types, "Is everyone clear on the plan?!"

The trainers nodded, "Yes sir!"

Soot almost broke into laughter. She, Brock, the mayor, and a large crowd of townsfolk stood off to the side. Misty stood next to Ash with Goldeen in the pool next to her. Pikachu and Electra were on Brock's shoulder and Clefairy sat down in front of Soot and leaned back against her forelegs.

Most of the group watched with knowing smirks. Electra, the mayor, and the rest of the townspeople looked ahead curiously.

Ash sweat dropped, "Again, you do not have to call me that." He perked up and smiled, "Anyway, go for it!"

Misty smiled and raised a hand, "Goldeen! Use Rain Dance!"

"_Right!_" The Goldfish Pokémon called out before raising her horn. A ball of water formed at the tip and shot into the sky. Storm clouds started forming immediately and it began to rain over the field.

Misty smirked, 'Step 1. Water the ground.' She shifted to a deadpanned expression, 'Pretty tame compared to the rest.'

"Bellossom!" A man said as he held out a hand.

"Tangela!" A woman called out a she pointed ahead.

"Use Grassy Terrain!" They both told their Grass-type.

The Flower and Vine Pokémon became shrouded in green energy. The pair spread out their arms and held their head up high, respectively, and their glows expanded to cover the entire field.

Ash smirked, 'Step 2. Imbue the ground with Grass-typed energy to better synchronize it with the Pokémon.'

Four more people looked over at their respective Pokémon. Each of the Grass-types stood about eight feet from a corner of the field.

"Ivysaur!" "Gloom!" "Exeggcute!" "Sunflora!"

"Ingrain!"

The four Pokémon cried out in their respective tongues, sprouted a cluster of small roots at their feet -or bases in Exeggcute's case-, and drove the roots into the ground.

'Step 3.' Soot thought while looking around, 'Root the Pokémon into place. The added effects of Grassy Terrain should let them do-'

"Synthesis!" The quartet of trainers called out.

Soot and Ash grinned, 'Step 4.'

Ivysaur, Gloom, Exeggcute, and Sunflora began glowing a very faded white.

The mayor and the townsfolk all stared in surprise as small plant sprouts began popping up slowly all around. Most began muttering,

"Dear Arceus." "It's actually working." "I can't believe it."

The bellossom trainer stared in awe. He shook it off and pointed upward, "Now Bellossom! Sunny Day!"

"_Yeah!_" Bellossom cheered as she held up her arms. A pair of white orbs of energy appeared on her flowers before firing into the clouded sky. The rain clouds dispersed immediately, and the sun's rays intensified.

"And Chansey!" The local Nurse Joy called out with a smile, "Use Heal Pulse!"

"_Yes ma'am!_" Chansey cried out happily. The Egg Pokémon closed her eyes and put her arms as close together as she could. She started glowing a faded blue. The glow started pulsing out from her and spreading around the field.

The Ingrain-ed Pokémon all perked up from feeling the effects of the moves. They smiled happily as they felt the new sunlight wash over them. The plants' growth rate picked up instantly.

Ash nodded, 'And step 5. Sustain and accelerate the effects through healing moves and strengthening their Synthesis.'

The entire process continued and repeated relentlessly. The glows of the ninth Grassy Terrain and Sunny Day were beginning to fade.

Ash noticed, smiled, and called out, "That's enough! You can all stop now!"

The seven Pokémon all cut off their attacks and all sat/laid down in exhaustion. Their trainers all ran over to hug, congratulate, and thank them.

The mayor walked forward slowly as he took in the view of the now flourishing field.

"I-" The mayor stuttered, "I can't believe it. It's only been an hour, but it all looks as though it's been growing for months."

Ash nodded, "Yeah. It's a pretty complex combo and would require the power of a Legendary to do otherwise." He looked at the town's trainers and smiled softly, "Still, none of this would have been possible without their help. None of my, Brock, or Misty's Pokémon know any of those moves."

The mayor looked at his people and smiled, "I suppose you're right." He looked back at the field, "With this new method, our town will never go hungry again."

Ash smiled sadly, "Well, sure. But this isn't something you should make a habit of." He raised a finger, "It'll be an okay backup during another shortage but if you do this regularly, the soil here will lose its natural fertility and the field will become reliant on the Pokémon's help. Plus, the Pokémon may eventually get fed up from being overworked." He perked up and smiled normally, "Although Sunny Day's fine for repeated use."

The mayor frowned, "I admit, that's a little disappointing." He shook it off and nodded, "But I understand. Thank you again." He looked back at the rest of the group, "Thank you all. You've done so much to help us."

Brock smiled and waved a hand, "Hey. We were happy to help."

The mayor smiled, "Still, I believe a celebration is in order." He walked over to the crowd.

Ash blinked in surprise before running over to Brock, Misty, and the others.

Misty glanced at Ash with a raised brow, "What's he doing?!"

Ash shrugged.

"Citizens!" The mayor called out; startling the group. He gestured towards Ash and co., "Thanks to these kind young trainers, our town has been saved from famine!"

The group chuckled nervously and either waved or rubbed the backs of their heads sheepishly.

"So," The mayor continued, "I believe it's only fitting to put these crops to use in celebration for our heroes!"

The crowd erupted in cheer.

Electra blinked in surprise, "_Celebration? Like another party?_"

Misty sweat dropped with a nervous smile, "R-really?"

Brock chuckled nervously, "I mean … I guess it'd be kind of rude to say no with everyone so excited."

Soot smiled brightly and her tail started wagging, "Works for me!"

Pikachu threw his paws into the air excitedly, "_Yes!_"

"_Yay!_" Clefairy cried out.

Ash chuckled softly. He perked up upon realizing something and looked at the mayor, "Excuse me? Could we bring a guest?"

.

*later; Town Hall

The hippie stared in awe as he looked over the tables piled with various food and desserts. He looked around curiously.

Ash and all of his Pokémon stood by another of the tables. Except the mightyena. She sat at a nearby table and was surrounded by trainers. From what he'd heard, the Dark-type was apparently giving them advice in return for bringing food over to her and her trainer.

Misty had her Pokémon out in a small pool with a cluster of towels under it. The trainer herself was currently walking over to the pool with a plate piled high with food.

Brock and his Pokémon were just enjoying themselves. Though for some reason, his pikachu was looking at all of the furniture like it was made of gold. The trainer had to stop it from trying to climb onto something every so often.

The snorlax trainer looked back at the table and took another sandwich from it. He bit into it with a bright smile, 'Best. Day.' He took a cookie from another table and his smile brightened, 'Ever.'

.

.

**Mizuro: *blinks in surprise* Woah.**

**Faux: *muttering* Freaking Yvel Trix.**

**Omega: *glances at Faux with a smirk* I'm guessing that means you didn't think of something even remotely close.**

**Pike: *nervous chuckle* Well, you're kind of right.**

**Faux: *sigh* We didn't do anything after the river started running again.**

**Gem: *smiles with raised hand* But we still got a huge thank you feast for helping as much as we did.**

**Illavera: Wait, what? But it takes time for plants to grow.**

**Nuevo: *sweat dropping* The stream running again shouldn't just fix everything like *snap* that.**

**Seishin: Yerp! ;P**

**Gar1onriva's PokéSins said the same thing. The early anime wasn't always smart. *muttering* Especially in English. -_-**

**Omega: *Perks up and looks at Seishin* Wait, Poké****Sins****? Like a series dedicated to bashing the main Pokémon timeline?**

**Seishin: Bingo Bango my amigo Amego. :D**

**Omega: *deadpanned* Please don't ruin this for me.**

**…**

**The new comment response will be posted on "Random-ish stuff on the side" on 4/29/2020****at approximately 11:00 p.m. Central Standard Time.**


	49. Ch 43: Dark City

**If you're being harassed by these ******** google ads, turn on Reader View. Activating it and results vary by device.

I am so sorry that I cannot offer any help beyond saying that**

**Omega: *flips page* Alright. Next on the list … Dark City.**

**Nuevo: *sweat drops* And I thought Gringey City and Stone Town had strange names.**

**Ohirume: *looks at Omega in confusion* What's on that clipboard?**

**Omega: *focused on clipboard* PokéSins list. Seishin gave it to me.**

**Faux: Why?**

**Seishin: *shrugs* 😐**

**Omega: *snickers* Seriously? This episode got a negative 95?**

**Ohirume: Well most of the sins are because of animation errors, anime nonsense, obvious inconsistencies, and overly realistic ethic codes. Still, they're freaking hilarious and usually make a lot of good points.**

**Yugo: Though, he might be a bit rightfully biased about any shot that includes a Pokémon (namely Pikachu) being cute.**

**Pike and Gem's Pikachu: H****_u_****h****_?_**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Gangs of Dark City**

.

Continuing on their journey, the group found themselves walking through the empty streets of Dark City.

Electra looked around in surprise, "_This is a city?_" She frowned as her ears drooped, "_But where are the skyscrapers?_"

Soot sweat dropped, "I think that's the least of our worries."

"What's going on around here?" Brock asked, "It's the middle of the day and nobody's around."

Misty frowned, "Yeah. It's kinda creepy." She glanced at Ash, "You wouldn't happen to know, would you?"

Ash frowned and shook his head, "Not this time. I've never looked into this place for a Gym and didn't see any kind of plaque or statue."

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_No surprise there._"

Clefairy perked up in surprise and pointed ahead, "_Hey look!_"

Everyone followed her gaze and saw a kid running around and playing in the road. His mother immediately ran out of a building.

"Get back inside this house right now!" The mother demanded in a worried tone. She picked up the kid and ran back into the house, "What if there are Pokémon trainers nearby?!"

The group stopped in their tracks and stared in surprise.

"Wait, what?" Brock asked in shock, "They're afraid of trainers?"

Clefairy frowned, "_But why?_"

Soot frowned as well, "I'd like the answer to that too."

Ash perked up in surprise when he heard something creak. He looked up at a roof.

Misty frowned, "This is really getting frea-"

She was cut off when Ash got in front of her and Brock and caught something. Ash glared up at the roof and opened his hands. Three small rocks hit the ground.

Everyone's eyes widened in realization and they looked up at the roof as well. Three figures disappeared over the ledge.

"Soot!" Ash said while still glaring up at the roof.

Soot glared as well, "On it!"

The Bite Pokémon jumped up and started forming and detonating a series of Shadow Balls on her paws. She shot up to the top of the building and disappeared over the edge. The group could hear her growling for a moment. She stopped almost instantly.

Ash frowned, "Soot. What's wrong?"

"Dad…" Soot called out, "They're little kids."

Everyone perked up and blinked in surprise.

"_What?_" Pikachu asked.

Soot peaked over the ledge with a confused frown, "They're kids. As in, 'too young for a trainer license' kids." She looked to her left, "Look. We don't mean any harm and we're not here to cause trouble. We just wanna know what's going on around here."

Misty stepped forward and called up to the roof, "Yeah! Please come down!"

Brock followed suit, "I'm sure we can talk this out!"

Everyone on the ground waited for a moment. They heard creaking again. They looked over as three kids walked out from an alleyway.

One had blue hair, a light blue shirt with a yellow stripe, blue shorts, and red, yellow and black shoes. Another had brown hair, a red shirt with an orange stripe, dark blue shorts, and blue and white shoes. The last kid had black hair, a yellow shirt with a blue stripe, red shorts, and black and white shoes.

All three glared at the group. The kid with the yellow shirt seemed to be holding something behind his back. Soot jumped down from the roof and landed next to Ash.

"You three are Pokémon trainers, right?" The blue haired boy asked.

Ash frowned somberly and glanced back and forth between Pikachu and Clefairy. The pair jumped down from Ash's shoulders before he kneeled down in front of the kids, "That's right."

The boys' eyes narrowed. The yellow shirted one handed something to the kid with the light blue shirt.

Soot noticed and frowned. Ash's frown saddened even more, "We're really not here to cause trou-"

The boy pulled out a large stick and swung it at Ash's head. The boys' eyes all widened fearfully when Ash caught it and yanked it out of his hand effortlessly. Brock, Misty, Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy frowned somberly. Electra stared at Ash in surprise.

Ash sighed, "We're not here to cause trouble." He tossed the stick to the side, "I mean it."

Brock nodded and walked up, "We just want to know what's going on around here. Why do you all have such a problem with trainers?"

The boy glared at them, "Because trainers aren't welcome here! If you work with Pokémon, just leave already!"

The other boys nodded, "Yeah!"

Misty frowned and put a hand to her chest, "Look. Whatever the issue is, I'm sure we can work it out."

The red shirted boy glared at her, "No we-"

"Stop it, boys!"

The group perked up and looked over as a man in an apron ran over to them.

He looked at the group somberly, "I'm sorry. These children don't mean to cause you any trouble." He smiled sadly, "Come to my restaurant. I'll explain everything."

Ash nodded, "Alright."

Pikachu and Clefairy jumped back onto Ash's shoulders as everyone followed the man.

.

*Dark City Restaurant

Ash, Brock, Misty, and Soot sat at a table across from the owner. Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra sat on the table. The three kids sat at the bar with their backs to the trainers. A figure in a trench coat, shades, face mask, and gray fedora sat at a nearby table.

The owner placed on omelet on the table in front of Ash, "In Dark City, there are two Pokémon Gyms. The Yas Gym and Kaz Gym."

Ash and Soot's eyes widened in surprise, 'What?!'

Misty and Brock stared in surprise.

Ash popped up the lid on a bottle of ketchup. Pikachu's nose twitched and he perked up in surprise.

The restaurant owner continued, "The two Gyms are in the middle of a gang war and will try to hire any wandering Pokémon trainers as soldiers. They claim whoever wins will become an official Pokémon Gym."

Misty frowned, "That doesn't make any sense. You can't just become an official Gym like that."

Brock nodded, "Yeah. There are all kinds of rules and paperwork to go through to become official. What they're doing is just making it harder for a League Inspector to accept either of them."

The figure perked up slightly and glanced at them. Ash and Soot noticed.

The owner blinked in surprise, "League Inspector?"

Soot nodded, "Someone with the authority to legalize a Gym. They can also get one shutdown if necessary."

Pikachu sniffed the air as he approached Ash; seemingly in a trance. Clefairy and Electra watched in confusion.

The three kids jerked in surprise and looked back, "What?!"

The blue shirted kid looked at them hopefully, "You mean, we just have to call one of these Inspectors and they can stop all of this?!"

The figure in the trench coat tensed up.

Ash glanced at the figure warily, "That's easier said than done." He looked back at the kids, "Inspectors only answer to the League itself, so as to avoid any attempt at bribery. Even if we got one's number, they wouldn't take the call. Still, if word gets out about these gang Gyms, one should show up eventually." He perked up in surprise when he noticed his Electric-type sniffing the bottle in his hands, "Pikachu?"

The kids looked down sadly.

Brock frowned, "But I don't get why they're fighting like that. If they're trying to compete for a Gym title, a private tournament or low-scale rivalry would be a lot more effective."

The owner frowned, "I'm afraid I don't know all the details. I've only heard them claim that the winner will become an official Gym."

Soot groaned, "In other words, they're delusional."

"CHAAA!" Pikachu cried out in pure joy.

Everyone perked up and looked over in surprise. Pikachu was holding the ketchup bottle in his forepaws and licking the top. Soot, Brock and Misty looked at him in confusion. Clefairy and Electra stared at him curiously.

Misty glanced at Ash, "Why is he doing that?"

Ash sweat dropped, "I actually have no idea. He just really … really wanted the ketchup."

Pikachu smiled blissfully, "_It's pure heaven!_"

**Nuevo: *glances at Pike and Gem's Pikachu in confusion* Ketchup?**

**Pike: Don't judge me!**

**Gem's Pikachu: ****_Yeah!_**

Clefairy walked up to Pikachu, "_Can I try some?_"

Electra followed suit, "_Me too?_"

Pikachu flinched slightly. He glanced at the bottle and his ears drooped, "_Uh…_" He looked back at them with a nervous smile, "_S- sure._" He held out the bottle, "_Just a little, though._"

Electra and Clefairy poked at the small blob on the nozzle and licked their paws.

Pikachu smiled brightly, "_So?!_"

The girls blinked in surprise, shared a look, and shrugged.

"_I mean,_" Clefairy said while looking back at Pikachu, "_I guess it's kinda sweet. Still not better than cotton candy, though._"

Pikachu's eyes widened in surprise, "_Huh?_"

Electra raised a brow, "_I've never really had anything like it before._" She looked at the bottle curiously, "_Though, I'm a little more curious about the plastic thing around it._" She pointed at it, "_Can I see it?_"

Pikachu frowned and held the bottle closer, "_I, uh-_"

A distant crash rang from outside and caught everyone's attention.

One of the boys glared, "It's them!"

Misty perked up in surprise, "Wait. You mean-"

The owner gulped, "The Yas and Kaz Gyms are fighting again." He looked at the group, "If you don't want to get dragged into this, you'd better go upstairs and hide."

The group shared a look and nodded. Clefairy and Electra jumped back on their respective trainers' shoulders and Ash grabbed Pikachu. Everyone ran over to and up the staircase. The three kids followed.

Soot noticed a window and propped herself up against the rim. Her eyes widened in shock as her ears drooped, "Woah."

Ash, Brock, and Misty looked at her in surprise and ran over to the window. Everyone appropriately grimaced.

Two large groups of trainers could be seen running towards each other.

One side wore blue jumpsuits with a red 'K' on top of a downward pointing green triangle. The man leading the charge had spiked, dark blue hair, wore a … red cape and black gloves. Everyone behind him had red gloves and no cape.

The other side wore green overalls with a yellow 'Y' on top of an upward pointing red triangle. The man leading the charge had a buzz cut, wore a black undershirt, an orange scarf, and gray gloves. Everyone behind him had orange undershirts and no gloves.

**Illavera: … what?**

**Omega: *snickers* Yup. *flips page* The outfits and cape-guy's hair racked up three- *squints* min-un?**

**Gem: Minun. They're an Electric-type Pokémon and the opposite to plusle.**

**Omega: *deadpanned* Of course they are.**

.

*Dark City Street

"Get ready!" Kaz called out, "Today the Kaz Gym's gonna crush you!"

"Guess Again!" Yas shouted back with a smirk, "The Yas Gym will wipe you out!"

Kaz held out a hand, "Go Electabuzz! Thunderbolt now!"

"Electa BUZZ!" The Electric Pokémon cried out as they unleashed the electric attack from their horns.

**Omega: *flips page and flinches* Wha- Hey! *glares at Ohirume* That was one of the most overwhelming minun counts of the episode.**

**Ohirume: *sweat drops* Yeah. But can you really blame me? Electabuzz's … ****voice**** in the anime sounded like Donnie from The Wild Thornberrys went through puberty and his vocal pattern became even more nonsensical. The only difference is that Electabuzz's version made no sense.**

**Seishin: YAGABOO DIBIITY BA YA DO DE AHAAHWA AWHIIIIBIBIBIBIBI**

**Mizuro: HA! I love that video!**

**Ohirume: GUYS! Can we put a pause on the PokéSins commentary before it gets old?**

**Seishin: *sigh* Fine.**

A handful of the Yas trainers cried out as the Electric-type attack swept over them. A few stray bolts veered to the sides and exploded against the nearby buildings.

Yas glared ahead, "We can't let them win!" He held out a hand, "Attack, Scyther!"

"Scyther!" The Mantis Pokémon cried out as they shot forward and disappeared in a blur.

They reappeared with their back to a few of the Kaz trainers. The trainers stared in confusion. They heard something creaking, looked back, and grimaced at the sight of a building's awning falling towards them. They barely had enough time to jump out of the way.

A group of civilians ran from the fight in fear.

.

*Back upstairs

Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra just stared through the window; speechless.

Brock grimaced, "D- dear Arc."

Misty stared in shock, "This isn't a battle. It's a freaking street fight."

Soot gulped, "Yeah. I kind of hoped he was exaggerating when he called it a gang war."

Ash clenched a fist while glaring at the fight below, "Is it always like this?"

The kids looked down sorrowfully, "Yeah."

Ash gritted his teeth.

Everyone flinched and looked at the stairs when they heard a crash. They ran over and saw the restaurant owner sitting on the ground and looking up fearfully.

Two large guys in Kaz Gym uniforms stood over him with cocky smirks.

**Faux and Gem: Wait, what?**

**Omega: *glances at pair in confusion before looking at clipboard* … Oh.**

"Thirty of the lunch special." One of them said.

"Yeah!" The other followed, "And make it fast. We have to be back at Kaz Gym in less than an hour."

The owner gulped, "I- I can't."

The first guy's eyes narrowed and he stomped, "What was that?!"

The man flinched, "Th-the Kaz Gym hasn't paid its bill and the tab is too high. I'll go out of business if this keeps-"

The second grunt grabbed him by the shirt, "Does it look like we care?!" He pulled out a pokéball, "Get to work or else!"

The owner grimaced, "P- please! I beg y-"

Something landed next to the staircase; catching the grunts' and man's attention. Ash stood back up and walked over to the men with his eyes shaded over.

The three kids and Electra all grimaced. Everyone else in the group smirked.

Ash stopped in his tracks, "Let go of him and leave now."

The grunts perked up in surprise before bursting out into laughter. The figure in the trench coat looked at them.

The restaurant owner stared at Ash fearfully, 'Please. Please stay out of this. For your own good, just stay out of this.'

The guy not holding the man slowly stopped laughing and looked at Ash with a cocky smirk, "I'm sorry kid, but I don't think I heard you right."

"No, I think you did." Ash said before looking at the men with a harsh glare, "Get out of here before you make me do something I'll regret."

The owner grimaced, 'What the Yvel are you doing?!'

The second grunt dropped the man and glared at Ash, "Listen here, kid! The two of us are Kaz Gym bodyguards! So, you'd better show us some respect!"

Ash clenched a fist, "Respect?" His glared deepened, "Sorry. But I don't think I can bring myself to respect a pair of meat headed sons of glitches who'd make a garbodor vomit."

**Mizuro: Ohhhhh!**

**Gem's Pikachu and Pike: *surprised Pika- Oh, right … surprised face***

**Gem, Mewtwo, Faux, Luke, Laura, Illavera: *wide eyed shock***

**Omega: … ****, Trix.**

**Nuevo: The ****'s a garbodor?**

Soot almost broke out into laughter. Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy stared at Ash in mild surprise. The kids, Electra, and the owner looked at Ash like he had lost his freaking mind.

The grunts glared at Ash furiously.

One of them reeled back and threw a punch, "YOU BR-" He stopped and stared in shock as Ash caught his arm by the wrist.

Ash continued glaring, "I warned you." He squeezed the man's arm.

The grunt grimaced, fell to his knees, and cried out, "Uncle! Uncle!"

The second grunt flinched, picked up a chair, and held it up. He flinched and stared in shock as a Shadow Ball destroyed the chair. Ash quickly let go of the first grunt's wrist and threw a jab into the second's gut.

"KAH!" The man cried out before clutching his abdomen and falling to his knees.

The first grunt was still on his knees and trembled violently as he held his wrist.

Everyone out of the loop stared at Ash in pure shock. The rest of the group stared in mild awe. Except Soot who was smirking slyly.

Ash stomped and glared; making the grunts flinch, "Leave." He quickly flashed Intimidate, "NOW!"

The two men flinched with terrified looks. They both scrambled to their feet and ran as if their lives depended on it. Which, in their eyes, it did.

Ash took a deep breath to calm down. He looked back to see the three kids already helping the restaurant owner back to his feet.

Brock, Misty, Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy walked down the staircase and over to Ash. Electra just stared at Ash in awe. She snapped out of it, followed her friends, and jumped onto Brock's backpack.

"Well," Misty said in surprise, "that was … frightening." She smiled, "Yet, impressive."

Brock raised a brow with a smirk, "I almost didn't think you had that in you."

Ash chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Yeah. Sorry about that. I guess I lost myself a little."

Soot snickered, "You say that as if they didn't deserve it."

Clefairy raised a paw with a smile, "_Yeah! Those bullies had it coming._"

Pikachu held up the ketchup bottle triumphantly, "_To victory!_" He started licking at the nozzle happily.

Electra looked at Pikachu while sweat dropping, "_I still don't get it._"

Clefairy giggled before jumping back onto Ash's shoulder.

Pikachu perked up, looked up at Ash, and back at the bottle. His ears drooped as he looked up at Ash, "_Um … Ash?_"

Ash chuckled, "Fine." He picked up the Mouse Pokémon and put him on his shoulder.

Pikachu smiled, "_Thanks._" He immediately went back to his ketchup licking.

The group couldn't help but chuckle.

The restaurant owner and the kids just stared at the trainers in awe.

The owner walked up to them and smiled happily, "Thank-"

"That was incredible!"

Everyone perked up and looked over to see a blue haired girl with purple eyes in the doorway. She wore Yas Gym overalls, a teal undershirt, dark blue gloves, a dark pink scarf, and a red and white hat.

The restaurant owner and kids flinched and backed up. Ash, Misty, Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy's eyes narrowed. Electra hid behind Brock's head as the Pewter Gym Leader started blushing with a dumb smile.

The girl looked at Ash with a bright smile, "I saw everything that happened! Those were some of the strongest bodyguards from Kaz Gym and you scared them off like it was nothing! You must be a very gifted, very famous Pokémon trainer."

Ash's eye twitched.

She took a step closer as her smile brightened, "Please! You must tell me your names."

Misty frowned and whispered to Ash, "We should probably come up with cover names. Our reputations as trainers could be at stake otherwise"

Ash nodded, "Got it." He looked at the Yas Gym girl and gestured to himself, "My name is Duston Snatcher." He gestured to Brock, "These are my allies Richter Shale" He gestured to Misty, "and Hazel Lilium."

Brock snapped out of it as he, Misty, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra all looked at Ash in surprise. Soot flinched slightly and her eye twitched.

The blue haired girl smiled happily, "Oh Duston, Richter, and Hazel, would you consider joining our cause at the Yas Gym? Unlike those animals at the Kaz Gym, we at Yas are truly worthy of becoming a Pokémon Gym. And with your strength, I'm sure we'll win."

Misty's eye twitched, 'That isn't how it works!' She shook it off and crossed her arms, "Well, we can't." She looked at Brock, "Right, Br- Richter?"

Brock went back to his love-trance smile, "We'll do anything we can to help."

Electra jerked and looked at her trainer in shock, "_Wait, what?_"

Misty sweat dropped, 'Right … that.'

The Yas Gym girl smiled brightly, "That's great!" She turned towards the entryway and looked back at them, "I'll take you their right now."

She left the building and Brock followed in a trance-like state. Electra just kept looking at Brock like he was nuts.

Misty looked at Ash warily, "When the Yvel did you come up with those cover names?"

Ash shrugged, "I've had Duston Snatcher ready for a little over a month. I thought up Richter and Hazel a few nights ago during a lucid dream session."

Soot looked up at Ash in surprise, "Wait, really? Since when can you do that?"

Ash smiled and held up the watch, "Pretty sure it was Porygon's doing." He turned towards the door and ran after Brock, "Come on."

Everyone else followed.

The trench coated figure watched as they left, 'Porygon?' They looked back at the table and perked up in surprise when they saw a folded-up napkin that wasn't there before. They glanced around warily before picking it up and unfolding it.

They immediately perked up in surprise.

"If you're not who I think you are, come talk to me when we return.

If you are, then ignore me completely.

I'll record what I can as evidence."

At the bottom of the sheet was a series of shapes that resembled hastily drawn badges from non-main eight Kanto Gyms. The figure looked at the door in shock.

.

*Celadon City

Meowth ran down the city streets with Jessie and James following from a few feet back. James was in the middle of zipping up his blue, long sleeved, jacket over his uniform. Jessie already had the red, short sleeved hoodie on and was removing her gloves.

"Meowth! Wait up!" Jessie called out as she ran after the Scratch Cat Pokémon, "Why are you in such a hurry?!"

"And why are we here again?!" James whined as he ran too, "We're supposed to be at Dark City, remember?! We're missing out on the main story again!"

Jessie glared at James, "What did I say about-"

"Quit it!" Meowth shouted; startling the humans. He glared back at them, "Jess, save the anti-fourth wall crag for some otha time! James, we have important business here, so suck it up!"

The pair blinked in surprise, shared a look, and looked back at Meowth.

"What kind of business?" James asked as he removed his gloves.

"Da twoip's been lyin' to us." Meowth said angrily, "All dat crag about him bein' da Phantom Pokémon has been total nonsense. He's jus' been stringin' us along dis whole time."

Jessie blinked in surprise, "What? But you're the one who thought of it."

"Yeah! I know!" Meowth shouted in frustration. He sighed, "But what he said in da Snorlax chapta ain't addin' up."

He raised a digit on his paw, "The Phantom Pokémon's supposed to 've been around for freakin' millennia. If he was da Phantom, dere's no way da twoip coulda just lost touch with all of his Psychic powers over a few years. Especially not to da point you guys said."

He raised a second digit, "And dat thing about not bein' able to turn in ta every Pokémon doesn't make any sense. A ditto can't just decide it can't turn inta' something like dat."

He raised a third digit, "And dat thing about not bein' able to understand all Pokémon is total malarkey. Pokémon language is universal between species. If he can understand at least one, he should be able to understand all a dem."

Jessie and James shared an unsure look.

"Well," James said, "aside from the language thing, that all sounds a bit iffy. How can we be sure the twerp really didn't just do all of that to himself?"

Jessie nodded, "Yeah. I mean, the Phantom isn't a ditto." She perked up, blinked in surprise, and glanced at James with a raised brow, "Right?"

James shrugged.

"Dat's why we're here." Meowth said before looking back at the Celadon Library, "For answas."

.

*Yas Gym

"Here we are." The blue haired girl said cheerfully as she slid open the door to the gang Gym.

They were met with glares from a group of men in the standard Yas Gym uniform. All of them were lifting weights or exercising with bungee cords; trying to look intimidating.

Brock, Misty, and most of the Pokémon gulped. Soot glared, crouched down, and growled at them. Some of the men flinched.

Ash put a hand on her head, "Stand down, Mightyena."

Soot glanced back at him before easing out of her fighting stance.

The Yas girl smiled, 'Such control.' She gestured down a hallway, "Right this way."

Everyone made their way down the Gym hallway and came up to another door. The girl opened it to reveal the buzz-cut man from before and his scyther. The man was lifting weights with his back to the door. Scyther just sat on the ground with their blades crossed.

Misty flinched a bit at the sight of the Bug-type. Brock frowned and glanced at the zipper on Soot's back.

The girl kneeled down respectfully, "Yas leader. Let me introduce you to a great trainer." She gestured to Ash, "This is Duston Snatcher. He's brought his two disciples to help us."

Brock slumped forward and muttered, "Disciples?"

Misty elbowed him and spoke through clenched teeth, "Suck it up."

Ash and Soot's eyes narrowed, 'So, he is the leader.'

The girl continued, "I saw him scare off a pair of Kaz Gym bodyguards like they were nothing. He's very strong."

Yas stood back up, "I'll decide just how strong they are." He glared back at them, "Scyther, go!"

"Mightyena!" Ash called out with a glare.

Soot and Scyther shot forward instantly.

Scyther's arm came down towards the Dark-type immediately. Soot jumped to the side and detonated some Shadow Balls in her left paws to shoot to the side and dodge the attack. Yas, the blue haired girl, and Scyther's eyes widened in shock at what came next.

Without taking a second to land, Soot formed and exploded a series of Shadow Balls and shot towards Scyther again. The Bite Pokémon opened her mouth to reveal a fiery inferno and clamped down on the Bug-type's abdomen.

Scyther cried out as the Fire-type attack burned away at him.

Yas grimaced, "Scyther! Get it off you!"

Ash's eye twitched at the 'it' comment.

Scyther raised a blade and swung at Soot again. Soot retaliated by raising a paw and Sucker Punching the arm away. She used her other paw to shoot another Sucker Punch into Scyther's jaw.

Scyther tensed up and stared off into space in shock.

Ash smirked, "That's enough."

Soot let go and jumped back over to stand in front of Ash. About a second later, Scyther fell forward and crashed into the ground.

Misty blinked in surprise, "Woah."

Brock stared in surprise, "You can say that again."

"_Woah._" Clefairy and Electra said.

Pikachu chuckled, "_I don't think he meant it literally._"

Yas and the blue haired girl just stared at the downed Pokémon in shock. Yas pulled out a pokéball and held it towards his Bug-type.

He stared down at the ball, "My scyther has never been beaten so easily before. Especially with so little command." Yas looked at Ash with a smirk, "The way you can control that Pokémon is incredible."

Soot sweat dropped. Ash clenched a fist. Everyone else -minus Yas and the girl- noticed Ash's reaction and frowned worriedly.

Yas put the ball away, "You truly are a powerful trainer. You must work for me."

Ash took a deep breath before looking Yas in the eye, "Something I need to ask you, first. Why exactly are you trying to become an official Gym?"

The blue haired girl giggled.

Yas smirked, "You're kidding, right? It's obvious." He held out a hand and clenched a fist, "Money, of course. What faster way to make a profit in today's world than by becoming an official Pokémon Gym?"

Brock, Misty, and all of the Pokémon glared furiously, 'Are you kidding me?!'

Ash stared in shock, "That? That's what this entire thing is about?" His eyes narrowed, "All of this is about making a quick buck?! Don't you get that you're destroying Dark City with all of this pointless fighting?! You're messing with the lives of people who have nothing to do with this?!"

Yas smirked, "A small price to pay for-" He was cut off when Ash triggered Intimidate.

The blue haired girl flinched and fell back in shock. She looked at Ash in horror. Yas stared in shock and started trembling. The sound of various weights could be heard falling to the ground outside the room.

Brock and Misty already had a hand over their eyes. Their furious expressions never left their faces.

"Don't you dare." Ash said in a quiet fury, "You and your idiotic followers have no right to call what you're doing 'a small price'." He cut off the ability, turned around, and started walking, "We're leaving."

Misty and Brock moved their hands and shot Yas another glare before following.

Yas let out a held breath and stared at the group in shock. He glared and stomped, "Yas Gym, attack!"

The group jerked when a handful of Yas trainers ran up and blocked the doorway. The walls on either side of the room slid open as more trainers ran in; all holding pokéballs.

Yas glared at Ash, "If you won't join us, we'll make sure you don't help anybody else."

Ash gulped, 'Okay. May have gone a bit overboard.' He grabbed the ketchup bottle in Pikachu's paws, "I'll keep it safe."

Pikachu nodded before he and Clefairy jumped down and got into their fighting stances with Soot. Ash, Brock, and Misty each pulled out a pair of pokéballs.

Electra's ears drooped, "_Oh, crag._"

.

*tRio

"Hello again, madam. Could we trouble you for a moment?"

The elderly librarian perked up and looked back. She smiled at the sight of the blue haired Phantom Child researcher from a while back. The red-haired woman and the meowth stood a few feet back.

"Oh, hello again." She said happily, "It's been quite some time."

James smiled, "Indeed it has. It's a pleasure to see you again."

The woman chuckled, "Likewise."

Jessie sweat dropped, 'I will never get used to hearing James talk like that.'

"Now, how can I help you today?" The librarian asked; still smiling, "Perhaps another peek at the Phantom Child shelf?"

James shook his head while smiling somberly, "I am afraid not. We were hoping there might be a selection of articles about the Phantom Pokémon itself."

The woman blinked in surprise, "The Phantom Pokémon, you say? I admit, that's a new one." She smiled sadly, "Although, I'm sorry to say, there isn't a lot. It's mostly newspaper articles about claimed sightings. They might not all be of much use."

James glanced back at his teammates. Meowth gave a small nod.

James looked back at the woman with a kind smile, "I believe that will suffice. Might you please show us the way?"

The woman nodded, "Of course." She walked out from behind the desk and gestured for them to follow, "Right this way."

.

*Restaurant

Ash sat at one of the tables and looked through a window. Brock and Misty sat on the other side of the table with somber expressions. Soot laid down in front of Ash. Clefairy and Electra were still trying to comfort Pikachu as he sat on the table and held the destroyed ketchup bottle. It was apparently destroyed in their escape.

The three kids and owner looked at the group worriedly from the bar.

The figure in the trench coat was at another nearby table and looking at the group. When Ash glanced at them, they flinched slightly and looked down.

Ash looked back out the window, 'At least, that's one less thing to worry about.'

Misty groaned and laid her head on the table, "We barely made it out of there."

Brock had a hand to his head, "I knew they played tough, but attacking a trainer like that breaks all kinds of rules."

Soot sighed, "Yeah. And it's probably a safe bet that the Kaz Gym's no different."

"Still," Ash said, "once a League Inspector comes, it'll be obvious that neither Gym will become official."

The kid in the red shirt grimaced, "But we can't wait that long! You said it yourself that we can't just call one! Who knows how long it'll take for one to show up?!"

The blue shirted kid nodded, "Kaz and Yas keep getting stronger Pokémon and they keep wrecking our city with their fighting. There has to be a way to stop them until an Inspector gets here, right?"

Ash looked at them. He nodded with a sad smile, "I'm sure there is. I'll think of something."

Brock, Misty, Electra, and Clefairy chuckled softly, 'Sh_ou_ld _ha_ve _gu_es_se_d.'

Pikachu was still pouting over the bottle. Soot glanced at Ash with a frown.

The kids smiled brightly, "Thank you!"

Ash smiled at them before looking at the owner, "Would you mind if we went upstairs to plan?"

"Not at all." The man said with a smile, "I'll make sure nobody disturbs you."

Ash nodded back, "Thank you."

The group made their way back up the staircase. Clefairy and Electra jumped down from the table and started running after them. Pikachu slid off the table and trudged after them in a slump.

Misty crossed her arms and smirked, "Alright Ash, shoot. You already have a plan ready, so tell us."

Ash sighed, "Well, that's the thing." He looked at them with a nervous smile, "I've got nothing."

Everyone -except Soot- stared at Ash in pure shock, "H_uh_?"

Soot sighed, 'I was afraid of this.'

Brock stared in shock, "Wait, seriously?! Ash, how can you not have a plan?!"

Ash deadpanned, "Guys, I'm not some mastermind who thinks ten steps ahead on everything."

Misty raised a brow and gave him an incredulous look.

Ash sweat dropped, "Okay, point taken." He sighed and looked at them somberly, "But, I'm serious. With all of the Pokémon and trainers both the Gyms have and the way these people fight, I'm at a loss. The only plan of action I can think of is to just fight them off."

**Gem: What? But what about-**

**Ohirume: No. The seeing red thing was anime only and was just plain stupid for those two species.**

**Seishin: *nods* Would have been more believable if they were tauros.**

**Omega: *flips page* And it apparently didn't work the way that it logically should of.**

Misty smiled and clenched a fist, "Well then, that's what we'll do."

Soot glanced at the pair and deadpanned, "Yeah. Let's fight off about twenty meatheads who don't think twice about attacking a trainer in cold blood."

Brock smiled, "Actually, I think Misty has a point. We might be able to fend them off. Hopefully, long enough for an Inspector to arrive."

Ash sweat dropped, 'Well, you're right about that.'

Misty smirked, "Also, they won't be able to single out the trainers," She pointed at the watch, "if the 'trainers' are all fighting alongside their Pokémon."

Ash's eyes widened in realization.

Soot jerked and ran in front to face them, "Woah. Guys, wait. Bad idea."

Misty frowned, "Why's that? We battle all the time with our Pokémon."

"That's different." Ash said, "Coming up with a battle plan and making the call is a lot different from battling face-to-face."

Brock shrugged with a smile, "Well, sure. But we went through a lot of training back at Electra's tribe and helped with Team Rocket."

Misty smiled and clenched a fist, "Yeah. We can do it." She put a hand on her hip, "I mean, isn't that part of why you made the Lenses? So, we can help too."

Ash perked up and glanced down at the watch with a frown.

Soot sighed, "You guys don't under-"

"Fine." Ash said in defeat. Soot jerked and looked at Ash in surprise. Ash looked back at the pair with a sad smile, "I'll give each of you three Lenses to help out."

Misty smiled and threw up a fist, "Alright!" She smirked, "I think you already know my choice."

Ash raised a hand, "Hold on a second. It's not gonna be that simple this time."

Brock perked up in surprise, "What do you mean?"

Ash frowned and crossed his arms, "Okay, honestly speaking, I don't like the idea of you guys diving into battle headfirst."

Misty frowned and her eyes narrowed, "But, you just said-"

"I know." Ash interrupted before raising a finger, "So, how about this? We pull a repeat of when we were at the tribe. You guys stay on the sidelines -namely a roof- in pikachu form and give support with Thunderbolt and Hidden Power. After this is all over with, we can start training so you can battle for real."

Brock shrugged with a smile, "Works for me."

Misty sighed, "Alright, alright. We'll stay out of trouble." She pointed at Ash accusingly, "But, you'd better keep that promise about the training thing. I don't wanna just be on the sidelines all the time."

Ash smiled softly and nodded, "I promise." He took on a determined smirk and pointed at the staircase, "But, for now, we need intel on the Kaz Gym. I can't go because those two grunts probably already told Kaz about me. And, if not, they'd recognize me."

Brock smiled determinedly and nodded, "Alright, then. You can count on us, Ash."

Soot smiled and took a step forward, "And, I'll tag along in case they need to pull a disappearing act."

Clefairy raised a paw and smiled brightly, "_Me too!_" She ran over to Misty and jumped onto her shoulder.

Electra frowned and her ears drooped, "_um…_"

Brock noticed and smiled softly, "It's alright, Electra. You stay behind and help Ash plan."

The female Electric-type sighed in relief, "_Oh, thank Arceus._" She jumped down from Brock's backpack and ran over to stand next to Ash.

Soot looked at her teammate, "And you, Pikachu?"

The male Electric-type was lying on his side and groaning.

Misty sweat dropped, "I guess he's staying, then." She turned towards the stairs, looked back at Ash, and waved, "We'll be back soon."

Brock turned and followed her.

Soot frowned and glanced up at Ash, "Dad. You know they aren't ready for this."

Ash frowned, "Yeah. But neither was I. We all have to start somewhere."

Soot groaned, "Fine. I just hope you know what you're doing."

"Me too." Ash muttered. He reached around, pulled out his Pokédex, and handed it to Soot, "By the way, take this with you to the Gym."

Soot raised a brow, "Why?"

.

*Celadon Library

The tRio had been flipping through articles for the last hour. Like the librarian said, they were mostly random sightings in magazines. All from five or more years ago.

"Dere's nothin." Meowth muttered sorrowfully as he sat down against a shelf, "All of 'em are from too long ago." He frowned and looked up sadly, "Could da twoip 've actually done all dat to himself? Could da Phantom actually be that messed up now?"

Jessie sat down next to him and propped her head up, "I guess he's a lot less valuable than we thought."

James glanced at his teammates sadly before flipping another page. He perked up and blinked in surprise, "Hey, uh, Meowth?"

Meowth looked at him; downtrodden, "What?"

James kept his eyes on the book, "That article about the Phantom Child. Did it happen to say the date she hatched?"

Meowth blinked in surprise, "Uh, yeah. I think it was early in June."

James moved closer and held out the opened book, "Look at this."

Meowth and Jessie looked at the page.

Jessie sweat dropped, "A meteor crash?"

James nodded, "But there's more. Read it."

Meowth looked closer and skimmed over the page, "May twenty-fifth… Pallet Town woods… Meteor never fo-" He stopped and his eyes widened in surprise, "Wait, what?" He stood up and took the magazine, "They never found the meteor?"

Jessie blinked in surprise, "What?" She looked at the picture on the page and frowned, "How could something make a crater that big and just disappear?"

"See?" James said, "And the date and location. That isn't too long before the twerp's dog was supposed to have hatched. And they're from Pallet Town, right?"

Meowth looked at James in surprise before focusing on the page again, "Yeah…"

Jessie looked at James with a raised brow, "So, what? You're saying that that mightyena's actually an alien?"

James shrugged, "Well, maybe? You saw all of that stuff about Inheritance. Maybe no one can recreate it because it's not of this world."

Meowth frowned and muttered, "Not of dis world…"

Jessie deadpanned, "And how exactly does that explain the twerp being able to transform into Pokémon?"

James rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "I was hoping you might have an idea."

Jessie sighed and crossed her arms, "I guess were back to our 'the twerp's really the Phantom' theory."

"For now." Meowth said as he put a paw to his chin, "But dere's definitely somethin' we're mis-"

"Oh, miss Erika." The librarian said happily from back at the front desk, "It's a pleasure to see you again."

"Likewise." A cheerful, female voice said.

The tRio tensed up upon recognizing the voice. They peaked around a shelf towards the front and flinched at the sight of a familiar green-eyed, blue haired woman.

They hid back behind the shelf and whispered harshly in unison, "It's that Gym Leader we stole the perfume ingredient from!"

Meowth held his head with a freaked-out expression, "Crag. I thought dis City seemed more familia dis time."

"W- well," James said with a forced smile, "maybe she won't remember us. Afterall, stealing a small bottle isn't that bad."

Jessie perked up and smiled, "Oh, yeah. Maybe we're in the clear."

"How are the Gym repairs going?" The librarian asked.

Team Rocket frowned and their eyes widened.

"Well, the building's open for Gym Battles again." Erika said sadly, "But it'll still be some time until the plants are back to the way they were. That fire really did a lot of damage."

'FIRE?!' Jessie, James, and Meowth screamed internally while grimacing.

.

*Front Desk

The librarian frowned sympathetically, "I'm so sorry that that happened."

Erika smiled sadly, "Thank you. I knew about the risks of having a Grass-type Gym double as a greenhouse, but it's still tough."

The old woman smiled, "Well, don't worry. I'm sure the people responsible will be brought to justice soon en-"

She stopped as she and Erika flinched slightly when something zipped past the counter. Erika looked back and the librarian looked around the Gym Leader to see the front door swing shut.

Erika blinked in surprise, "I guess someone was in a hurry."

The librarian blinked in surprise as well, "I suppose so." She looked at Erika again, "Anyway, what can I help you with today?" She raised a hand and smiled sadly, "Though, I should mention now that there's still nothing about that Overheat creature you saw."

Erika frowned, "Oh." She shook it off and smiled sadly, "That's alright. Can I see some of the newer botany textbooks?"

The old woman nodded, "Of course."

.

*Ash

"Come on out." The trainer boy said as he tossed two pokéballs forward.

Charmander and Squirtle appeared in a white flash. A green flash shone in the room and the pair turned to find Ash in banette form. Pikachu and Electra were standing on either side of him.

Charmander looked at them warily, "_What's going on?_"

Ash frowned, "_Put simply, delusional leaders of unofficial Gyms are in the middle of a gang war. We need to fight them off and keep them from destroying this city._"

Squirtle's eyes widened in shock, "_I'm sorry, what?_"

Pikachu sighed, "_Yeah. Crazy, isn't it?_"

Electra frowned, "_Brock, Misty, Soot, and Clefairy are checking out one of the Gyms right now for information. They'll be back soon._"

"_Okay._" Squirtle said before raising a brow, "_But, if that's the case, shouldn't you be telling everyone about this?_"

Ash nodded, "_I will in a little bit. But, there's something I need to tell you two first._" His expression became somber, "_Brock and Misty are going to be helping out personally as pikachus._"

Charmander tilted his head in confusion, "_So? You battle like that too, sometimes._"

Ash shook his head, "_That's different._" He put a hand over the watch's symbol, "_I've had this thing for most of my life and I've gotten used to battling firsthand. Brock and Misty aren't ready yet._"

Squirtle crossed his arms; brow still raised, "_I still don't get what that has to do with the two of us._"

"_It has to do with you, because I need you guys to protect them._" Ash said to the pair, "_They'll be on the roofs of the surrounding buildings and covering the rest of us from a distance._"

He looked at his Water-type, "_Squirtle. I need you to stay with Misty and keep her safe. Use Water Gun and Ice Beam to help Misty cover us. If anyone comes after either of you, fight them off with Aqua Tail and Bite._"

He looked at his Fire-type, "_Charmander. I need you to protect Brock in the same way. Flamethrower and Dragon Rage for cover. Flame Charge and Skull Bash if they come after you._"

Squirtle jerked and glared at Ash, "_Wait a sec! Why do I have to miss out on all the-_"

"_Squirtle._" Ash said sternly.

The Tiny Turtle Pokémon jerked slightly and his glared faded into a surprised look.

Ash walked closer and looked the Water-type in the eye, "_This is important._" He pointed at him; a trace of sadness in his glare, "_Stay on the roof and keep Misty safe. This is a strict order from your trainer. You are not allowed to argue._"

Charmander, Electra, and Pikachu mimicked Squirtle's expression as they stared at Ash.

Squirtle nodded slowly, "_Y- yeah. You got it, Ash._"

Ash smiled sadly and looked at the Lizard Pokémon, "_Charmander?_"

Charmander stood up straight, "_Y- yes Ash! I promise to keep Brock safe. I won't let you down._"

Ash smiled sadly and pulled his two Starter Pokémon into a group hug, "_I know you won't. I'm sorry to do that, but- I'm just worried for them._"

Squirtle hugged him back, "_It's alright._"

Charmander hugged him too, "_We get it._"

After a minute, Ash let go, hit the symbol on his stomach, returned to human, and looked around the group with a sad smile, "Come on." He removed the rest of the pokéballs from his belt, "We still need to tell everyone else." He turned and started walking over to a larger part of the room.

"_I, uh…_" Electra mumbled, "_Wow._"

Charmander stared at Ash in surprise, "_I- I've never seen Ash that serious before._"

Squirtle stared as well, "_Yeah. I mean- 'Order from your trainer?' 'Not allowed to argue?' I almost didn't know he knew how to say that stuff._"

Pikachu frowned, "_Just goes to show what we're up against._" He and Electra followed Ash.

Squirtle and Charmander shared a look before running after them.

.

**Time Skip**

The next day rolled around in Dark City. Today was the day of the Yas and Kaz Gyms final showdown. The two gangs approached each other from opposite ends of the street with their leaders at the front. The groups stopped and stared each other down.

"I'm only gonna say this once to yous guys." Kaz said with a glare, "Kaz Gym's gonna be the official Gym of Dark City. Save yourself some trouble and just clear out now."

Yas glared back, "I'm afraid you have things all mixed up. You're the ones who'd better clear out and fast. Leave now or we'll crush you wimps into paste."

Kaz clenched a fist and stomped, "That's it! Now you're gonna be sorry you ever heard the name of Kaz Gym!"

Yas's glare intensified, "Today's the day we finally destroy you once and for all!"

Kaz's eye twitched, "Why you! I've heard enough!" He pulled out a pokéball and threw it immediately, "Electabuzz! GO!"

Yas followed suit, "Get them, Scyther!"

The Electric and Bug-types appeared in a white flash and stared each other down.

The Yas trainers began releasing their Pokémon as well, "Machoke!" "Hitmonchan!" "Hitmonlee!" "Mankey!"

The Kaz trainers started tossing pokéballs as well, "Rhydon!" "Golem!" "Kingler!" "Raticate!"

"Pidgo!" "Viary!"

Everyone stopped and looked at one of the surrounding roofs. A pidgeotto stood on one roof and a braviary stood on one on the opposite side of the street. Both were glaring at the groups below.

The birds lifted off and soared over the battlefield. The Yas and Kaz trainers stared up at the Flying-types in confusion.

"MANKEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" Came a scream of excitement and fury.

The gang trainers and their Pokémon all flinched and looked up at a roof again.

Mankey glared back at the horde excitedly. Ash's words came to mind, '_Mankey, do whatever you want, but don't attack the trainers._'

The Fighting-type started trembling excitedly, "_Best! Day! EVEEEEEEEER!_" As he started screaming again, the Pig Monkey Pokémon lit up white.

Everyone stared in shock as the glow faded and Primeape glared down from the building.

Soot blinked in surprise, 'Okay … did not see that coming.'

Ash stared down at Primeape in surprise, "_Woah._"

Pidgeotto stared as well, "_I- I seriously didn't think he was that close to evolving._

The newly evolved Pig Monkey jumped off the roof and fell to the street. Yas, Kaz, and their trainers all grimaced when a pikachu, clefairy, vulpix, starmie, krabby, and muk appeared and jumped as well.

Primeape landed and shot forward to tackle the hitmonlee and hitmonchan simultaneously.

Starmie landed in front of Rhydon and shot a Hydro Pump into their chest. The Drill Pokémon cried out as they flew back and skidded along the ground.

Clefairy and Vulpix touched down and immediately became shrouded in Dazzling Gleam and Flame Charge, respectively, and shot towards either side of the field. Clefairy charged into the mankey and Vulpix into Raticate.

Krabby's claw lit up white as they fell towards Golem. The Megaton Pokémon cried out as the River Crab's Metal Claw slashed them. Krabby turned to face his target and unleashed a large Bubble Beam.

Pikachu landed and glared at Kingler, "_For my KETCHUP!_" He cried out as he unleashed a massive Thunderbolt on the Pincer Pokémon.

**Nuevo and Omega: *glance at Pike and Gem's Pikachu; deadpanned***

**Pike and Gem's Pikachu: *glare back* "W****_H_****A****_T_****?****_!_****"**

Muk landed in front of Machoke; making them flinch.

The Poison-type did a 'come at me' taunt, "_Come on. What are you waiting for?_"

Machoke blinked in surprise before grinning wickedly and raising a fist, "_You fool!_" Their fist lit up orange, "_Have a taste of my Superpower!_" They shot forward and their fist sank into Muk's chest.

Muk chuckled; startling the Fighting-type, "_Same to you._"

Machoke could only stare in shock as their own fist shot out of the Sludge Pokémon and nailed them in the face. Machoke lurched back and fell to the ground.

Muk chuckled again and patted his chest, "_Not bad. I actually felt that._"

The Gym trainers glared and attempted to call out an order. They were cut off by Ash and Pidgeotto blowing them away with Tailwind and Gust.

The Normal/Flying-types kept all of the Gym trainers from getting a word in edgewise. All of the Gym Pokémon were left floundering without any orders to follow.

The street fight had officially devolved into six one-on-one battles and a two-on-one. One side had the obvious advantage.

Yas stared in shock, "W- what the Yvel's going on? Where'd all these Pokémon come from?"

Kaz stared as well, "Why're they attackin' both Gyms? Whose side are they on?"

"I'd say we're on Dark City's side."

The Leaders and their Pokémon flinched and turned around to see Soot sitting on a porch with a happy smile. Electabuzz and Scyther flinched slightly.

Yas glared at her, "It's that mightyena that beat my scyther!"

Kaz glared as well, "It's that mightyena that thrashed my electabuzz!"

They both jerked and looked at each other in shock, "It what?!"

Soot gasped; catching their attention, "It's that mightyena that knows how to talk!" She smirked slyly, "Surprised?"

Yas blinked in surprise before shaking it off and glaring again, "So, what?! We still have you outnumbered!"

Kaz glanced at Yas before pointing at Soot with a smirk, "That's right! Electabuzz and Scyther are gonna destroy you this time!"

Electabuzz and Scyther shared a look, nodded, turned to face Soot, and got into their fighting stance.

Soot blinked in surprise before cocking her head with a confused pout, "What? But I'm not here to battle." She straightened up and grinned wickedly, "I'm just here to watch."

Kaz blinked in surprise, "Watch wha-"

A round of explosions went off behind the Leaders. "SCY!" "BUZZ!"

Yas and Kaz looked back in shock as their strongest Pokémon flew back and crashed against the ground.

Soot snickered, "That."

.

*Misty

"_Hidden Power!_" Misty cried out before firing the pseudo-Water-type attack at Scyther.

She glanced over as Squirtle and Staryu each shot an Ice Beam. One at Electabuzz and one at Scyther. She looked across to the building on the other side of the street.

She could see Brock and Geodude shoot Hidden Power and Rock Throw at Electabuzz. Charmander formed a Dragon Rage and shot it at Scyther as well.

The Viridian-eyed pikachu grinned, '_Hah. We'll be done in no time._' She looked back at the street and her eyes widened in surprise. Golem managed to break away from their fight with Krabby and was charging Starmie. The Mysterious Pokémon was still focused on Rhydon.

Misty grinned, "_Nice try._" The Electric-type lit up with Agility and shot down the side of the building.

Squirtle noticed and grimaced, "_Misty, wait!_"

.

*Street

Starmie jumped back to avoid Rhydon's Smack Down and fired another Water Gun at their face. Rhydon cried out and fell to their knees.

"_Get away from them!_"

Starmie perked up in surprise and looked back as their trainer slashed Golem with Brick Break.

Misty looked at her Water/Psychic-type with a smirk, "_Don't worry, Starmie. I've got your bac-_"

"_Watch out!_" Starmie shouted.

Misty's smile faded and she looked back. Golem had already recovered from her attack and was coming at her with their own glowing fist.

Starmie could do nothing but stare in shock as their trainer took a Brick Break to the chest and was flung into the air.

Ash shot down and plucked the Mouse Pokémon out of the air before diving into an alleyway.

Everyone on the roofs jumped down. Charmander and Geodude charged Rhydon immediately. Brock, Squirtle, Staryu, and Starmie ran towards the alleyway.

Soot shot into the air and fired a swarm of Shadow Balls all over the ground. A large cloud of dust covered the field.

.

*Alleyway

Soot, Brock, Squirtle, Staryu, and Starmie ran into the clearing and flinched.

Ash held the human girl in the larger of his kangaskhan forms. The smaller one was walking around and looking over her. She laid in his arms with her eyes closed.

Staryu stared stiffly, "_Is-_"

"_She's okay._" The younger kangaskhan interrupted, "_Just unconscious._"

The adult looked at Brock, "_Change back and get her to safety._" He focused on Staryu and Starmie, "_I doubt I actually need to tell you this, but make sure they get there._"

The younger form looked at the Dark-type, "_You too, Soot. Keep Misty and Brock safe._"

The quartet nodded; two of which with determined glares, "_Ri_g_ht._"

Brock hit the Lens on his stomach, changed back, and ran over before lifting Misty into his arms. Staryu and Starmie looked up at their trainer sadly.

Soot glanced at them before glaring out of the alleyway, "Let's go!"

The Rock Gym Leader and Water-types nodded before following Soot out of the alley.

Squirtle watched in shock as they disappeared into the bank of dust. He frowned and looked down shamefully, "_Ash, I'm sorry. I should've-_"

"_Don't._" The larger Ash stated, "_I'm not mad or disappointed. It's not your fault that this happened._"

Squirtle looked at him in shock, "_B- but it was my job to keep her safe!_"

He flinched when the infant put a paw on his shoulder and looked at him.

Ash smiled sadly and shook his head, "_Our orders were for you to stay with her on the roof and fend off anyone who approached you all. We never accounted for Misty jumping down on her own._"

Squirtle frowned, "_But-_"

"_Although, if you feel like you deserve a punishment,_" The Parent Pokémon said before looking back at him with a smirk, "_I think some mandatory sparing sessions with Soot and I will more than suffice._"

Squirtle's eyes widened in surprise before he chuckled softly, "_That serious, huh?_" He looked at Ash and nodded with a small smile, "_Fine._" He looked out at the shrouded street, "_So, what now? We just lost five fighters._"

Ash both smirked and spoke in unison, "_I think it's about time to wrap this up._"

The small Normal-type ran over to the large one and placed a paw on his thigh. Ash hit the symbol on his chest and flashed green.

.

*Street

Pidgeotto fired another Gust and cleared away the dust. Yas and Kaz were forced to shield their eyes. When the wind stopped, they looked around the street and grimaced.

Every Gym Pokémon was lying on the ground with their eyes in swirls. All but Electabuzz and Scyther, who were on their knees and panting.

Their trainers laid on the ground while snoring. A bulbasaur sat in the center of all of them and smirked.

The charmander, geodude, muk, and primeape turned to face the Electric and Bug-types. The krabby, pikachu, clefairy, and vulpix remained where they were while panting, but still glared at the pairs.

"That's enough, everyone!"

Everyone who was still conscious perked up and looked over as Ash walked out of an alleyway.

The boy smirked at the gang leaders slyly, "I think it's safe to say that they're done."

Kaz and Yas glared at Ash, "It's you!" They jerked and looked at each other in shock, "You know him too?!"

Ash chuckled; catching their attention, "Of course you both know me. Afterall, you have me to thank for a good portion of this little ambush."

Yas flinched and glared at Ash, "You mean, you're the one responsible for all of this?!"

Ash raised a finger, "Hey, I said 'a good portion', not all." He put a hand on his hip, "My friends and teammates deserve a lot more of the glory. I just came up with the plan."

Kaz's eyes narrowed, "You brat!" He reached down and picked up a large two-by-four.

Yas picked one up as well, "We'll teach you to mess with us!"

"Hold it right there!" Shouted a female voice. The trench-coated figure ran up and stood next to Ash.

Ash perked up slightly and glanced at them. He smirked, 'Well, what do you know?'

"What?" Yas asked while glaring.

"And who are you?" Kaz asked accusingly.

Ash snickered and raised a brow, "Wait, seriously?" He gestured to the figure, "You don't recognize her voice?"

Kaz and Yas blinked in surprise, "Her voice?"

"Maybe this will clear things up." She said before removing her hat, mask, and shades.

The Gym Leaders' eyes widened in shock, "Nurse Joy?!"

Joy's eyes narrowed and she pulled out and held a decorated pokéball towards them, "That's League Inspector Joy to you two."

The pair grimaced and took a step back in shock, "What?!"

Joy nodded while glaring, "That's right. After everything I've seen, I can guarantee that neither of you will ever be allowed to open an official Gym. You two would be lucky if you made your way out of this without any jail time."

Kaz glared, "Oh, yeah?! And where's ya proof?!"

Joy deadpanned, "I've been here, undercover, for the last three days."

The pair flinched.

Ash smirked and pulled out his Pokédex, "Also, she has this."

He hit a button on the device.

Why exactly are you trying to become an official Gym?

You're kidding, right? It's obvious. Yas's eyes widened upon hearing his own voice, Money, of course. What faster way to make a profit in today's world than by becoming an official Pokémon Gym?

That? That's what this entire thing is about? All of this is about making a quick buck?! Don't you get that you're destroying Dark City with all of this pointless fighting?! You're messing with the lives of people who have nothing to do with this?!

A small price to pay The recording stopped.

Yas dropped to his knees and stared in shock.

Kaz smirked, 'Heh! And they've got nothin' on-'

Why are you trying to become a real Gym?

Kaz's eyes widened upon recognizing that girl's voice and he looked at the device in shock.

Why do ya think?! Moola! Loot! Money, baby! Once we go official, I'll be swimmin' in cold hard cash!

But what about Dark City?! Brock's voice followed, Don't you care that you're hurting innocent people with all this fighting?!

Kaz's laugh came from the device, Why the Yvel would I care about those chumps?!

Kaz just stared in horror as the recording stopped. "Y- you can't be serious." He muttered.

The League Inspector looked at Ash and blinked in surprise, "You can record audio on a Pokédex?"

Ash smiled, "You can on mine." 'Thank you, Porygon … and Franz.'

.

**Time Skip**

Misty laid on her sleeping bag in the upstairs of the restaurant. She looked up at the ceiling sadly.

"How do you feel?"

The Cerulean trainer perked up and looked over to see Ash, Brock, and Soot walking up the staircase.

Misty smiled sadly, "Better, I think." She sat up before immediately grimacing and grabbing her chest.

Ash frowned, sat down on the sleeping bag, and put a hand on her back, "Take it easy. It'll take a while for the phantom pains to stop."

Misty groaned, "Fine." She looked down somberly; hand still on her chest, "I just- I didn't expect it to hurt that much."

Soot frowned, "Hence, why we didn't want you getting involved like that."

Ash smiled sadly, "It takes a while to get used to. Trust me."

Misty smiled sadly and nodded, "Okay."

Brock smiled softly and sat down too, "Still, it looks like you were lucky. There isn't any kind of bruising."

Soot looked at him, "That's actually normal. Pokémon may feel pain in about the same way that humans do, but we don't physically injure that easily."

Ash nodded, "One hit like the one Misty got wouldn't've result in anything noticeable."

Misty's eyes widened frightenedly and she glanced back and forth between the pair in shock, 'the same way…' She looked down with the shocked look still on her face.

Soot noticed and blinked in surprise, "You alright, Mist?"

The Water trainer jerked and looked at her with a nervous smile, "Y- yeah. Just sore." She looked back and forth between the guys, "Do you think I could get an ice pack and a cold drink?"

Ash smiled softly and nodded, "Sure."

He, Brock, and Soot made their way back down the staircase.

After they left, Misty smiled faded and she clutched her chest, 'I've been putting my Pokémon through this? All this time?'

She looked down the staircase at the restaurant below. Her Pokémon were celebrating their victory with Ash and Brock's Pokémon. The three kids, the owner, and a few of the City's citizens could be seen thanking everyone vigorously.

The Cerulean girl smiled sadly.

.

*Downstairs

Pikachu stared at the small pile of ketchup packets in pure awe.

He glared at Ash accusingly, "_And, I'm only just learning about this, WHY?!_"

Ash shrugged, "How was I supposed to know you'd like ketchup that much?"

.

.

**Illavera: *raised brow* So, about that PokéSins thing. What score did that episode with the Tarzan rip-off get?**

**Omega: *flips pages* It was- *Eyes widen before bursting out into laughter* HOLY ####! It got a negative 163!**

**Nuevo: *sweat drops* No surprise there. Child abuse has no justification.**

**…**

*******Pseudo-Comment Response*******

**(Stuff I don't want to wait three chapters to answer)**

From Just Some Guy (Trix chapter 48):

**(Given the length of this comment, I split it up as follows)**

**(Full response will be posted in next regular comment response)**

This post is just made to clarify some things regarding my original post.

.

So, in my reply to your reply, I had mentioned at the end of the post of Soot's origin. Now, do I think I may have gone overboard with my response? Yes. Do I think I was potentially being a little over dramatic with my comment? Absolutely. I wish to apologize for my behavior, and that no bad sparks are created from my post.

**Ohirume: *sad smile* It's okay. I'm not mad.**

***glances down sorrowfully* Still, I admit that it hurt to see that last part of the comment.**

**I believed that I could handle criticism. But I guess that mainly applies to the constructive kind, something Yukiro can pass off as a joke, or something Omega can jovially use to mock me.**

**Seishin: *glances at Ohirume sadly***

**Omega: *sighs***

**Ohirume: *perks up with a smile* You're 'cons' section in the in-depth review was a lot easier for me because it was all justified and reasonable. I really enjoy seeing it.**

**I was anxiously waiting for this follow up.**

.

However, that doesn't mean that my opinion has changed. I still find Soot being Ash's biological daughter just a weird decision. I just don't see the reason for why you decided on this concept in the first place…

**Ohirume: *soft chuckle* Yeah. I hear ya. It's not a choice that's easy to justify.**

**Still, I have my reasons. Albeit, heavily opinionated and biased ones.**

**.**

**1\. I think the "Ash randomly finds a rare as all **** egg or Pokémon" concept has been played out like crazy.**

**It always just seemed too convenient to me. I still enjoy the stories that do this and a good number of them are really well executed.**

**But I didn't want to be a part of what's become a cliché.**

**Yes, I understand that the multiverse concept makes it so anything is possible and nothing is really unjustified. But I wanted something more original for this story.**

**I added the 'Phantom Child' cover-story as a means of referencing the concept. That and it's more believable in the eyes of the public.**

**.**

**2\. This world's idea of Inheritance.**

**This world because Faux.**

**Faux: *smiles with a raised paw* I have Ancestral Inheritance!**

**Ohirume: The concept behind Inheritance as a whole is a sort of toned-down fusion or hybrid Pokémon. They still look mostly normal but have a handful of unnatural powers.**

**It doesn't occur naturally in Trix's world and only exists there because of the Omnitrix.**

**I thought up Inheritance long before Trix or Soot existed in my mind. Heck, Faux's the real reason the idea exists. But I still chose to give it to Soot as well. Though, under different circumstances.**

**.**

**3\. Not going overboard.**

**The idea of an Ash Ketchum truly fathering a Pokémon has actually been done before.**

**But most of those other stories are centered around harems and/or … PokémonXHuman stuff. It makes me cringe.**

**Although, I don't completely hate the idea. I just wanted to see the concept played out without making it too cringeworthy. At least, in my eyes.**

**And I'm not even the first to do this in a reasonable way. If you want to know what I mean, it's a five chapter, T rated, Pokéshipping(AshXMisty) story that finished back in 2006.**

**"****The Honeymoon's Over" by Antithesis.**

**.**

**Ohirume: I don't expect everyone to agree with me on this. But Pokémon Trix is my story.**

**I'll still take opinions and ideas into consideration and I won't argue with anyone's personal opinions.**

**But there are just somethings I'll decide on that I can't completely justify.**

***bows apologetically* I'm sorry to anyone that this upsets.**

.

From Guest (Trix chapter 48):

Just to let you know some annoying adds are appearing on your story can you find away to get rid of them

.

Klipper

**Ohirume: *eye twitch* I am well aware of these stupid, ******* eyesores invading mine and countless other stories all over the website and have been aware of it since the day it started happening. It started at around midnight of April 28****th****, 2020!**

**I'd stop it if I could!**

**Yugo: As you can see, Rob is well past annoyed about these ads.**

.

From Just Some Guy (Trix chapter 48):

HAPPY 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

.

Just popped in to say that I hope you're doing good and that you're working hard.

**Ohirume: *wide eyed* Wait, what?! *looks up Trix publish date before smiling brightly* HAH! Holy ****, I didn't even notice. *looks up happily* Wow. To think Trix's story is already a whole year old.**

**Omega: *looks at readers* I am so sorry, everyone.**

**Ohirume: *glares at Omega* Yukiro.**

**Seishin: *pops into the area … literally* Yeh?**

**Ohirume: You have my permission to get a Butter Sock.**

**Seishin: 😊 ****Oh, okay th- 😳 ****WAIT WAT?! 😲**

**Omega: … welp. I'm ******.**


	50. Ch 44: Exeggutor March

**If you're being harassed by these ******** google ads, turn on Reader View. Activating it and results vary by device.

I am so sorry that I cannot offer any help beyond saying that**

**Omega: *flips page before frowning* Yeesh. This Melvin guy sounds like a real piece of work.**

**Pike: *sweat drops* Oh, right … him.**

**Gem: He was, uh … well, it was a fun carnival.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**The Magical Mystery Of How The Yvel Melvin Got Hired By The Carnival**

.

"_GAH!_" Squirtle cried out as he tumbled back and landed on his stomach. He rolled back over while panting heavily, "_crag…_" He slowly got back to his feet, glared at his opponents, and got back into his fighting stance.

"Wow." Soot said with a smirk and a raised brow, "I have not been giving you enough credit, Water boy."

The other Bite Pokémon sat down next to her and frowned, "_We can take a break if you want._"

Squirtle smirked, "_I'm still conscious, aren't I?_" He glanced back and forth between the pair, "_I'm actually asking. Everything's blurry._"

Ash chuckled before smiling sadly, "_Well, you were right about that._"

Squirtle raised a brow, "_Were?_"

"_Yeah. Sorry._"

Squirtle jerked and turned around before getting a face full of blue powder.

The Water-type stumbled back out of the cloud with his eye lids drooping and pointed ahead, "_Dude … not cool._" He fell back.

Bulbasaur looked down at him, "_I said I was sorry._"

Soot snickered.

"_Misty, wait!_"

The trio perked up in surprise and looked over at Ash's pool. A vaporeon could be seen running from it with tears streaming down her face.

.

*Misty and co.; Moments before

"_Aw man!_" Horsea whined, "_I can't believe we missed all of that._"

Goldeen sighed, "_It's times like this I wish I could levitate._" She looked at the Bubble Jet Pokémon with a smile, "_So, first real battle, huh? How was it?_"

Misty smiled sadly and her ears drooped, "_It, uh … hurt. A lot._" She looked around her team with a frown, "_Is that really what you all feel when you get hit in a battle? That much pain?_"

Horsea tilted his head, "_Kinda, I guess._" He shifted to a happy expression, "_Though, you get used to it._"

Misty tensed up and her eyes widened fearfully.

Starmie made a snickering sound, "_Yeah. And you pretty much have to for the super effective moves._" They looked at the others, "_Once, back at the Gym, I had to face this trainer with a magneton. It was basically Spark after Spark after Spark. They even shot Sonic Booms into the water to get everything wet. I couldn't hide or dodge or anything._"

Misty flinched and looked at Starmie in shock.

Goldeen chuckled, "_You think that's bad? I got put up against a magmar once. We thought it was in the bag until they jumped in the pool. And evaporated it!_" She laughed, "_The entire pool. Gone. I was defenseless._"

Misty grimaced and started trembling.

Staryu laughed, "_Geez. But that probably doesn't even compare to the time I had an electrode blow up in my-_"

The team jerked when a splash erupted from where Misty was and they all looked over.

The vaporeon could be seen sprinting away from the pool.

"_Misty, wait!_" Horsea shouted.

After their trainer disappeared into a bush, Ash, Soot, and Bulbasaur ran over. Squirtle was unconscious on Soot's back.

The male Dark-type looked around worriedly, "_What happened?_"

Psyduck wandered around behind the non-Water-types as he held his head.

.

**Short Skip**

Ash ran through the forest as fast as he could and called out, "Misty! Come on! Say something!" He stopped in a clearing and looked around, 'Crag. Where the Yvel could she-'

He perked up upon picking up a scent and looked towards a bush, 'Daffodils.' He ran through the foliage immediately.

"Mist-" Ash called out before skidding to a halt.

Misty was sitting on the ground and looking out at a field of grass. She had her legs pulled up to her chest.

"How'd you find me?" Misty asked monotonously without looking back.

"The perfume you got from Celadon." Ash said before chuckling sheepishly, "I guess Soot was right about using it to track you."

Misty didn't respond.

The Omnitrix user sighed, walked over, and sat down next to her. He looked at her worriedly, "Misty, what's going on?"

"Ash." Misty said before pulling her legs closer into her chest, "Am I a bad friend?"

Ash jerked and put a hand on her shoulder, "What? Misty, of course you're not."

"Oh, really?" She said sourly before pushing his hand away and glancing to the side, "So it's supposed to be normal for someone to hurt the one's they care about? To make them suffer and have them think that that's just fine?"

Ash gave her a confused look, "What are you-" He perked up in realization before looking down sadly, "Oh."

"Yeah. 'oh'." The Water-type trainer grumbled. She took a deep, shaky breath and looked ahead sadly, "How could I have been so blind? Every time they got hit and cried out. Every time they were knocked out. How could I have never known that I was hurting them so much?"

Ash shook his head, "Misty, that's-" He stopped and took a deep breath, "Look. I know exactly where you're coming from. When I started training as a Pokémon, it hurt. More than I could've imagined. After feeling what battling was like and realizing that I'd be doing that to other Pokémon, I wanted to give up on ever becoming a trainer."

Misty jerked and looked at Ash in shock.

The boy smiled softly, "But someone told me something that helped."

Misty frowned, "What?"

"Pokémon are violent." Ash said; still with a soft smile, "Naturally, instinctually violent."

Misty stared at Ash in shock, "Wha-" She shook it off and glared, "That isn't-"

"true." Ash jumped in, "I said the same thing." He looked ahead with a sad smile, "But she was right. Just not in the way I thought she meant. Pokémon battle in the wild all the time and have been since before the League or any Gym existed. They battle for food, territory, mates, strength, or even because they just want to. Pokémon live to battle. Their instincts drive them to seek it out in one way or another and they enjoy it." He frowned, "But the wild doesn't always have rules and regulations to keep a Pokémon safe. It can be cruel and unforgiving. Especially outside of a tribe."

He turned to face Misty and smiled softly, "And that's part of what it means to be a trainer. It's why some Pokémon look forward to getting captured and join battling trainers willingly. We give them a way to battle without the fear of something worse than a knockout." His smile saddened, "I know it's not as black and white as I'm making it sound. Some people just aren't fit to be trainers." He went back to the soft smile, "But, at its core, training and trainer battles are about giving Pokémon a safe outlet."

Misty stared at Ash in surprise. After a moment, she frowned again, "Still. I don't want to hurt my friends."

Ash put a hand on her shoulder, "Which is what makes you a better trainer than most. You're seeing them as equals and caring about them as such." He frowned, "But they're not humans, Misty. You can't keep them from battling if they want to and expect it to be okay. You'd be forcing them to push down their instincts."

The Cerulean girl groaned, "So, what am I supposed to do? Keep making them battle and letting them get hurt? Pretend I'm fine with seeing them get hurt?"

"Well, there is something else you could try first." Ash said.

Misty looked at him and perked up when she saw him holding out a Lens with the vaporeon silhouette.

"Tell them how you feel and ask what they want. Not as their trainer, but as their friend. And if they want to battle, let them. Make sure they're ready and be there to comfort them when they get hurt." Ash's smile softened, "Because, in a battling Pokémon's eyes, that's one of the most thoughtful and kind things a trainer can do."

Misty stared at the Lens before smiling sadly. She nodded, "Alright."

.

*Campsite

Staryu paced around on the grass while looking downward. Everyone else was still in the pool. Soot and Bulbasaur sat by the pool and were looking at where Ash went. Squirtle was snoring on the ground. Psyduck was still … being Psyduck.

"_I hope Misty's okay._" Horsea whined worriedly. He looked at the Goldfish Pokémon, "_Why do you think she ran off like that?_"

Goldeen frowned, "_I'm really not sure._" She looked down worriedly, "_Could it have to do with us talking about our old Gym Battles?_"

"_Wish I knew._" Starmie said while drooping sorrowfully.

Soot and Bulbasaur looked at the Water-types worriedly before sharing a look.

Staryu noticed something, perked up, and turned to face it, "_They're back!_"

Everyone jerked and followed the Star Shape Pokémon's gaze. Ash and Misty were walking back into the clearing. Misty looked towards her team and smiled sadly. She ran ahead towards the pool.

Ash motioned for Soot and Bulbasaur to move away from the pool. Soot picked up Squirtle and the pair ran over to Ash.

Horsea, Goldeen, Starmie, and Staryu started rambling wildly.

Misty waved her hands defensively and smiled softly, "Hey. Calm down." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the active Change Lens, "Give me a second to change, first."

Misty placed the Lens on her chest and slapped it. The green flash shrouded her and faded to reveal the viridian-eyed vaporeon. She jumped into the pool. Staryu followed soon after.

Horsea looked at his trainer sadly, "_Misty, what happened? Why'd you run off like that?_"

Misty frowned, "_First, there's something I need to ask you all._" She took a deep breath and looked around the group, "_Do you like battling?_"

The four Pokémon perked up and Goldeen and Horsea blinked in surprise. They all shared a confused look.

"_And,_" Misty continued, "_I don't want you to just say 'yes' because you think that's what I want. Be honest with me._"

"_Uh…_" Starmie said in an unsure tone, "_I've never really thought about it._"

"_Yeah. Me neither._" Staryu followed.

Goldeen bobbed down for a moment; her version of a shrug, "_Same._"

Horsea nodded with a confused look, "_Yeah._"

Misty sighed, "_Okay. How about this?_" She looked at them sadly, "_Are any of you mad at me for letting you get hurt in battles? Do any of you regret joining me for making you battle?_"

Goldeen flinched and her eyes widened in shock, "_Wha-_" She frowned and raised a brow, "_Misty, why the Yvel would you think that?_"

"_Yeah. I mean,_" Starmie followed, "_it's battling. Of course, we're gonna get hurt. Who doesn't?_"

Staryu spoke up, "_Where's all of this coming from?_"

"_I-_" Misty stuttered as she started tearing up. She closed her eyes, looked down, and cried out, "_Because I never listened!_" She took a breath before continuing, "_I never listened. When I got hit in Dark City, I was in more pain than I could've imagined. I hated it._"

The Water-types perked up in surprise.

Misty continued, "_When I heard that Pokémon feel the same thing, I was terrified. You've all been going through that so much just because I- because of me._" She sniffled, "_I don't want to hurt you. I never wanted to make any of you suffer._"

"_But you never have._" Staryu stated.

Misty's eyes shot open and she looked at them in shock, "_What?_"

Goldeen frowned, "_Well, yeah. Misty, you're making it sound like you abuse us. We're just battling. That's not something to get upset over._"

Misty looked at her in a daze, "_B- but-_"

Starmie shrugged, "_So we get roughed up every now and then. So what? It happens to everyone. We've never been mad at you for sending us into a battle._"

Staryu nodded, "_Plus, you always rushed us straight to a Pokémon Center after a really bad challenge. You've never given us a reason to regret joining you._"

Horsea nodded happily, "_Yeah. I couldn't've asked for a better trainer or friend._"

Misty stared at her team in shock. She started tearing up again and looked down. The quartet flinched and moved closer to crowd around her.

Goldeen looked at her worriedly, "_Misty, please don't cry!_"

Starmie nodded and spoke in a worried tone, "_I'm sure we can work out whatever's going on!_"

Staryu nodded, "_If you really don't want us battling anymore, we can stop! Promise!_"

Horsea looked up at her sadly, "_Please don't run off ag-_"

He was cut off by the Bubble Jet Pokémon reaching out her forepaws and pulling him into a hug.

Misty sniffled with a sad smile, "_I won't._"

Horsea glanced at Misty before nuzzling her happily. Goldeen smiled softly before she and the siblings moved in closer to the pair for a group hug.

After a moment-

"_So …_" Staryu started, "_does this mean we can still battle?_"

Misty chuckled softly, "_Hey, if you don't mind it._" She moved back and looked around the group with a soft smile, "_Still, if you ever feel like you want to stop, don't ever be afraid to tell me._"

Goldeen smiled, "_Deal._"

"_Alright!_" Horsea cried out happily. He cocked his head curiously, "_By the way, do you think I could try learning that Dragon Rage move like Charmander?_"

Misty raised a brow, "_I'm actually not sure if you can learn-_"

"Hey! We're back!" Brock called out.

Everyone flinched and looked over as Brock walked out of the forest while carrying a basket of fruit. Pikachu, Clefairy, Electra, and Geodude stood around him.

"We managed to gather a bunch of-" Brock said before noticing everyone's expressions. He sweat dropped with a nervous smile, "I just interrupted something meaningful, didn't I?"

Soot snickered, "Well, you almost did."

.

*Night

Misty sat at the set-up picnic table and watched as Ash's, hers and most of Brock's teams trained.

Ash was helping both Pikachu and Horsea with Signal Beam. Something the little Water-type had to begrudgingly settle for after finding out Ash didn't know any Dragon-type moves he could teach him. Bulbasaur was currently holding him with Vine Whip since the pool wasn't available.

Staryu and Starmie were having an Ice Beam-off on a tree. Goldeen was practicing Aqua Ring in the pool. Psyduck was really making Misty wish that Ash would hurry up with that Calm Mind.

Primeape was excitedly breaking in his new form on Muk. The big difference this time was that Muk started hitting back. Both voluntarily and through the use of his Impact Repulsion. Though, the Fighting-type didn't seem to mind in the slightest. If anything, he seemed even more excited.

Almost everyone else was sparring in the clearing. The odd ones out were Geodude, Electra obviously, and Soot. Geodude stayed by Brock to pass him utensils, Electra watched the pair curiously and acted as their taste tester, and Soot was …

Misty perked up and blinked in surprise, "What the-" She looked around the clearing for any sign of the Bite Pokémon.

"boo."

Misty flinched slightly and turned around to find Soot grinning from the other side of the table.

Soot snickered, "What's wrong, Mist?" She shifted her eyes to their Inherent state, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Misty chuckled before raising a brow, "Was your sense of humor always this bad?"

Soot smirked and shifted her eyes back, "Hey, I got you to laugh." She jumped down from the table, walked around, and jumped back up to sit next to Misty.

"So," Soot said in a kind tone, "Dad told you about the 'violence instinct'."

Misty jerked and looked at her in surprise. Her eyes narrowed, "How much did he tell you?"

Soot smirked, "Hey, don't worry. All he said was that you got upset and he told you that." She glanced to the side, "Also, I overheard you and your team's entire conversation." She smiled softly, "Are you feeling any better after talking to them?"

Misty looked back at everyone training in the clearing and smiled sadly, "Yeah. A little." She frowned, "Still, it's a little hard to digest." She looked at Soot, "Do you Pokémon really feel like you have to battle? You're actually that okay with getting hurt?"

Soot raised a brow, "Well nobody likes getting hurt." She stopped and glanced to the side, "Okay, nobody who's mentally stable." She looked back at Misty, "But when you're born to a species whose instincts force you to fight, you don't really have a choice but to build up a pain tolerance." She grinned, "Just another thing that separates us from you humans, I guess."

Misty chuckled, "Yeah." She looked back at her team and smiled softly, "Still. Despite what happened, I think I still wanna start training for real."

Soot blinked in surprise, "Really? You know that's gonna hurt Yvel of a lot more than one little Brick Break, right?"

Misty flinched slightly and moved a hand to her chest. She stopped, took a deep breath, and put her hand back down, "Yeah. I bet it will." She smiled sadly, "But, I wanna be able to help my friends."

Soot smiled softly.

The pair sat in silence for a moment and just watched as the others trained. Up until Misty perked up and blinked in surprise.

She looked at Soot with a raised brow, "Wait a second. If Pokémon are driven to battle like that, why doesn't Electra?"

Soot shrugged, "Eh. The rule's not exactly written in stone. Though, I'm pretty sure her thing's more of a preference."

.

*Ash, Pikachu, Horsea, and Bulbasaur

Ash nodded with a determined glare, "_Whenever you're ready!_"

Pikachu took a deep breath and held out a paw, "_Signal Beam._" A ball of rainbow-colored energy slowly formed in his paw.

The Electric-type smiled brightly when it finished forming, pointed his paw at a tree, and shouted, "_Fire!_"

The sphere erupted into a beam of rainbow energy and shot towards the tree. It exploded on impact and left a large scorch mark in the center.

Pikachu threw a paw into the air triumphantly, "_Woo! Bullseye!_"

Horsea stared in bright eyed awe and Bulbasaur frowned uncomfortably from seeing the Bug-type attack.

"_Nice job._" Ash said happily, "_All we have to work on is the charge time. Think you can handle that on your own?_"

Pikachu gave a thumbs up and smirked, "_Easy._" He turned towards the tree and started charging the attack again.

Horsea looked at Ash excitedly, "_So, that means it's my turn now! Right?!_"

Ash took on a cocky expression, "_If you think you're up to-_"

He was cut off when the symbol on his head started beeping and flashing red. He blinked in surprise and looked up towards it.

Horsea drooped sadly, "_Aww._"

Ash sweat dropped and chuckled nervously, "_Sorry._" He flashed red, reemerged in human form, and looked back towards Brock, "It looks like dinner's almost ready." He looked back at the Dragon Pokémon with a sad smile, "We can pick up where we left off another time."

Horsea slumped forward sadly, "_Fine._"

Pikachu looked back at Ash, "_He said 'fine'._"

.

**Time Skip**

Electra and Clefairy looked around in bright-eyed awe, "_Wooooooooahh._"

Pikachu blinked in surprise, "_No kidding._" He raised a brow, "_What the Yvel am I looking at?_"

Soot smirked, "This, my friend, would be a carnival. Games, rides, snacks, and shows as far as the eye can see." She looked up at the colorful paper raining down, "Also confetti."

Ash looked around at the rides before smiling, "And, thankfully, the rides are up to code. We won't have to worry about any accidents."

Brock looked at Ash in confusion, "Wait, really? How can you tell?"

Ash put a finger to his temple; still smiling, "Technopathic Clairvoyance, remember? I can tell what's working with just a glance." He looked at and pointed towards a large tent, "By the way, stay away from the" He squinted, "second to last whack-a-mole from the left." He shook it off, "It's not counting up scores correctly."

Misty sweat dropped, "Noted." She perked up and smiled, "Still, nice to know about the rides." She looked around, "Which one should we go on first?"

Ash pointed ahead and smirked, "Ferris Wheel!"

Brock pointed elsewhere, "Merry-Go-Round!"

Soot pointed a claw upward, "Wave Swinger!"

Everyone stopped and shared a look.

Brock sweat dropped, "Um…" He glanced around at the shoulder riders, "What do you guys think?"

"Pika Chu!" "Chu Pi!" "Fairy!" The trio said excitedly while all pointing in different directions. They all stopped and looked at each other as well.

Misty raised a fist, "Rock-Paper-Scissors to decide the order?"

"De_al_." Everyone else said.

.

**Time Skip**

After riding nearly everything in sight, the group made their way through the carnival grounds; most with some sort of fair food … well, more or less. Clefairy was happily tearing into a cotton candy as big as her, Misty had a triple stacked ice cream, Brock had popcorn, and Soot was walking around in Marionetter state with a candy apple in her forepaw. Pikachu was the odd one out with a ketchup packet.

Ash glanced at his Electric-type with a raised brow, "Are you sure you don't even want something to put the ketchup on?"

Pikachu smiled happily, "_Nope._" He went back to sucking the red liquid out of the plastic bag.

**Ohirume: … I probably could have worded that better.**

**Nuevo: *sweat dropping* Wishing you did.**

Soot snickered, "Starting to think he's addicted." She glanced at Ash, "Dad, can I get another bite?"

Ash moved his hand and brought Soot's paw up to her muzzle.

Soot smiled, "Thanks." She bit down on the apple and started chewing happily.

"_Can we please not talk about food, right now?_" Electra grumbled as she laid on Brock's backpack with her ears drooping.

Brock glanced at Electra with a sad smile, "Maybe going on that many rides in a row wasn't the best idea." He looked at the others, "How about we go find a stage show to relax for a bit?"

Misty smiled, "Sounds like fun."

"_mm hm_" Clefairy said while nodding.

Ash smiled before looking around. He pointed ahead, "Over there. There's a sign for a magic show."

Clefairy perked up in surprise, swallowed, and looked at Ash, "_Wait, magic? Like my Magic Guard?_"

Ash chuckled, "Not that kind of magic. We're talking about stage magic and close-up magic." He looked at Soot, "Mind if I get my hands back?"

"Nah, go ahead." Soot responded before glancing at the candy apple, "Mind giving me a stand for this, though?"

Ash smiled and nodded before moving his hands around.

Soot moved the apple to her right arm before removing it and phasing the zipper-toothed end into the ground. Ash closed the zipper on her back and she fell back down to all fo- uh … all threes. Soot moved closer to her foreleg and bit down on the apple again.

Ash reached up to grab his backpack strap before perking up in realization. He glanced back and forth between Pikachu and Clefairy, "Could you jump down for a minute, please?"

The pair nodded and complied.

Ash removed his bag, placed it on the ground, and reached into it, "Anyway," He pulled out his deck of playing cards, started shuffling, and turned to face the others, "Stage magic is about set-up, props, and showing off. You want to entertain everyone with tricks and fun gimmicks." He stopped shuffling, drew a card, and held it up in his right hand; revealing an Ace of Clubs, "Close-up magic is built on deception and prowess."

Pikachu blinked in surprise, "_Like ninjas?_"

Electra perked up and looked at the other Electric-type in surprise, "_What about a ninjask?_"

Ash chuckled while pocketing the remaining deck, "In a way. Although," He snapped with his left hand and flicked his right wrist. Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra jumped when the card vanished on the spot.

Ash smirked, "it's more about getting a reaction."

The two Mouse and Fairy Pokémon stared in wide-eyed shock, "_WOAH!_"

Brock looked at Ash with a raised brow, "You can do close-up magic?"

Ash shrugged, "More like a few card tricks. Though, I have an unfair advantage thanks to Power Integration. Y'know, enhanced perception and speed. It also helps me see through other tricks."

Misty sweat dropped, "There isn't a lot you can't do, is there?"

Ash chuckled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Well, I-"

He was cut off and everyone flinched a bit when a loud ding rang out. They all looked and found a little kid jumping around happily in front of a large 'test your strength' game. The attendant just stared up at the bell in shock.

Ash blinked in surprise, "Huh. Strong kid." He looked back at the others, "What were we talking about?"

"_Close-up magic._" Electra said before raising a brow, "_Where'd the card go?_"

"Yo." Soot said; catching everyone's attention. She smirked and stuck out her tongue to reveal the Ace laying on it.

The other Pokémon all stared in shock, "_WHAT?!_"

Misty and Brock frowned, 'ew.'

Ash grinned, "It also helps to have an accomplice in the crowd." He went back to a normal smile, "While it pales in comparison to real magic, it does take a lot of effort and practice to perfect."

Misty blinked in surprise and looked at Ash, "Wait a sec. Real magic?" She smirked and raised a brow, "You're kidding, right?"

Soot spat out the card and looked up at the Water trainer, "No, he's really not. It's pretty much the reason golett exist." She smirked and raised a brow, "You didn't actually think ancient civilizations had biological engineering and science that advanced, did you?"

Misty and Brock looked at Soot in surprise before sharing a look.

"I, uh," Brock said while scratching the side of his head, "I never really thought about it."

Ash chuckled, "Yeah. The idea can seem weird." He perked up and smiled, "So, what do you say? Wanna check it out?"

Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra smiled brightly, "_Yeah!_"

Misty grinned, "Alright, then."

Brock smiled, "Let's hurry before it gets too crowded."

Ash's Pokémon jumped back onto his shoulders and everyone ran towards the tent.

.

*Tent

"Excuse me."

The ticket booth attendant moved the hat off his face, sat up, and looked out the window with a bored expression.

Ash smiled, "The show isn't sold out, is it?"

The attendant raised a brow, "You're joking, right?"

Brock, Misty, and the Pokémon perked up in surprise.

Ash blinked in confusion, "What?"

The man groaned, "Nothing." He looked around the group, "So, that'll be three tickets-"

"Four actually." Ash jumped in before reaching down to pet Soot, "I wanted to get a seat for my mightyena."

The attendant sweat dropped, "You don't have to pay for Pokémon."

Misty blinked in surprise, "But wouldn't we be taking up an extra seat without paying? What if it gets too crowded?"

The man blinked with a deadpanned expression. He reached down under the counter, "Three tickets come out to forty-five hundred."

Brock stared in surprise, "But that's only fifteen hundred each."

"Uh huh." The attendant said. He brought out and held up the tickets, "Cash only."

Ash, Brock, and Misty shared a confused look before reaching around and pulling out their share of the payment.

The guy behind the counter took the cash, placed the tickets on the counter, and pointed a thumb to his side, "Entrance is over there, and we only allow refunds up to nine hundred." He sat back in his chair and put the hat back over his face.

The group stared in mild surprise before they started walking over to the tent flap.

"_That was weird, right?_" Pikachu asked.

"Very." Soot responded.

The group made their way into the tent and jerked in surprise. Among the hundred plus seats available, less than five were currently filled. Two people looked like they were asleep, and the rest looked annoyed.

Misty sweat dropped, "Small crowd…"

They found a row of chairs around the middle and got comfortable. Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra looked at the stage excitedly. Ash, Brock, Misty, and Soot glanced around the room warily.

Everyone perked up when the lights went out and a drum roll started. A trio of spotlights started moving around the stage before stopping on a pair at the center.

The man wore a red button up undershirt, green ringmaster vest, an orange bowtie, white slacks, a top hat with a green stripe, and black shoes.

The woman next to him had orange hair and wore a red leotard, a red bowtie, and a headband with vulpix head curls and ears on it.

Electra's eyes lit up and her tail started wagging.

The man had his arms outstretched and spoke in a happy -yet somehow dull- tone, "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Melvin the Magician Magnificent."

Soot gave a light groan, her ears drooped, and she muttered, "That's the name he chose?"

Misty sweat dropped, "I'm more concerned about his voice."

Brock blushed with a goofy smile, "But look at his assistant…"

Everyone else shot him a deadpanned glance.

Electra looked at Pikachu, "_Does Brock do this a lot?_"

"_Oh yeah._" Pikachu responded monotonously.

The man gestured to a small table next to him, "Please allow me to present my magical Pokémon, Exeggcute."

The hextet making up the Egg Pokémon hopped onto the stage and over to the table. "Exeggcute!" The Grass/Psychic-type called out happily as they jumped on to the table; some doing a flip as they did so.

Ash smiled and put a hand to his chin, "Exeggcute, huh? Gotta admit, that's not a bad choice for a magic act."

Misty looked at him in confusion, "Huh? How so?"

Ash smiled at her, "Well, think about it." He raised a finger, "They're Grass and Psychic types capable of learning a decent selection of telekinetic, barrier-based, and spore-based moves. With the right training and move set, you can set up a lot of acts without needing to include wires or spend money on safety nets."

Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra stared at Ash in bright-eyed awe. They looked back at the stage excitedly. They stopped and blinked in surprise.

Soot sweat dropped, "Doesn't look like we're getting that."

Ash and Misty looked back ahead and deadpanned when they saw Melvin juggling the Egg Pokémon.

"Now it's time for some Exeggcute juggling." Melvin said; tone unchanging.

Brock sweat dropped, "That's supposed to be magic?"

Pikachu pouted, "_That doesn't seem very special._"

"We don't want juggling!" Someone in the crowd shouted.

"We want to see some magic!" Someone else heckled; making Melvin flinch.

"Yeah!" A third person shouted, "Do a trick, will ya?!"

Melvin waved his hands defensively and started sweating, "Hold on. The best part is coming up. My Pokémon and I are going to do some great tricks now, which will summaze and apprise you."

His assistant groaned and facepalmed.

Clefairy tilted in confusion, "_Summaze and apprise?_"

Soot sweat dropped, "I think he meant to say amaze and surprise."

Electra looked at her in surprise, "_Huh?_" She pouted and crossed her forepaws, "_I was hoping those were fancy human words._"

Melvin moved over to a podium, pulled out a cane with a blue orb at the tip, and took up a pose with the cane. After a moment, he smiled and pointed the cane forward, "Raging Fire!"

A small flame and a puff of smoke appeared at the tip of the cane.

Melvin blinked in surprise, "Uh…"

Everyone in the group and the assistant sweat dropped. Everyone else in the crowd-

"That was pathetic!"

"You're the worst!"

The magician waved his hands defensively, "Please. Just give me a moment." He started hitting the cane while muttering, "Come on. Work."

Misty glanced at Ash, "Any idea what was supposed to happen there?"

Ash stared at the staff intently before saying, "It's a flamethrower."

Misty, Brock, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra grimaced.

Soot sweat dropped, "Guys, calm down. It looks like the thing's broken."

"Well, not exactly." Ash continued while staring at the cane; catching the others' attention, "It has enough fluid and the firing mechanism is working fine." He pointed at the stage, "The problem is that there's a safety mechanism that's acting like a stopper. It's like he's trying to floor it while the emergency brake is still-" He stopped and his eyes widened in shock when he saw something shift in the device.

Soot's eyes narrowed warily, "Dad, what's wro-"

Ash jumped out of his seat and shot towards the stage immediately. Before anyone could react, he snatched the cane out of Melvin's hand and threw it upwards. It shot through the top of the tent like a javelin and left behind a small hole.

The assistant looked up and blinked in surprise, "Woah."

Melvin looked at Ash sorrowfully, "Hey. What was that for?"

Ash looked at him and pointed up at the hole, "I just saved your tent from burning down."

Melvin's assistant flinched and looked at Ash, "Wait, what do you-"

She was cut off and everyone flinched when a loud explosion rang out from above. Everyone -minus Ash- looked up in shock.

Ash sweat dropped, "That."

.

**Short Skip**

After the … "magic show" abruptly ended and the accidental threat of a fiery explosion ceased, everyone in the audience started throwing whatever they had at Melvin while demanding a refund. To the surprise of literally no one.

Ash and co. decided to cut the guy some slack out of pity and turned down the refund. They were currently walking away from the tent.

"Well," Misty said, "that was …"

Soot sighed, "Bad."

Electra sighed in relief, "_Oh thank Arceus, I wasn't the only one who thought that._" She frowned, "_I was really hoping to see something like what Ash did._"

Pikachu sighed, "_Yeah. Me too._"

Clefairy pouted.

Ash crossed his arms with a frown, "Still. I can't help but feel sorry for that Melvin guy."

Brock nodded, "Yeah. Same."

"I'VE HAD IT WITH YOU!"

Everyone flinched upon recognizing the assistant's voice and looked back towards the tent. They shared a look before running back over to it and looking around the corner.

Melvin was on his knees in front of his assistant with his head touching the ground. The assistant was currently wearing a blue jacket over her stage outfit and had her arms crossed. Exeggcute watched worriedly as they laid on a suitcase.

"Please don't leave me." Melvin begged, "I promise to pay you as soon as I can."

The woman glared at him, "Money isn't the issue, this time! I almost got barbequed because of you! We might not even be here right now if that kid didn't jump in when he did!"

Misty, Brock, Soot, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra jerked and glanced at Ash. He scratched his cheek and chuckled sheepishly.

Melvin looked up at her sadly, "Please don't go, Darla. I can't do my act without an assistant. I'll even start paying you more."

The woman, apparently named Darla, put her hands on her hips, "And how exactly do you plan to do that? By actually having people watch your lousy show?"

The magician crawled closer and … ugh. He started rubbing up against her legs, "They'll come, I promise."

**EVERYONE: *cringe***

Darla glared furiously and shouted, "Get off me!" before kicking him back.

Exeggcute flinched and jumped out of the way as Melvin crashed into the suitcase. His hat flew off to the side in the process.

Darla groaned and shot the man a harsh glance, "I've heard your promises before." She turned and started walking away, "Goodbye."

Melvin looked at her sadly, "Please don't leave. I need you."

The group looked at him sympathetically.

"Should we?" Misty asked.

Brock shrugged, "We should at least check on him."

They all nodded and started walking over to the magician.

"Excuse me." Ash said, "Are you alright?"

Melvin perked up and looked at the group. He blinked in surprise, "Oh, it's you again. That boy from my show."

Ash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Yeah, sorry about interrupting like that."

Melvin sat up with a small smile, "Don't be sorry. You saved me from getting fired again."

Soot jerked and blinked in surprise, 'Again?'

Brock and Misty sweat dropped.

Ash chuckled nervously, "Um, yeah. I just have an eye for technology." 'Literally.' He perked up and gestured to himself, "My name is Ash." He gestured to his Electric, Fairy, and Dark-type, "And this is Pikachu, Clefairy, and Soot."

"Pika!" "Fairy!" The shoulder riders said happily while raising a paw.

Soot grinned, "And I can talk." She gestured to Pikachu and Clefairy, "They said 'Hello' and 'Hi there,' by the way."

The Pewter Gym Leader gestured to himself, "My name's Brock." And gestured to the Pokémon on his backpack, "And this is Electra."

"Pi!/_Hi!_" Electra said happily.

The Cerulean Gym Leader gestured to herself, "I'm Misty." She sweat dropped, 'and I'm the only one without someone else to introduce.'

The magician picked up his top hat and put it back on, "I'm a magician. Melvin's the name." He held out a hand to Misty and clenched a fist, "For you, miss." A small puff of smoke appeared, and a pink flower appeared in his hand.

Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra perked up, and their eyes widened in awe.

Misty smiled and took the flower, "Aww, thank you."

"I'm not very famous yet," Melvin said as he pulled his hand back; leaving behind small flags with Pokémon on them extending from the flower, "but I'm working really hard on my magic act."

Pikachu and Clefairy watched in awe as he did this.

Electra started trembling excitedly, "_Insane._"

Melvin looked up dreamily, "My dream is to have my own Broadway show in Hollywood and perform my magic act before thousands of cheering fans."

**Omega: I'm sorry, what?**

**Ohirume: Hollywood canonically exists in the Pokémon world's Kanto Region and the Japanese version said Broadway instead of Las Vegas. I just added them together for this.**

**Mizuro: *raised brow* But isn't Broadway in New York City?**

**Ohirume: *sweat dropping* I worked with what I was given, alright.**

Clefairy and Electra tilted in confusion, "_Hollywood?_"

Pikachu raised a brow, "_He wants to perform on a wide road?_"

Soot snickered.

The man looked down sorrowfully, "But with how things have been going I might as well just give up."

Exeggcute looked at his trainer sorrowfully, "_Melvin…_"

Ash frowned and kneeled down in front of the man, "Hey, come on. You can't give up that easily."

Clefairy nodded with a determined glare, "_Yeah! You can't give up on your dream!_"

Melvin looked at Ash sadly, "But what am I supposed to do? You saw my show."

Misty smiled, "Well, what if we helped you out?"

Melvin perked up and looked at her in surprise, "Would you really?"

Brock smiled and nodded, "Sure. Ash might even be able to help you learn a few new tricks."

Ash perked up and looked at Brock in surprise, "Wait, what? What would I be able to teach him?"

Misty smiled at him, "Well, you could teach him that card trick from before."

Ash frowned, "That trick wouldn't work in a tent setting."

Brock stared in surprise, "What? What do you mean?"

Ash sighed, "Okay, look. All of that was just slight-of-hand and a load of distractions." He reached back into his bag, "I'll show you."

He pulled out the deck of playing cards and a bottle cap.

Pikachu blinked in surprise and looked back at the bag, "_Wait, what?_"

"First," Ash started, "the set up. I used removing my backpack as an excuse to get Pikachu and Clefairy to jump down and pulled out a bottle cap in secret." He placed the cap between his fingers in his left hand, grabbed the deck with the same hand and started shuffling, "The bottle cap was hidden under the deck like so. I had Pikachu and Clefairy jump down so that they would have a harder time seeing through any of the trick."

The Mouse and Fairy Pokémon jerked and shared a surprised look.

"Second," Ash continued as he drew and held up a card; a queen of diamonds this time, "the card disappearing." He put the deck in his pocket, held up his left hand, and snapped. He flicked his right wrist and the card vanished like before, "The snap was to draw your attention away from the card for a split second. More than enough time for me to slip it between my glove and watch." He rotated his right wrist to reveal the Queen poking out of the sleeve and sitting on the device.

Everyone -except Soot's- jaw dropped. Soot snickered at their reactions.

Ash smirked, "Trust me when I say that took a lot of practice." He perked up and smiled normally, "Finally, passing it to Soot." He held his left hand in front of him with his palm facing forward, "While I was scratching my head, I flicked the cap at the bell on that 'test your strength' game. Which is why this won't work in the tent." He quickly brought the card back to his palm and threw it to Soot. She opened her mouth and caught it effortlessly. Ash smiled, "The resulting distraction gave me enough time to throw the card to Soot unnoticed."

Soot grinned, "You all fell for it hook, line, and sinker."

Ash smirked, "I originally planned out the head scratch as a modesty ploy from people complimenting the trick. But acting embarrassed from Misty's comment worked just as well."

Misty blinked in surprise, "huh…"

Pikachu and Clefairy stared at their trainer in total awe.

Electra smiled brightly and her tail started wagging, "_So insane._"

Brock raised a brow, "So that kid didn't actually win that game?"

Ash shrugged with a smirk, "Well, the attendant thought he did."

Melvin frowned, "That trick seems like an awful lot of work."

Ash looked at the magician and nodded, "Well, yeah. I had to practice card throwing and hiding small objects in my hand in addition to lodging the card like that. It took a lot of time and effort."

Soot sweat dropped with a sly smirk, "Yeah. And what makes that statement all the more confusing is that fact that you did all of that out of boredom."

Ash shot her a glare, "Hey, it was a rainy week and I didn't have anything to do."

Misty looked down thoughtfully with her arms crossed, "Okay. So, I guess that trick really is off the table." She perked up and pointed at him, "But there has to be something else you can think of. Even if you're not an expert, you probably know more about this kind of magic than any of us."

Melvin looked at her sadly, "Hey…"

Ash frowned and put a hand to his chin, "hmm."

Melvin perked up and smiled brightly, "What if you all helped with my show?"

Exeggcute started jumping around excitedly while cheering.

Everyone else looked at him in surprise, "H_u_h_?_"

Melvin nodded, "Yeah." He pointed at Misty, "You could be my assistant." He looked at Brock and Ash, "Your pikachus and clefairy could help with effects." He looked at Soot excitedly, "And a talking Pokémon is sure to draw in a crowd."

Electra smiled brightly, "_We're gonna be a part of a human magic show?!_" She started bouncing excitedly, "_Awesome!_"

Soot sweat dropped, 'But do we really wanna be a part of this show?'

Brock glanced at Electra before smiling softly, "I mean, it couldn't hurt."

Misty nodded and raised a finger, "Just for today, though."

Ash glanced around at his friends before smiling softly. He turned to face Melvin and clenched a fist, "Alright, Melvin, it looks like you have yourself a crew."

Melvin smiled brightly and put his hands together, "Thank you all so much."

.

*The Next Show

The lights went out in the tent. The audience perked up when a dazzling rainbow glow appeared from behind and they all looked back. The glowing sphere sat on top of the tent's entrance.

A small explosion rang out before the sphere shot across the top of the tent. The glow stopped over the stage and faded. The audience watched in awe and started applauding.

Clefairy shot a thumbs up over to Brock. The squinting Electric-type gave a thumbs up back before dispelling the Brick Break. He started zipping across the rafters with Agility as he headed backstage to meet up with Ash.

The audience flinched when a rainbow beam of energy and a bolt of lightning shot down and collided on the stage. A large cloud of white smoke covered the stage; obscuring a small green flash from behind the curtain.

The smoke slowly cleared to reveal Misty, Soot, Pikachu, and Electra on stage.

Misty wore a white leotard with goldeen tail fins attached to the back. Pikachu wore a blue vest with a red bowtie. Electra wore a red vest, her necklace, had her hair tucked back into the vest, and had an excited smile bright enough to light up the room singlehandedly.

Soot wore an all-white version of Melvin's coat and a black eye mask to hide her banette feature. Ash stood behind the curtain as he pulled Soot's strings.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Soot called out with her forepaws outstretched; causing everyone to perk up in surprise. She gestured to her side, "Allow me to introduce, Melvin the" She cleared her throat and sweat dropped, "Magician Magnificent." 'Seriously wishing he'd listened to me about the name.'

Melvin pushed the curtains aside flamboyantly as he walked out to the center stage. The crowd erupted in cheer. The man couldn't help but smile brightly.

Soot shot him a glance and smiled softly, 'Alright.'

"For our first trick," Misty called out while gesturing to her side.

Brock appeared -back in human form- as he started wheeling a large box on a table to the center of the stage. He was dressed like a clown from head to toe and wore a simple smiling mask.

The Rock-type user sweat dropped and frowned from under the mask, 'Why'd I have to get stuck with the clown suit?'

Misty continued, "we're going to make our lovely mightyena vanish into the shadows." She smiled and raised a finger, "Figuratively, of course. Afterall, her kind can't learn Phantom Force."

Soot put a paw to her cheek and pouted, "So unfair. Ghost-types get all the fun tricks."

The crowd laughed a bit.

Misty smiled with a raised brow, 'What do you know? I guess Ash had a point about that kind of humor.'

Brock moved the box to the center of the stage before running back from where he came.

Misty opened up the lid on the box and Soot moved over to one end.

"Alley oop!" Soot said before lifting herself into a handstand on the rim of the opening. She fell forward and landed in the box with a thud.

"Oof!" Soot grunted before looking at the audience with a smirk, "Y'know it's stuff like this that makes me envy whimsicott."

The crowd started laughing again.

Misty smirked before closing the box and attaching a padlock. She reached forward to grab a cloth hidden behind the box, "Now we-"

"And now," Melvin called out happily in his usual tone; interrupting Misty in the process, "to spruce it up a little."

Misty and Soot looked at him in confusion and flinched slightly when he pulled out a massive blade. The girls shared a worried look.

Misty moved closer to Melvin and whispered, "Wait a second. This is supposed to be a disappearing trick."

Melvin smiled at her, "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

Soot sweat dropped, "Um … if you're sure."

Melvin placed the blade on the box with a thud. Soot perked up in surprise when she saw something fly off the box. She looked over and her eyes widened at the sight of a small splinter on the ground.

The Dark-type looked back at the box and grimaced upon seeing a small crack under the blade, 'It's real?!'

"Now behold." Melvin said as he pulled out a large mallet.

Pikachu and Electra jerked and stared at him in shock.

Misty flinched and held out a hand, "Melvin, wait!"

Melvin smiled brightly and swung the hammer down on the blade, "A La Kazam!"

"AH!" Soot cried out before going intangible and falling through the box; leaving her outfit behind.

The blade tore through the box and threw splinters everywhere. The audience went silent.

Soot sighed in relief as she laid on the stage, "Oh, thank Arceus. That was too close for comfort."

Everyone flinched when the table broke in half and the blade landed in Soot's abdomen.

Soot shot the prop a deadpanned glare, "Seriously?"

A woman in the audience screamed.

.

**Short Skip**

After a round of frightened crying, refund demands, and even a few boos from people who were at the last show, the group and Melvin moved to the back of the tent again. None of them were in a good mood.

Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra sat off to the side and glared at Melvin angrily. Two of Exeggcute were looking at his trainer worriedly. The other four were glancing at the group worriedly.

Misty glared at Melvin, "What the Yvel was that?! You nearly cut Soot in half with that stunt!"

Soot glared as well, "You were lucky I was able to turn my waist intangible when that thing fell!"

Melvin frowned, "I was trying to spruce things up a little. I thought a more impressive trick would help me get to Broadway faster."

Brock glared as well, "So why didn't you tell any of us that before we started the show?! You can't just spring this kind of stuff on people!"

Melvin waved his hands defensively, "I'm sorry. It was a mistake." He perked up and smiled, "But I'm sure I'll get it right on the next show."

Misty's eye twitched, "You-"

"Actually," Ash said sourly, "we're done here."

Melvin flinched and looked at Ash worriedly, "But, you said you'd help me with my act."

Ash glared back at him, "Yeah. And you nearly gave my daughter a new zipper around her waist. You crossed a line, Melvin. We're done." He turned away and started walking, "Find someone else to help you with your act."

"Please, wait." Melvin called out before running over, grabbing Ash's arm, and dropping to his knees, "Please help me with my act. I can't give up. Magic is my passion."

"Yeah, I'm sure it is." Ash said without looking back, "You probably saw a lot of magicians as a kid and wanted to be just like them. I'm sure you enjoy putting on your shows and want to improve. I'm not arguing any of that and I believe that you can achieve that dream."

Misty and Brock perked up and looked at Ash in surprise. Soot huffed.

Ash sighed, "Y'know, at first, I wanted to help because I felt bad for you. You seemed down on your luck and a little clumsy." He pulled his arm away, "But now I see that you're not unlucky, you're just lazy. You're trying to jump into this headfirst without any practice or preparation and expecting it to all work out. Sound about right?"

Melvin looked down shamefully, "W- well…"

Ash sighed, "I thought so." He turned away, "If you ever want your career to advance beyond this, put in the freaking work instead of trying to take whatever half-baked shortcut you have in mind. If you try and do this without any practice or try to pull another stunt like that, you're going to hurt someone." He shot him a harsh glare, "Something I'd hoped you realized by now."

Melvin just stared at Ash sadly.

Ash turned away again and started walking, "Goodbye."

Soot shot the man one more glare before following Ash. Clefairy stuck her tongue out at Melvin and Pikachu hissed at him. The pair ran after Ash as well. Misty followed soon after without giving the magician so much as a glance.

Brock shot Melvin another glare before he started walking, "Come on, Electra." He stopped when he didn't feel her jump on and looked back, "Electra?"

Electra was staring at Exeggcute with a tired expression and her ears drooping.

Brock crouched down and put a hand on her head, "Are you alright?"

Electra jerked and blinked rapidly, "_Huh?_" She looked up at Brock and blinked in surprise, "_What happened?_"

Melvin looked at her in surprise before looking at Exeggcute.

Brock smiled sadly, "Sorry, Electra. Soot isn't here right now. We'll catch up so she can translate."

Electra blinked in confusion before nodding slowly, "_Um … sure._"

She jumped on Brock's shoulder before he ran after the others.

Melvin watched as they left before looking at Exeggcute. He took on a small smile, "aha."

.

*Group

They made there way through the carnival grounds again. Ash led the way with a somber frown the entire time. Soot looked up at him sadly. Pikachu and Clefairy nudged up against him in an attempt to cheer him up.

Misty sighed, ran up front, and turned to face the others with a smile, "Hey, come on. Let's not let Melvin ruin the rest of the carnival for us." She looked at Ash, "Didn't you say something about a whack-a-mole earlier? That means that was an arcade, right?"

Brock smiled and patted Ash on the back, "Yeah. Let's have some fun."

Electra perked up in surprise, "_Arcade?_" She smiled brightly, "_I wanna go to an arcade! What's an arcade?!_"

Clefairy smiled happily and raised a paw, "_Yeah! I wanna go too!_"

Pikachu looked at the Fairy Pokémon in confusion, "_You know what they're talking about?_"

Clefairy looked at him happily, "_Not even a little!_"

Ash and Soot shared a look before smiling and shrugging.

Ash looked back at the others and smiled softly, "Sounds like fun. And thanks."

Soot grinned, "Race ya there!" She ran off in the direction of the tent from before.

Everyone smiled and ran after her.

After a while, they came up to the large tent again. They all stopped and looked towards the entrance in surprise when they heard rumbling and shouting. Annoyingly familiar, monotonous shouting.

Everyone groaned slightly when they saw Melvin holding on to an exeggutor and shouting fearfully. Exeggutor looked just as scared.

The pair stopped in front of them. Exeggutor was panting heavily.

Melvin climbed down and ran over to the group, "I need your help. Please."

Ash glared at him, "Forget it, Melvin. You're not talking me back into helping with your show."

Misty and Brock nodded, "Yeah."

Melvin shook his head, "Not that." He pointed back the way he and Exeggutor came, "That."

They all looked at him in confusion before looking back towards the entrance. The all flinched and grimaced at the sight of a massive stampede of exeggutor approaching.

Brock took a step back in shock, "What the Yvel?! Exeggutor?! What are they doing?!"

Melvin frowned, "I think they're all mad because I tried to capture all of them."

Soot looked at him in shock, "What?! Why the Yvel would you try and capture a forest's worth of exeggutor?!"

Melvin looked at them sadly, "I thought I could use them to hypnotize everyone in the carnival into coming to see my show."

Everyone jerked and stared at him in shock.

Ash deadpanned, "And you wonder why I gave up trying to help you."

Melvin slumped forward sadly.

Ash sighed before looking back at the forest, "Stay out of the way. We need to stop them from trampling the entire carnival."

Melvin smiled, "Then, I'll be able to catch-"

Ash glared at him furiously with Intimidate, "If you catch even one of them, I will crush the ball along with the hand that catches it!"

Melvin fell back and stared at Ash fearfully. The three forward faces of Melvin's exeggutor stared at Ash in shock. Two of the heads closer to the back glanced at him warily out of the corner of their eyes. The one on the back gulped.

Misty moved her hand away from her eyes and looked at Ash, "Feel better?"

Ash took a deep breath and looked back at the stampede, "I will after this is over with." He pulled out three pokéballs and tossed them immediately, "Charmander, Pidgeotto, Primeape! Enter the fray!"

The Lizard, Bird, and Pig Monkey appeared in a flash. Charmander and Pidgeotto flinched slightly at the sight of the stampede.

Primeape stared ahead with an unreadable expression, "_Ash…_" He clenched a fist and glared excitedly, "_I literally couldn't've asked for a better trainer._"

Clefairy translated for Ash. Soot did as well for the others.

Ash sweat dropped with a nervous smile, "You might wanna hold on to that for a moment." He glared ahead at the Grass/Psychic-types, "Listen. We need to stop them from getting past us or else a lot of people here could get hurt." He pointed ahead, "But keep in mind that they're still wild and acting out of anger. Don't take it too far. Our goal is to scare them back into the forest."

Primeape slumped sadly, "_Oh._" He looked back at Ash, "_Can I still Seismic Toss one of 'em._"

Pikachu and Soot translated.

Ash frowned and glanced to the side. He looked back at his Fighting-type and raised a finger, "Okay, but just one to try and scare them off. No chasing them if they run away on their own."

Primeape gave a thumbs up with a determined glare, "_Deal!_" The Fighting-type shot forward without another word and disappeared into the horde of Coconut Pokémon.

He reappeared a moment later when he shot into the air while holding on to a screaming exeggutor. A few of the stampeders stopped in their tracks and looked up in shock.

Soot sweat dropped as she watched Primeape, "Y'know, I kind of feel sorry for that one."

Ash held out a hand, "Charmander! Get in there with Flame Charge and start throwing around Flamethrowers! Pidgeotto! Back him up with Gust!"

"_Right!_" The pair called out while nodding.

Charmander erupted in flames and shot forward. Pidgeotto lifted off and sped after him.

The ensuing battle ended up being much more one sided than expected. Namely because none of the exeggutor threw an attack back. But they just kept coming.

Ash's eyes narrowed when he saw a handful slip past and charge toward the entrance, "Soot!"

"Got it!" She responded. She inhaled deeply and literally spat out a Shadow Ball with a large orange core.

The attack shot forward and collided with the ground in front of the exeggutor. The ball erupted into a massive fiery explosion. The exeggutor were thrown back and crashed against the ground. Some of the others stared at the explosion fearfully and started running back into the forest.

"WOAH!" Misty cried out in shock.

Brock perked up in realization and looked at Soot, "That was your more dangerous Will-O-Wisp, wasn't it?" He smiled brightly, "You combined Shadow Ball with Fire Fang, right?!"

Soot grinned, "Yup." She sweat dropped, "Though, I'm starting to think comparing that to Will-O-Wisp is a little misleading."

Pikachu gulped, "_Yeah. Agreed._"

Clefairy and Electra just stared at where the attack erupted in shock.

After nearly twenty minutes, the group managed to drive the last of the horde back into the forest. Charmander, Pidgeotto, and even Primeape let out a breath and slumped forward tiredly.

Ash fell to his knees and sighed in relief, "Oh, thank goodness. It's over."

Melvin threw a hand into the air triumphantly, "Alright. We did it."

Everyone shot him a harsh glare. Melvin flinched slightly.

Ash sighed and looked around at his Pokémon with a smile, "Nice job out there. I'm proud of you guys."

Pidgeotto sweat dropped with a tired smile, "_Thanks, but that really was tough. I was almost afraid it wouldn't end._"

Primeape crossed his arms with a proud expression, "_I didn't mind it._"

Charmander laughed, "_I'm just happy it turned out ok-_" He stopped and jerked slightly when he felt … something.

Ash frowned and held out a hand, "Charman-" He stopped and his eyes widened in shock.

The Fire-type's eyes shot open when he felt whatever it was pass. He looked around in confusion, "_Wha- what just-_" He flinched and put a claw to his throat, '_My voice._'

"_Hey!_" Primeape cried out; startling the Fire-type and catching his attention.

He blinked in surprise, "_P- Primeape?_" '_Why does he seem shorter?_'

The Pig Monkey gave a thumbs up with a determined glare, "_Not bad, kid! Followin' in my footsteps, I see!_"

The Fire Starter blinked in surprise, "_What are you-_"

"_Yeah._" Pidgeotto said happily, "_Talk about well deserved. Congratulations, Charmand-_" She flinched slightly and put a wing behind her head sheepishly, "_Right, sorry._" She smiled happily, "_Congratulations, Charmeleon._"

Charmeleon flinched and his eyes widened in shock, "_Wh- what?_" He held up a claw and his eyes widened in further shock when he saw long white claws and red scales.

"Charmeleon." Ash said in a kind tone.

Charmeleon turned to look at Ash; the shocked looked never leaving his face.

Ash smiled softly, "You did it. You evolved."

Charmeleon's eyes widened further, and he looked at his new claws again; still in shock, "_I-I-_" He started tearing up and trembling.

Ash flinched, kneeled down, and held out a hand worriedly, "Charmeleon, what's wro-"

Ash was cut off when the Fire-type rammed into him and pulled him into a hug. Tears streamed down his face, "_I did it. I'm really not weak._"

Pikachu smiled softly and whispered the translation to Ash.

Ash smiled softly and hugged Charmeleon back, "You never were. I always knew you could do it." He smirked, "Hey, and now it's only one more until charizard. You'll be soaring in no time."

The Flame Pokémon smiled softly, sniffled, and hugged Ash tighter, "_Yeah._"

Brock, Misty, Soot, and Electra all watched with soft smiles. Pikachu and Clefairy shared a look and nodded happily before jumping off Ash's shoulders and running over to the others. Primeape and Pidgeotto followed suit.

Melvin stared in surprise and looked at the others, "What's going on?"

Everyone except Ash and Charmeleon shushed him.

.

*The Next Day

Ash and his friends' journey brought them to the small town known as Mossgreen Village.

Misty put a hand on her head as she looked over the ridge, "So, this is Mossgreen, huh? Looks like a nice place."

Electra pouted, "_But there still aren't any skyscrapers._"

Soot snickered before translating.

Brock chuckled and reached back to pet his Electric-type, "Don't worry. We're only here to stock up on supplies."

Ash nodded with a smile, "Yeah. We can be in and out in a few hours."

Soot smiled, "Well, let's get a move on, then." She started running down the trail.

Everyone else followed.

.

*In the Village

The group approached a large tent with a sign that read 'Mossgreen Pharmacy.'

**Illavera: Oh, that's what that said.**

Ash, Pikachu, Soot, and Electra perked up in surprise when they heard rustling and looked over. Without warning, a Persian sprang out of the bush and landed in front of them.

Brock stared in confusion, "A persian? What are they doing here?"

Persian smirked and crouched down into a fighting stance.

Soot glared and crouched down as well, "Right now, it looks like he wants a battle."

"Stand down, Persian!" A green haired girl called out as she ran over and pushed the Normal-types head down. She glared at the feline, "I keep telling you not to scare away customers. Go inside, now!"

The Classy Cat Pokémon groaned and made his way into the tent.

Cassandra sighed before looking at the group, "I'm sorry about-" She stopped and perked up in surprise. She smiled brightly, "Mr. Hayate! You're back!"

Ash jerked and blinked in surprise, "Huh?"

**Omega: Oh … right.**

**Wait, when did she start calling me that?**

The girl stopped and raised a brow, "Wait, why do your clothes look so different? And where's everyone else?"

Ash waved his hands defensively, "I'm sorry miss, but I think you have me confused with someone else. My name is Ash Ketchum."

Cassandra blinked in surprise and looked closer, "But, you look so much like him." She put a hand to her chin and mumbled, "Maybe a little younger, though."

Ash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Trust me, I've had this talk way more often than you'd think possible."

Misty smirked, "We've been told he has a very common face." She perked up and gestured to herself, "I'm Misty, by the way."

The girl perked up and smiled, "My name's Cassandra."

Brock ran up to her while smiling, "My name's Brock. You wouldn't happen to be doing anything tonight, would you?"

Ash, Misty, Soot, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra sweat dropped.

Cassandra frowned, "Um, I wouldn't-"

"PARASECT!"

Brock jerked and looked over right before he got hit in the face with a swarm of yellow spores. The Rock-type user tumbled back drowsily, "Wha-"

Brock fell back and started snoring. Electra landed on his stomach and started snoring as well. An annoyed looking parasect ran over and glared at Brock. Misty flinched slightly at the sight of the Bug-type.

Cassandra sighed, "Again, I'm sorry." She reached over to pet the Mushroom Pokémon, "Parasect has been pretty clingy ever since it evolved. It's acting so differently now."

Ash smiled sadly, "I'm afraid that's natural for the paras line. They more than often get a new personality after being taken over by the mushroom."

Cassandra smiled sadly, "I suppose." She perked up and smiled happily, "Still, Parasect has been a lot of help ever since it evolved. I can't thank Satoshi and his puppets enough for helping train it."

Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy perked up in surprise, 'S_ato_shi_?_'

Ash and Soot tensed up and their eyes widened in shock, 'Puppets?!'

Ash took a step forward, "Wait. What do you mean puppets?"

Misty raised a brow, "And the uh …" She glanced at Ash, "Satoshi thing."

Cassandra looked at them with a smile, "Oh, sorry. I meant Satoshi Hayate. The man I was talking about before. He didn't have any Pokémon, so he used this really cool puppet thing to help me train Paras."

Soot grimaced, "Did it look like a jester? And if so, did this guy use silver strings to control it?"

Cassandra looked at her in surprise, "Woah." She shook it off and raised a brow, "Well, no actually. The one he used looked a lot more like a regular person and was really lifelike. He called it 3XK." She looked up thoughtfully, "I think he said he had two more named Ghost Killer and Olsen." She raised a brow, "He also said something about a Merry-Go-Round, which I thought was kind of weird."

Ash frowned, '3XK, Ghost Killer, and Olsen?'

Soot stepped forward, "But, what about the strings?"

Cassandra blinked in surprise, "Um … they were metallic green. All of Satoshi's clothes were too."

Soot looked down thoughtfully and mumbled, "Metallic green?"

Ash perked up in surprise before looking down as he thought back to their time at Pokémon Land; namely the hitmonchan, 'It couldn't be. Could it?'

Misty glanced at the pair worriedly before running over to Brock and pulling out his medicine bag. She ran over to Cassandra, "We're actually here to restock on medicine and potions. Could you help us out?"

Cassandra smiled and nodded, "Of course." She turned towards the tent and motioned for them to follow, "Right this way."

Misty smiled and waved, "We'll be in there in a moment."

After Cassandra and Parasect left, Misty frowned and looked at Ash and Soot worriedly, "You don't really think this guy has to do with those things at Maiden's Peak, do you?"

"Arlequin Yin and Arlequin Jin." Soot said with a frown, "And … maybe."

Ash frowned, "Still, even if this guy isn't the one who gave Gastly the Arlequins, it shows that there really are more of those things. And after the way Yin beat us and practically threatened us with that-" He stopped and took a deep breath, "It's just … unsettling."

Pikachu patted Ash's head, "_Which is why we're not backing out of the next one. If they come after us again, we'll fight 'em off alongside you and Soot._"

Clefairy nodded with a determined smile, "_Yeah! Those Arle-pawns and that X3K thing won't stand a chance against all of us._"

Misty smirked and clenched a fist, "If they just said something supportive, I agree completely."

Ash and Soot smiled softly, "Thanks."

Ash perked up and motioned towards the tent, "Let's hurry in before she think's something's up."

Everyone else nodded and made their way towards the pharmacy.

Brock continued snoring on the ground with Electra curled up on his chest.

.

.

**Nuevo: *glaring at Omega* I told you we should have had Seishin alter that girl's memory.**

**Omega: *sweat drops* Starting to wish I'd listened. Now we really can't show our faces around Trix. Much less my puppets.**

**Mizuro: *pouts* How come Cassandra only mentioned Ash? We helped too.**

**Illavera: *Pats Mizuro on the back sympathetically***

**…**

*******Pseudo-Comment Response*******

From Guest (Trix Chapter 49):

**(Given the length of this comment, I split it up as follows)**

**(Full response will be posted in next regular comment response)**

…

As for your reasons for Soot's origins, they are mostly logical and over all respectable. Although I do have 2 problems with them. Nothing major just something worth pointing out.

.

1\. I can understand not wanting to use I's, as you want to try your hands on new ideas to make your writing feel fresh and new. However, I's themselves aren't a bad thing, it all just depends on the execution of said I's. Like you said it yourself, there are some fan fictions that execute I's well. So why am I telling you this? Because sometimes it's good to just use a I and make it your own thing. Now I'm not saying to not come up with original ideas, because that would be absurd, but I fell like a good writer should know when to use a cliche and when to make something new (says the non-writer). Also, and this is just me, but I rather have a cliched story that was told really well, rather then a story that takes its original ideas to far, thus failing to subvert our expectations (Insert obvious Star Wars reference here).

**Ohirume: Okay, fair. Clichés aren't Inherently bad.**

**I mean, technically Faux's a cliché.**

**Faux: Wait, really?**

**Yugo: Really.**

**Ohirume: But the thing with Soot is just something I wanted to try. Like how Ash got the Omnitrix at the age of five instead of ten.**

**By now, I can't take it back without doing a rewrite.**

**…**

**Faux: My concept can't really be that common. Can it?**

**Ohirume: Well, part of it is. Namely your identity and species. I can name seven stories with that premise. Four of which are in my Favorites.**

**The only original thing about you is your Inheritance and Aura Transmutions.**

**Faux: … geez.**

.

2\. As someone familiar with Antithesis' "The Honeymoon's Over", your comparison is kind of flimsy. In that story, both Ash and Misty become human, eeveeloution hybrids,

**Yugo: Actually, that wasn't until the fourth chapter. It was full-blown Eeveelution each time before that.**

meanwhile in your story, it's indicated that Ash boinked a mon...when he was 5 (unless I'm missing something)…

**Ohirume: *ashamed groan* That is … accurate. And literally nothing I ever say will even begin to start justifying that.**

**But here we go anyway.**

**Omega: First, we will verify that Trix was in Pokémon form(s) when he kissed Yena. And yes, her name was Yena. That was revealed (sort of) back in the second chapter.**

**Yugo: Second, kissing. Omega may have just said it, but I'm clarifying anyway. Pokémon reproduce through a mouth-to-mouth kiss. As in every species.**

**Ohirume: Don't ask on the ones that don't have mouths. Because I'm still figuring that out myself.**

**Yugo: Be it intentional or accidental, it doesn't matter. Compatible lip contact equals egg. This also means that Pokémon don't view kissing in the same regard that humans do.**

**Ohirume: That concept rightfully belongs to Colb-a-nater's "Inner Strength." Difference is, I expanded it to every Pokémon species.**

**Gem: Third, there's the thing that Ash and Electra's brother talked about in the Pikachu Tribe Part 2 chapter. Pokémon mature really fast. As in, some species are usually meemas before they turn two.**

**Faux: *raised claw* Fourth, Power Integration hadn't happened yet. Trix had no idea what the Yvel kissing meant to a Pokémon.**

**Ohirume: He was a canon personality Ash Ketchum at the time. He was dumb.**

**Faux: *glares at Ohirume* That's not the point I was trying to make!**

**Ohirume: Finally, Trix mentioned back in Butterfree's goodbye chapter that Soot was an accident from training. He was serious about that and the fact that he is clueless when it comes to romance.**

**Laura: *chuckles* Yeah. He still hasn't realized Pidgeotto's crush on his braviary form.**

**Seishin: And when Brock freaked out a bit in response to Ash saying that Soot was an accident, Soot followed with *Deadpanned; Soot's voice* "Oh, please. It's not that big of a deal for Pokémon. How do you think daycares work?"**

**Illavera: *looks at Seishin in shock* Okay, that is just creepy.**

**Seishin: *Looks at Illavera; Illavera's voice* What do you mean?**

**Ohirume: *glares at Seishin* Dude, cut it out.**

***Looks back at readers* Anyway … that's it.**

**Trix and Yena accidently kissed during a training session.**

**I'll explain the details of how Soot's Inheritance came to be another time.**

.

From Just Some Guy (Trix Chapter 49):

**(Full response will be posted in next regular comment response)**

Me: *Realizes that Inheritance and Soot's powers mostly comes from the Omnitrix*

.

Also Me: *Yells every Sr. Pelo screams because he feels like an idiot*

.

Still, I can't believe I didn't put the pieces together sooner…

**Ohirume: *blinks in surprise* Um … yeah. I mean, Trix has a mightyena and banette form.**

***raised brow* Is that why you had such a problem with Soot being Ash's actual hatchling?**

**Seishin: *looks up at response to previous review* If that's the case, we might have gone a little overboard.**

**Omega: *following Seishin's gaze; sweat dropping* More than a little.**

.

From lionel (Trix chapter 3):

Type your review here. Where is the ben 10 part punk

**Omega: *sweat dropping* You actually typed in a fake default text? Dude, just … why?**

**Seishin: *angry pout* I'll have you know lionel-**

.

From Just Some Guy 777 (Trix chapter 49):

lionel treat this more as a what if scenario rather than an actual crossover. The author is still brainstorming ideas for how to actually crossover the franchises together. This is more Pokemon than Ben 10 for now.

**Seishin: *smirks with a clench fist* YEAH! You tell 'em Just Some Guy 777!**

***perks up and blinks in surprise* Wait … Just Some Guy? As in the anti-me one from the in-depth review?**

**You have an account?**

**Ohirume: *Pulls up screen and blinks in surprise* Um … yeah. Apparently, they made one on May 19th.**

**Yugo: *raised finger while looking at Just Some Guy* To clarify, everyone's profile includes the date they joined the website. You probably already knew this, but still.**

**Omega: *blinks in surprise* Huh. What do ya know? *Looks at Just Some Guy 777* Well, now that you have an account, you're free to Private Message the ideas you were talking about before.**

**This'll have the added bonus of getting a response a **** of a lot sooner than two or so weeks.**

**Seishin: Though, be warned that the Private Message text box only allows up to 8000 characters(spaces included) per message. So you'll have to split up the ideas into multiple posts. 😋**

**Ohirume: *smirks and ****rolls eyes**** while glancing at Seishin* Hardy har. Very funny, Headache.**

***perks up and looks at readers with kind smile* But we are serious about the Private Messaging thing. Feel free to send over what you have in mind.**

**All you have to do to send one is click the 'envelope' symbol with the PM next to it. It's in the upper left on my profile.**


	51. Ch 45: Jigglypuff

**If you're being harassed by these ******** google ads, turn on Reader View. Activating it and results vary by device.

I am so sorry that I cannot offer any help beyond saying that**

**Omega: *Flips page* And now … Jigglypuff?**

**Nuevo: What the **** is that? Some kind of marshmallow?**

**Seishin: HA! Snake codec reference! *raised hand to Nuevo* Nice!**

**Nuevo: *raised brow* What about a snake?**

**Seishin: 😑**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Viva Neon City**

**(Faux: Neon Town**

**Ohirume: *points thumb at screen* Does that look like a town to you?)**

.

"_Alright,_" Ash said with his forepaws crossed as he looked at the other Mouse Pokémon, "_Like before, we're going to be starting out in pikachu form._"

Misty raised a brow, "_Because we'll be doing a lot of running?_"

Soot snickered, "Yes, but that's not the main reason."

Ash pointed at Misty, "_You've had more time in this form than you've had in the vaporeon one. Your mind has grown accustomed to it. At least to the point that it's not out of the ordinary anymore._" He smiled, "_And I can tell because your tail hasn't wacked you once since the first day._"

Misty perked up in realization, '_That's right._' She glanced back at the lightning shaped appendage and started moving it curiously, '_I didn't even notice._'

"_To start,_" Ash said with a smile; catching Misty's attention again, "_we're gonna do some endurance training._" His smile saddened and his ears drooped, "_Which will involve getting hit. A lot._"

Misty tensed up slightly before taking a deep breath, "_Alright._" She looked back and forth between Ash and Soot in confusion, "_But, if that's how we're starting out, does it really matter what form I'm in?_"

Soot shrugged, "Not a lot. You'll mainly be using this form because only one type can do Super Effective damage to it." She pointed a paw at her, "The only real requirement is that you can't be in human form. Your kinds' bodies can't withstand the kind of training and stress you'll be going through. Whereas a Pokémon's body -even a hatchling's- can without a problem."

Misty looked at her in surprise, "_Wait, what?_" She put a paw to her chest, "_But- Dark City, I- I was knocked out like it was nothing._"

"_Well, think about it._" Ash said with a smirk, "_Pokémon faint when they receive too much damage in a battle. That's an instinctual trigger that's hardwired into a Pokémon's DNA. In other words, it even applies to us when we transform._" He raised a digit on his paw, "_But that damage cap increases as a Pokémon trains and battles. Why do you think that is?_"

Misty raised a brow, "_Um … because their bodies have gotten stronger?_"

Soot smiled slyly, "But then, why were you knocked out with only one, normal effective hit? Your current form's physical attributes are no different from dad's."

Misty perked up and blinked in surprise. She looked down thoughtfully and her ears drooped, "_Hmm._" After a moment, her ears shot back up as her eyes widened in realization, "_My mind!_"

Ash smirked and he put a digit to his temple, "_Yup. Our minds are still one-hundred percent human. The base mental damage cap isn't even on par with a hatchling magikarp's._"

Misty took a step forward, "_So this training won't be to build up my body or endurance! It's to get my mind used to the strain of a real battle!_"

Soot smirked, "Look who's catching on."

Ash smiled and nodded, "_This'll be the first and probably hardest hurdle. But it'll help a lot in the long run._"

Misty grinned and clenched her paws, "_Well then, let's get started right away!_"

Ash raised a paw, "_First, there's something I should warn you about._" He frowned and crossed his forepaws, "_While this training will help you power through a battle, it can dull your reaction to pain to way below the human standard._"

Misty looked at him in confusion, "_That doesn't sound bad._"

Ash sighed, "_Trust me, it is. It can get to the point that you could break your ankle and not notice until you try to walk. And you'd find out because you fell over._"

Misty flinched and her eyes widened in shock. The viridian-eyed pikachu gulped, "_N- noted._" She took a breath, "_Okay._" She flinched slightly before she looked at the pair warily; ears drooping, "_Wait. The two of you aren't training me, right?_"

Soot snickered, "Nah. We're a little out of your league."

Ash smiled, "_I had something a little more … ironic in mind._" He looked back.

Misty blinked in surprise and followed his gaze. Her eyes widened in surprise, "_Wait, you mean-_"

"Yup." Soot said happily with a nod, "We thought we'd start you off slow with some not very effective moves."

Misty glanced at Soot before looking back at her team and sweat dropping, "_Well at least I know they're not holding any grudges._"

.

*Brock, Electra, and Vulpix

The breeder, Electric-type, and Fire-type sat around the picnic table as they taste tested Brock's newest recipe. Onix, Geodude, and Zubat were sparring with Ash's team in the clearing.

Vulpix smiled happily as her tails wagged wildly. She swallowed and looked at the Mouse Pokémon with a bright smile, "_Brock, you've outdone yourself on this one. I don't think Suzie has ever made something this good._"

Brock swallowed as well, "_hmm._" He put a paw to his chin, "_Definitely an improvement._" He smirked, "_But it could still be better._"

Vulpix jerked and blinked in surprise, "_I'm sorry, what?_" She deadpanned and sweat dropped, "_You did hear what I said, right? Suzie hasn't made something as good as this. And that's coming from me._"

Brock looked down thoughtfully; paw still to his chin, "_Even so, there's room for improvement. Maybe if I-_" He started mumbling wildly about countless spices, berry mixtures, and even about changing the way he cleans the utensils.

**Mizuro: *eyes widen in realization* Oh, ****. He's gone Deku.**

Vulpix sweat dropped, '_And he's lost it._' She glanced at the other Electric-type with them, "_Electra, back me up here._"

"_uh huh._" Electra muttered as she stared off into space.

The Fox Pokémon perked up and looked at her in surprise, "_Electra?_"

Brock snapped out of it and looked at her as well. He jumped to his hind paws, moved closer, and shook her shoulder, "_Hey. Electra._"

Electra jerked slightly and blinked before looking at her trainer, "_Huh?_"

Brock frowned, "_Are you alright? You looked like you were zoning out._"

The Mouse Pokémon chuckled nervously, "_Oh, sorry._" She smiled sadly, "_Just … about that show we were in. I kind of, uh … well…_"

Vulpix frowned worriedly, "_You're not actually saying you miss that Melvin person you all told us about. Are you?_"

Electra jerked and shook her head before glaring, "_No way! That crazy guy almost hurt one of my friends!_" She looked down and put a paw on her chest, "_But, I think I miss that costume I got to wear during the show. It felt kind of nice to wear something._" She looked at Brock with her ears drooping, "_Is that weird?_"

Brock smiled softly and shook his head, "_Not at all. Some Pokémon do like to get dressed up like that. Heck, there are entire shopping districts dedicated to all kinds of Pokémon fashion._"

Vulpix smiled, "_I can vouch for that. Brock just described where I grew up._"

Electra looked at the Fox Pokémon in surprise, "_Wait, really? Does that mean you've gotten dressed up before?_"

The Fire-type sweat dropped and chuckled nervously, "_Well, uh, once. Not a fan, personally. But that's probably more the fault of the experience than anything._"

Brock looked at her in confusion, "_What happened?_"

Vulpix sighed in annoyance, "_All I'm gonna say is, Suzie's distant nieces made me play 'house'. I was the baby._"

Brock snorted as he tried to hold back a laugh. Vulpix shot him a glare immediately.

Brock chuckled nervously, "_Sorry. Just the thought of you in a-_"

The Fire-type's eyes narrowed as her muzzle started smoking, "_In a what?!_"

Brock flinched, "_N- nothing._"

Vulpix huffed before looking back at Electra with a smile, "_But, that's just me. You won't talk me into wearing any kind of clothes, but I'm sure as Yvel not gonna tell you to do the same._"

Brock smiled, "_We could probably find a store that sells costumes for Pokémon. We could even get you a few outfits._"

Electra smiled brightly. She perked up upon remembering something and looked down for a moment. The Electric-type waved her paws while smiling softly, "_Actually, it's fine. You don't have to do that._"

Vulpix blinked in surprise, "_Really?_"

Electra nodded, "_Yeah. Soot told me about that money stuff you used for those tickets and how important it can be. I think clothes will cost more than a little of it._" She looked at the umbrella handle poking out of Brock's backpack, "_Besides, I still have a lot of fabric from my old umbrella and the soldering iron. Maybe I could make something out of that._"

Brock and Vulpix frowned and their ears drooped. They shared a sad look.

Electra looked back at her bowl, grabbed a piece of food, and ate it. Her eyes lit up immediately, "CHAAA!"

.

*Soot

The Bite Pokémon sat near the pool as she supervised Misty's training. The Cerulean girl was on her second to last Lens for the day and could not wait for this to be over.

Starmie was currently helping her back up after Staryu knocked her out for the fifth time. Horsea was calling out moral support from the pool.

Goldeen swam over to a basket sitting on a tall rock next to the pool, grabbed a Sitrus berry, and flung it over to Misty, "_Heads up!_"

Misty caught the berry without looking and shot Goldeen a thumbs up before biting into the fruit. Her twelfth one since starting.

Soot smirked, "Alright. You're getting better at tanking those Water Guns. Maybe we can move on to Ice Beam."

Misty glared at the Dark-type and gave a weak hiss.

Soot snickered, "Swift it is."

Misty grumbled and went back to tearing into the berry. Starmie patted her on the back.

"_Hey, Soot!_"

Soot perked up and looked over at Squirtle, Charmeleon, and Primeape as they ran over to her. She smiled, "Hey, what's up?"

Primeape glared determinedly, "_We heard you were training a trainer._"

Squirtle smirked and glanced at Misty, "_So, we thought we'd lend a helping hand._"

Charmeleon jerked and looked at them in surprise, "_Wait, what? I thought we were coming over to spar._"

Squirtle shrugged with a grin, "_Why can't it be both?_"

Starmie and Staryu tensed up. Goldeen frowned as she and Horsea shared a worried look.

Misty swallowed and stared at the guys warily, "_Uhhh-_"

Soot chuckled nervously, "Um, maybe some other time. I think Misty's team knows her limits a little better than the rest of us." She glanced back at the Water-types.

Starmie perked up and pointed a spike at them, "_Yes! Exactly. We'll take care of it._"

Misty nodded and pointed at her Mysterious Pokémon, "_Yeah. What they said._" She scarfed down the rest of the yellow berry, ran over to Staryu, and held out her forepaws, "_Whenever you're ready._"

Staryu immediately fired a Water Gun at Misty. The female pikachu blinked in surprise when the attack stopped and looked over her soaking form curiously, "_huh._" '_It didn't feel as bad that time._'

Primeape grumbled and crossed his arms, and Squirtle deadpanned.

Soot snickered before looking at Charmeleon, "I still haven't really asked. How's the new form feel?"

Charmeleon glanced at her before staring down at one of his claws, "_Bigger._" He clenched a fist, "_Stronger, too._" He looked at Soot with a determined smile, "_I never even dreamed that I could feel this much power in me. And to think I still have another evolution to go through._"

Soot smirked and raised a brow, "Well don't let it go to your head. We can't have you going power crazy or get all full of yourself."

Charmeleon chuckled, "_Hey, don't worry. Ash would probably go dragonite and pin me to the ground until I started listening, anyway._" His smile softened, "_Besides. I doubt I could've gotten to this point without Ash's help. Not after-_" He cut himself off and shook his head, "_No._" He smiled, "_I'm grateful to Ash for everything he's done for me. That's it._"

Soot smiled softly, "Good to hear."

Squirtle smiled and patted the now larger Fire-type on the back, "_Yeah._"

Primeape raised a brow, "_Hey, speaking of Ash._" He looked at the porygon currently levitating in place with his eyes closed. His wings were pointed upward and moving around slowly. The Fighting-type spoke up again, "_The Yvel is he doing?_"

Soot looked at the Virtual Pokémon as well, "He said he was trying to find an instructional video to help with Calm Mind. Clefairy don't learn it through experience."

Misty's ear twitched and she sighed in relief, '_Oh, thank Arceus._' She glanced at the wandering psyduck and sweat dropped, '_I'm not sure how much more of this I can-_' "GAH!" She blurted out as she was pelted with Staryu's Swift and tumbled back.

Squirtle looked at Soot in surprise, "_Wait, what?_" He pointed a thumb back at Ash, "_You mean these porygon things can access the internet from out here? In the middle of nowhere?_"

Charmeleon and Primeape looked at Squirtle in confusion, "_Internet?_"

Soot looked at the pair, "Dad'll explain later." She looked back at Ash with an unsure expression, "Honestly Squirtle, I don't know."

Squirtle, Charmeleon, and Primeape looked at her in shock, "_Huh?_"

Soot looked back at them, "Well, yeah. According to Franz, the entire species is just a little over a year old. And I didn't even know they were completed until we visited him. I'm clueless for the most part."

Charmeleon blinked in surprise, "_Huh._" He scratched his head, "_I didn't really think about it like that._"

Primeape raised a brow, "_So, you and Ash aren't even sure this thing he's doing will work?_"

Soot tilted her head, "Well he's trying it, at least. Worst comes to worst, we get a laptop or Dad finds a way to add a wireless transceiver into his Pokédex."

Charmeleon raised a claw and was about to say something. He stopped and shook his head, "_Actually, I'll wait until Ash isn't busy._"

.

*Lunch

Ash, Brock, Misty, and Soot sat around the picnic table as they ate. The rest of the Pokémon sat off to the side as they tore into the new food like savages. Most of them were on their second bowls. Others were on their fourth.

Ash looked at Brock with a frown, "I hate to say it, but Electra has a point. Good costumes aren't cheap, and we don't have a lot of cash to spare."

Brock frowned and propped his head up, "Right…" He perked up and looked at Ash curiously, "But, what if we started saving up?"

Ash shook his head, "That would involve rationing food and scavenging a lot more than normal. And we can't try looking for ways to make cash or sell off some of our stuff. Someone would catch on and Electra might start feeling guilty."

Brock groaned in annoyance and mumbled, "Crag."

Misty crossed her arms and looked up thoughtfully, "And it's not like any of us can sew." She perked up and looked at Ash, "Right?"

Ash sighed, "Nope." He perked up and looked at Brock, "Wait. Can't you sew?"

Brock shook his head, "Not like that. I only know how to fix tears."

The three trainers sighed.

"Weeell," Soot said with her eyes closed; catching the others' attention, "those aren't the only ways we can make some cash."

Misty blinked in surprise, "What do you mean?"

Soot glanced around the trio with a smirk, "We're heading to Neon City next, right?"

Brock raised a brow in confusion, "Yeah?"

"Well," Soot continued; still smirking, "that place does have a pretty fast and simple way to make some cash." She glanced at Ash, "Or, more specifically, a way for dad to."

Ash perked up in realization before glaring at her, "Soot, no."

Soot looked at him and frowned, "Come on. It's for a good cause."

"It's cheating." Ash said; still glaring, "You know how I feel about that."

Soot smirked and raised a brow, "Even if it's a rigged one? You'd just be cheating another cheater. Like that guy at Maiden's Peak." She glanced over at the Mouse Pokémon, "Besides, think about how happy it'd make her."

Ash followed her gaze before groaning, "Fine." He looked back at her and pointed, "But just one and only if it's rigged."

Soot grinned, "That's all I ask."

"Hey." Misty said in an annoyed tone.

Ash and Soot looked back at the Gym Leaders.

"Remember when you promised not to keep anymore secrets?" Misty asked in annoyance.

Ash chuckled nervously, "Right, sorry." He perked up, "Soot's talking about-"

"Up up up." Soot interrupted with a smirk, "I actually wanna see their reactions to when it happens." She looked at the Gym Leaders and grinned, "I promise we'll explain afterwards."

Misty deadpanned, "That's as good as we're getting for now, isn't it?"

"Pretty much." Soot said while still grinning.

Brock sweat dropped before shaking it off and looking at Misty, "So how's the training been going?"

Misty smiled, "Pretty well." She put a hand on her shoulder, "It still hurts but," She frowned; feeling unsure, "Uh."

Ash smiled, "It feels like more of an annoyance than something to get upset over?"

Misty considered that before shrugging, "Well yeah, now that you mention it." She raised a brow while smirking, "I'm guessing that's how it felt for you."

Ash smiled sadly, "I wish. Remember that I was only five when I started training. I didn't get to that point until day three. It was … horrible."

Brock frowned, "I guess that's why you were so anxious about letting us train."

Soot smiled sadly, "Pretty much." She perked up, "Though starting this much later is probably helping." She looked at Misty, "That tied with your experience as a Gym Leader probably means you had a decent pain tolerance before starting." She shrugged with a smirk, "Y'know, for a human."

Misty sweat dropped and grumbled, "You couldn't have just left out the last part?" She perked up and blinked in surprise, "'This much later'? As in our age? That actually matters that much?"

Ash nodded, "Biologically, yeah. Just like the fatigue thing, our ages carry over when we transform. If it weren't for our minds holding us back, we'd each outclass everyone on each of our teams."

Soot smirked, "Yup. Even me. And Brock would actually be the strongest among you all."

Brock and Misty stared at the pair in surprise.

Brock perked up upon realizing something and raised a brow, "Wait, what about a guy at Maiden's Peak?"

Ash, Soot, and Misty jerked slightly and looked at him in surprise.

"Have we seriously not told you about that?" Soot asked.

.

*Later that same day

"_whooooooooooooooa._" Electra and Clefairy said as they looked around in absolute amazement.

Pikachu remain speechless as he looked around in awe.

Soot smirked, "Bright, isn't it?"

"_Yeah._" Clefairy muttered in awestruck shock, "_Really bright._"

The groups journey brought them to the bright and shining Neon City. A dazzling city with bright lights shining no matter where you looked.

Misty chuckled, "No kidding."

Brock smiled, "That's Neon City for ya. The whole place is open twenty-four seven."

Electra started hopping excitedly, "_So insane._" She looked at a building and her smile brightened even more, "_A skyscraper! It's even bigger than I imagined._"

Ash followed her gaze and smiled, "Yup. We told you you'd see one evetu-" He was cut off when a guy in leather … everything bumped into him and both stumbled.

The guy recovered, put a hand to his hip, and glared at Ash, "Hey! Watch where you're going, you jerk!"

Pikachu glared back, "_You watch it! You bumped into us!_"

Clefairy nodded while glaring as well, "_Yeah! Ash didn't do anything wrong!_"

"Sorry, sir." Ash said while holding up his hands defensively and smiling nervously; making his shoulder riders look at him in surprise, "You're right. I should've paid more attention. I'll be more careful from now on."

Misty, Brock, and Electra looked at Ash in mild surprise. Soot sighed.

The guy blinked in surprise, "I, uh … yeah. See that you do." He started walking again.

Brock watched in surprise as he left, "What was that about?"

Ash sighed, "That would be the downside to Neon City. Everything's always open and so bright that people here can barely get any sleep. A lot of them are on edge or have a short temper."

"What do you think you're doin'?!" A woman shouted; catching the group's attention

"Shut up!" A man shouted back.

Ash, Soot, Pikachu, and Electra perked up when they heard something revving and looked over as Officer Jenny rounded the corner and zipped past them.

She quickly skidded to a halt, hopped off her bike, and held out her hands to the arguing pair, "Knock it off, already!" Jenny shouted angrily, "There's no fighting here!"

Misty sweat dropped, "I guess that applies to the local Jenny, too."

Clefairy frowned, "_So, that guy was just really tired?_"

Soot frowned as well, "Pretty much."

Pikachu crossed his forepaws, "_Great. Now I feel bad for him._"

Ash smiled softly and reached up to pet the Electric-type, "I'm sure he'll be fine, buddy."

"By the way," Soot said while looking around at Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra, "The four of us talked during lunch earlier and decided on something pretty cool we wanted to show you all."

Pikachu perked up and looked at her in surprise, "_Wait, really?_"

Clefairy smiled brightly, "_Is it pretty?_"

Electra mimicked Clefairy, "_Is it human made?_"

Soot smirked, "That and then some."

Pikachu smiled, "_Well, now I'm kind of excited._"

Ash sighed and mumbled, "Glad you are."

Pikachu and Clefairy looked at him in surprise, "_Huh?_"

Ash tensed up and forced a smile, "It's nothing."

Brock and Misty sweat dropped; having only understood two people in the conversation.

.

**Short Skip**

Misty sweat dropped while looking up at a sign with a green '7', red diamond, and black box with the word 'BAR' in it, "A slot machine? This is seriously what you had in mind?"

Soot smirked, "Yup."

Brock sweat dropped as well, "You do realize what the odds of actually winning one are, right?"

Soot snickered, "Oh yeah. Especially if the machine is designed to never pay out."

Clefairy tilted in confusion, "_I don't get it._"

Ash sighed and reached back into his bag, "Let's just get this over with."

Everyone looked over as he removed his green gloves and slipped on a pair of yellow ones.

Misty blinked in surprise, "I thought you didn't need special gloves for your electricity thing."

Ash looked back at her, "Right." He held up a hand, "But these are designed to store the electricity I take in and then shock me whenever I want. In other words, they make it so that my conductivity works the way it did in Gringey City."

Misty nodded, "Oh." She raised a brow, "But, why are you using them now?"

Soot smirked, "You'll see."

"First, I'll need a quick charge." Ash said before he took a step towards Brock. "Wah!" He cried out as he stumbled and fell forward.

Pikachu and Clefairy jerked and jumped down from Ash's shoulders as he reached out frantically and grabbed Electra by the tail. The Electric-type squeaked and let out a Thunder Shock. Ash cried out in pain before letting go and flopping onto the ground.

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy stared in shock and confusion at what just happened. Electra held her tail defensively. Soot snickered.

A few of the surrounding civilians looked at the downed trainer in either confusion or shock.

Ash rolled over, groaned, and sat up while holding his head. "Geez." He said loud enough for the surrounding people to hear, "I need to be more careful."

A few of the people laughed mockingly before they started walking again. Others stared at Ash warily before walking away as well. Though, the latter shot him a concerned glance.

Misty continued staring in shock, "I- I'm sorry … what the Yvel?"

Ash looked at her with a smile, "Like I said, I needed a charge."

Electra frowned while still holding her tail, "_Well, you could've warned me, first._"

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_Or just asked me to do it._"

Ash chuckled nervously and stood back up, "Sorry. But I had to make it look like an accident. It's not exactly normal for a human to ask a Pokémon to attack them."

Electra pouted, "_You still could've warned me._"

Ash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Sorry." He reached into a pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses, "Alright." He slipped on the shades and smirked, "Let's go."

Everyone except Soot stared at him in confusion.

"Why did you put on sunglasses?" Brock asked.

Ash looked at him and pointed at the shades, "They weaken my Technopathic Clairvoyance. We found that out during the all-nighter at Kogami Laboratories."

Soot looked at the building, "And in a place like this, it'll make it so he can only see through a few things at a time."

Ash sweat dropped, "Without these or any time to get used to all the tech, I'd probably suffer a mental overload." 'And get the personal information of everyone whose used an ATM in there.'

"O_h_." Everyone said while nodding.

'_Laboratories?_' Electra thought curiously.

With that, the group made their way through the front entrance.

Electra perked up and stared in shock when the doors slid open of their own, "_The glass moved!_"

Pikachu snickered, "_Yeah. They're called automatic doors. A lot of other places have them too._"

Electra's tail started wagging as she smiled brightly, "_Cooool._"

Soot and the humans glanced at her with a soft smile before looking back ahead. They all perked up in surprise. Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra noticed, looked ahead as well, and their eyes widened in awe.

Slot machines could be seen lining every wall in the space and even more formed aisles all around. Most were a red, standard three space and had a sign above with a yellow '7', an upside down pokéball, a discolored psyduck face for some reason, and a green background. Some larger, more complex machines could be seen poking out of the corners of the room.

"Okay, wow." Misty said in surprise.

Brock followed suit, "I never thought I'd see so many in one place."

Electra started trembling excitedly, "_So insane!_"

Everyone approached the front counter when-

"Hold it, kids." The man behind the counter said with a raised hand, "I can't let you in."

Misty frowned, "Oh, sorry. Does this place have an age limit like a casino?"

The man shook his head, "Nah. It's not that. So long as you have a trainer license, age doesn't matter here." He pointed out the door, "Also, the nearest casino is about three blocks away." He pointed at Pikachu, "That is the problem."

Pikachu glared at him, "_What?!_"

Ash put a hand on the Mouse Pokémon's head, "Calm down, Pikachu." He looked at the guy, "Sorry. But I'm not sure I understand."

The man behind the counter groaned, "Do I really have to spell it out for you? No Electric-types allowed. They could short circuit one of the machines. Either return them to their pokéballs or have them wait outside."

Pikachu continued glaring, "_I wouldn't-_" He stopped and perked up when he felt his cheeks spark out of anger. He sweat dropped, "_Oh._"

Electra frowned as her ears drooped and whined, "_And I was so excited._"

Brock looked at his Electric-type sadly before looking back at the man, "Is there another way, by chance? Our pikachus don't like going into pokéballs and they were really excited to see this place."

The man frowned and glanced back and forth between the Mouse Pokémon. He groaned and ducked under the counter, "You're lucky those are rodent Pokémon." He reappeared and place two pairs of stickers on the counter, "If they want in, you need to cover their electric sacks with these rubber seals."

The group looked over the seals curiously. They were all a light shade of red with one in each set having a green 7 with the other having 'BAR' on it. Much like the sign out front.

Pikachu glared at the seals, "_Are you kidding me?_"

Soot snickered, "Seriously glad I'm not an Electric-type."

The man behind the counter looked at Soot in surprise, "Woah." He looked around the trainers, "Where the Yvel did you get a-" He was cut off by a phone ringing and answered it immediately, "What is it?" He perked up and glanced at Soot in confusion, "A Phantom what?"

The group's eyes widened in surprise.

"Seriously?" The man asked in surprise, "Huh. Alright, I'll take care of it." He glared at the phone, "No, I am not asking for an autograph." He hung up before looking at Ash, "Just got a call from someone in security who recognized your mighty-ette or baney-yena or whatever you call it."

Ash's eyes narrowed, "Her name is Soot. She's a banette inherent mightyena."

"Yeah. I don't care." The man said monotonously before he reached under the counter again, pulled out a large, thin sheet of paper with red symbols stretching across, and placed it in front of them, "Whatever it is, it's gotta wear this."

Soot stared at the sticker in shock, "Why do you have specter seals?"

"It's a lot easier to cheat with a Ghost-type than an Electric-type." The man stated, "We learned that the hard way when some guy brought in a duskull. Jenny got him out of here real fast."

Clefairy looked at Ash worriedly, "_I don't have to wear anything, right?_"

.

*Seven minutes later

After everything was sorted out, the group made their way through the 'Slot Machine Center.' Though, three of them could not have been more upset about it.

Pikachu grumbled and his eye twitched, "_This is SO embarrassing._"

Electra frowned uncomfortably as she scratched at one of the seals on her cheeks, "_And these are really uncomfortable._"

"Well, how do you think I feel?" Soot said sourly as the seal stuck to her forehead. She grumbled, "I forgot how much I hated these things."

Misty looked at Soot in surprise, "You've had one on before?"

Ash glanced back at the Water trainer, "When Soot was still a poochyena, mom bought a whole box to make timeouts … possible. Soot phased her way out of everything she tried before that." He smirked slyly, "They also kept her from getting out of being cuddled in public."

Soot grumbled angrily. Brock, Misty, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra chuckled.

"DOH!" Someone cried out.

The group looked over. A brown-haired man held his head while angrily staring at a slot machine with two vulpix faces and a psyduck face on the panel, "What rotten luck!"

Misty glanced at Ash, "Is that one rigged?"

Ash stared at the machine for a moment before shaking his head, "Nope. It's fair game." He frowned sympathetically, "And I hate to say it, but his luck really is rotten. The random number generator's only been off by one on his last thirteen attempts."

"Wow." Misty, Brock, and Soot said in surprise. Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra shared a confused look and shrugged.

Brock looked at Ash, "So, which one of them actually is rigged?"

Ash looked around the room, "Hm." After a moment, he perked up and pointed ahead with a frown, "That one."

Everyone else looked where he pointed and flinched.

The target machine was a massive, five slot, blue and red machine with a sign that read 'The Druddigon.' The letters were even painted to look like they were scratched in. The machine had a large model of a druddigon head attached above the slot panel, a pair of matching arms, and the Cave Pokémon's jagged wing patterns painted down the side. One of the arms also seemed to be the lever. The eyes and claws were all aiming at whoever would be standing in front of the machine to play it.

Misty gulped, "Are- are you sure about that one?"

"Yeah." Ash stated before he started walking over to the game.

As they approached it, they overheard a few not-so-subtle whispers.

"Wait. Is that kid actually heading for The Druddigon?"

Someone snickered, "Must be new around here. Everyone knows that one's impossible."

"Dear Arc, that's rich."

"I kinda feel bad for him."

"What a novice."

Pikachu frowned, "_It sounds like this thing has a really bad reputation._" He looked at Ash worriedly, "_These slot things aren't dangerous, are they?_"

Soot shook her head, "Not at all. They're a kind of 'try your luck' game. After inserting some money and pulling the lever, the panels spin and stop one-by-one. If all of them hit the same thing, you win a lot more money than what you put in."

Electra looked at the surrounding machines and smiled brightly, "_Insane._"

Clefairy frowned, "_But, why does everyone seem to not like it so much?_"

Ash's eyes narrowed, "Because nobody's ever won on it."

The group made their way up to the machine and looked at it warily.

Misty frowned and sweat dropped, "Yup. It's even more intimidating up close."

Soot shrugged, "Eh. Seen scarier."

Brock looked at the sign next to the game and read aloud, "Defeat The Druddigon. Hit five Fairy-types for the jackpot." He looked at the machine and raised a brow, "It sounds simple enough."

Ash frowned and whispered, "Yeah. But the programming is about as rigged as it can get. The chance of hitting a jackpot is literally zero."

Misty looked at the large machine worriedly, "If it's really that bad, why did we come over to it?"

Soot smirked, "Well, dad may have misspoken. The odds are zero when you play fairly." She glanced at Ash slyly, "Am I right?"

Ash groaned in annoyance, "Yeah." He pulled out and inserted a bill into the machine.

The Druddigon's eye lit up, Druuuuuuuuuud! The machine roared.

Brock, Misty, and the shoulder riders flinched.

Soot pouted sourly, "Show off."

Ash looked up at the druddigon face, gulped, and clenched a fist. He took a deep breath, reached out to grab the lever/arm, and pulled. Most of the surrounding players smirked slyly as the panels started spinning wildly. Everyone in the group -except Soot and Ash- and some of the other onlookers watched the machine warily.

After a few seconds, the first panel jerked to a stop and revealed in wigglytuff's face.

Wigglytuff! An electronic voice rang out.

Clefairy smiled brightly, "_A Fairy-type!_" She looked around excitedly, "_That means we're close, right?!_"

Pikachu frowned, "_I'm not so sure._" He looked back into the crowd, "_Ash did say that one guy was only one off a bunch of times._" The Electric-type looked at her worriedly, "_Getting just one might not be that special._"

Clefairy frowned, "_Oh._"

Clefable!

The pair looked back at the machine as it revealed the fully evolved Fairy Pokémon.

Soot smirked, "Pikachu, under normal circumstances, you'd be completely right."

Mawile! The game announced again.

Some of the viewers perked up and stared in surprise.

Gardevoir!

A handful of people stood up from their seats immediately; knocking them over in the process. Brock and Misty perked up in surprise and looked at Ash. Ash sighed.

"You're joking." Someone muttered.

"Is he actually about to beat it?"

"N- no way." Someone else stuttered, "It's just a fluke that he's made it this far. There's no way he'll hit the last one."

Soot smirked slyly, 'This'll be good.'

Everyone -again, except Ash and Soot- stared in stunned anticipation as the final panel continued spinning. It stopped a moment later to reveal-

Xerneas! The machine called out loudly.

Everyone in the building stared in total shock as the druddigon head shot up and roared in defeat. The head drooped as the eyes went blank.

Congratulations. An electronic voice said before a small piece of paper slid out of the dragon's mouth, Please present this receipt to the award desk to collect your winnings.

Soot sweat dropped as her eye twitched, "It doesn't even pay out on its own. Of course."

Ash sighed before snatching the receipt and walking towards the counter. Soot followed. Brock and Misty jerked and ran after him. Everyone else in the room just stared at Ash in pure shock as he left.

"Did-" Someone stuttered, "Did that actually just happen?"

.

**Time Skip**

After collecting their winnings, the group moved over to the local Pokémon Center, got everyone checked up, rented a few rooms for the night, and gathered up in one of them for a much-needed explanation.

Brock and Misty sat on one bed as Ash and Soot sat across from them on another one. Pikachu and Clefairy sat on a nearby desk as they listened in. Electra sat with the pair but was looking around the room in awe as she held Ash's shades to her face.

"Okay! Talk Ketchums!" Misty demanded while looking at the pair, "How the Yvel did you do that?!"

Soot smirked, "Put simply, a controlled shock. Likely another reason Electric-types weren't allowed in that place."

Ash put a finger to his temple, "I was able to figure out the exact charges required to rig a jackpot and where to send each of them through." He brought up his other hand and clenched a fist. His hands started sparking, "This was the trigger I set for the gloves." He put his hands together and the sparks ceased.

Pikachu and Clefairy stared at the pair in awe, "_Wow._"

Electra snapped out of it and looked around in confusion, "_Huh?_"

Misty blinked in surprise, "Huh."

Brock frowned and gave Ash a wary look, "So, have you done that before? To cheat at other machines?"

Ash shook his head, "Actually, no. I didn't have my electric conductivity until the day I left home and you both know how long I've had Technopathic Clairvoyance." He smiled, "Besides, you know I don't like senseless cheating."

The Gym Leaders jerked and stared at the pair in shock.

"Wait …" Brock said in shock before pointing, "So you and Soot came up with something you've never done before involving abilities you've only had for a few months. And you pulled that off with absolutely no past experience."

Soot grinned, "Yup."

"You scare us sometimes," Misty stated; still shocked, "y'know that?"

Soot shifted her eyes to their inherent state, blinked in surprise, and tilted her head in confusion, "Did we not already?"

Misty deadpanned.

Brock frowned, "Something's still bugging me. Even if that game was rigged, it still feels like we scammed a lot of money out of that place. That's just … low."

Ash rested his head against his fist, "Well maybe this'll ease your conscience. They ripped us off on the jackpot."

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, Clefairy, Electra, and even Soot perked up and looked at him in wide eyed shock, "wh_at_?"

"Yup." Ash said, "I saw it in the system's computer. That guy knowingly and shamelessly ripped us off."

Misty blinked as she continued staring in shock, "Ash, y- you're kidding, right? We just won fifty million Poké."

**Mizuro: SAY WHAT NOW?!**

**Ohirume: *deadpanned* Do you not remember the currency change? 100 Poké is worth a dollar.**

**Mizuro: *perks up and looks at Ohirume* Really? So, it's similar to Yen?**

**Ohirume: In this story, yes.**

**Nuevo: *sweat drops* If that's the case, they won the equivalent of $500,000.**

Ash sat up straight and nodded, "Yeah. And the prize was supposed to be three hundred million."

**Nuevo: *dumbfound stare***

The human talkers' jaws all dropped.

Electra frowned, "_That sounds like a lot._"

Ash looked at her, "Trust me, it is."

"Wait, what?!" Misty blurted out, "It was supposed to be that much?!"

Brock leaned forwards, "Why didn't you say anything before?!"

Ash shrugged, "Because I had no proof that I could use to accuse them. The information was on their secure network and there's no way I should've been able to know about it. They could've accused me of hacking if I argued."

Soot glared at Ash, "Okay! But, seriously dad?! How are you this okay with getting scammed?!"

Ash looked at her, "Well, I scammed them first. They were just sore losers who scammed us back. Besides," He reached into his bag and pulled out a metal box with a keyhole, "they paid us in cash. I would've gotten a printed check if they played fair. Overall, this was more convenient."

Soot huffed, "Fine. But I'm sneaking back in later tonight."

Ash glared at the Bite Pokémon, "You are not robbing that place, young lady!"

Soot snickered and raised a brow, "Young lady? You're starting to sound like grandma." She smirked, "And I wasn't gonna rob them. I was gonna clog all of their toilets with their specter seals."

Pikachu raised a paw while glaring in annoyance, "_Do me a favor and do the same with those rubber seals._"

Electra pulled down the sunglasses and raised a paw with a curious expression, "_What's a toilet?_"

Ash pointed back towards the restroom, "There's one in there."

Electra perked up in surprise and looked at the closed door curiously. The Gym Leaders looked at Ash in confusion.

Ash looked back at them, "She asked what a toilet was."

"Ah." The pair nodded.

Brock smiled softly, "Well, I guess that does ease some guilt." He raised a brow, "Although, what are we gonna do with all of that money?"

Ash smiled, "I've already got a few things in mind." He raised a finger, "First, Misty gets a hundred and fifty thousand so I'm off the hook for her bike."

Misty eyes widened slightly, "What?"

Brock, Pikachu, and Clefairy looked at Ash worriedly. Soot shot Ash a wary glance. Electra was still looking at the door curiously and started imagining what might be on the other side. She wasn't even close.

Ash smirked and raised a brow, "Well, yeah. If we're gonna be traveling together, I can't have you hold that over my head whenever you feel like."

Misty perked up before chuckling and raising a brow, "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Ash shrugged; still smiling, "Kind of. Though, this mainly means that you won't be able to force me into ponyta rides anymore."

Misty pouted and crossed her arms, "Aw man."

Brock smiled softly at Misty before looking at Ash, "What else?"

Soot smirked, "Pretty sure you already know part two." She shot a quick glance at Electra.

Brock and Misty followed her gaze, smiled, and nodded, "Right."

Pikachu and Clefairy blinked in confusion and looked at Electra. The female Electric-type still wasn't paying attention to the conversation.

Ash chuckled, "Then, I figure we stock up a little more than we usually do, upgrade some of our supplies, and split the rest four ways. After everything, I can guess that we'd each have eleven, if not twelve, million."

Misty smiled, "Nice." She perked up and raised a brow, "Although, not to sound greedy, but" She looked at Ash, "doesn't Soot getting a cut actually mean you get two?"

Soot pouted sourly, "Of course not. I can have my own cash. I used to babysit, remember?"

Misty looked at Soot, "Okay, sure. But, wouldn't Ash be able to get it back since he's your trainer?"

The Dark-type smirked slyly, "I'd like to see him try." She smiled normally, "Besides, I know how to manage my money."

Ash sweat dropped, "So blowing every last Poké on treats is now a form of managing?"

Soot smirked smugly, "Well I'm a trainer's Pokémon. I'll never have to worry about living on my own. Ergo, I never have to worry about learning how to take care of myself. Money or food-wise."

Ash smirked slyly, "Well then, maybe your share should actually be split up between everyone on my team."

Soot jerked and looked at Ash in shock, "What?! That's not fair!"

Ash rested his head against his fist, "Fine. But you'll have to share whatever treats you get with everyone. Brock and Misty's teams included." He smirked again, "So, make sure to buy in bulk."

Pikachu and Clefairy perked up in surprise.

Electra's ears shot up and she looked at Ash, "_What about treats?_"

"Aw come on!" Soot whined.

Everyone else started laughing.

"SHUT UP!" A guy in the room next door shouted; startling the group.

Misty sweat dropped and mumbled, "Cannot wait to get out of this City tomorrow."

Everyone else nodded in agreement.

.

*The following morning

Everyone stared blankly at the people arguing in the street. More could faintly be heard around the block. Officer Jenny appeared almost immediately and loudly broke up the fights. Electra and Pikachu grumbled and pulled down their ears as they stood on their trainers' backpacks. Clefairy was in Misty's arms and somehow managed to sleep through it all.

Misty sweat dropped, "They seriously don't sleep, do they?"

Pikachu sweat dropped as well, "_Doesn't seem like it._"

Ash sighed, "Let's just keep moving."

Everyone else nodded before making their way out of the noisy city. Though not without walking by the Slot Machine Center to see the damage Soot dealt. They had to call in a plumber. That got a good laugh out of the group.

After about an hour, they finally made it back to the forest.

Misty smiled happily, "Now this is more like it. Nice and calm."

Brock smiled sadly, "Yeah. I barely got any sleep from all that noise."

Pikachu grumbled, "_Yeah. It was way too loud._"

Ash sighed, "Tell me about it."

Electra yawned as she laid on Brock's backpack. Clefairy continued sleeping in Misty's arms.

Soot smiled, "I slept fine. My eardrums were intangible all last night."

Misty shot Soot a sour glance, "Good for you." She looked ahead and perked up in surprise, "Wait, is that what I think it is?"

Everyone else followed her gaze.

Soot raised a brow, "If you think it's a jigglypuff standing on a tree stump, then yes."

The Balloon Pokémon perked up and looked over at the group curiously.

Misty smiled brightly, "Alright! I've always wanted one!"

Clefairy woke up with a start, "_Wah?_"

Misty looked down at the Fairy Pokémon with a nervous smile, "Sorry Clefairy. I just got excited."

Ash held out a hand, "I'll take her back."

Misty nodded and passed the Fairy-type back to him. Ash moved her back to his shoulder.

Brock perked up and looked at Misty in surprise, "Wait a second. I thought you only trained Water-types."

Misty glanced at Brock with a sly smirk, "Says the Rock-type trainer with a Fire, Flying, and Electric-type."

Brock rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Okay, fair enough." He smiled, "So, who are you gonna use to battle …"

"Her." Ash jumped in.

Brock nodded, "Thanks. Who are you gonna use to battle her?"

Misty looked back with a grin, "Actually, I wanted to take a page out of Ash's book." She started walking over to the Normal/Fairy-type.

Ash smiled softly. Jigglypuff stared in confusion as Misty crouched down in front of her.

Misty smiled kindly, "Hi there, Jigglypuff. My name's Misty."

Jigglypuff blinked in confusion, "_Hi?_"

"She said 'hi' back." Soot called out.

Misty waved back without looking, "Thanks."

The Balloon Pokémon jerked and looked at Soot in shock.

Misty noticed and smiled, "Yeah, that's Soot. She can speak human."

Jigglypuff looked at Misty in surprise before looking back at Soot, "_Woah._"

"Anyway," Misty said; catching Jigglypuff's attention again, "I wanted to ask if you'd join my team. I've heard your kind have really nice singing voices."

Jigglypuff tensed up before looking to the side sadly, "_Uh…_"

Ash and Soot perked up in surprise.

Misty frowned, "Hey, it's okay if you don't want to. I'm just offering."

Jigglypuff looked back at her with a frown, "_No, I-_" She grimaced and started coughing.

Misty flinched and held out a hand, "What's wrong?!"

Everyone else flinched and ran over.

Brock kneeled down and looked at Jigglypuff worriedly, "Are you okay?"

Jigglypuff started tearing up and put a paw below her mouth.

Ash perked up in realization, "Does your throat hurt?"

Jigglypuff looked at him with tears in her eyes and nodded.

Soot smiled sadly, "Hey, don't worry about it. We'll help you get better."

Jigglypuff perked up in surprise, "_R- really?_"

Misty nodded happily, "We promise. You'll be better in no time."

Clefairy and Pikachu nodded happily, "_Yeah._"

Jigglypuff smiled brightly, "_Thank-_" She flinched and stared coughing again.

Misty smiled softly and pet her, "Take it easy. We don't want your throat getting any worse."

Jigglypuff looked up at the Cerulean Gym Leader with a smile and nodded.

Ash frowned, "Still, I'm not sure we have any medicine for-"

"Greetings, you Pokémon pipsqueaks!"

Ash, Brock, Misty, Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy perked up and groaned upon recognizing the voice. Electra tensed up fearfully. Jigglypuff jumped and blinked in surprise.

They all looked back and blinked in surprise when the found Jessie, James, and Meowth wearing white navy uniforms with red capes and holding microphones. A simple karaoke machine was set up next to James with extra speakers propped up behind Meowth.

"_Why are they dressed like that?_" Pikachu asked in shock.

Ash glanced at him, "It's a gimmick at some karaoke places."

Jigglypuff jerked and looked at Ash in surprise.

Soot noticed and glanced at her, "Dad can understand a few species of Pokémon. Like the pichu and cleffa evolutionary lines." She glared at the tRio, "What are you three doing here?"

James quickly moved over to the karaoke machine and spun the dial, "Pump it up to the max."

Rock music started playing on the detached speakers. Jessie and James moved closer and stood back to back.

The pair held up their microphones and sang in unison, "You know us as Team Rocket, and we fight for what is wrong.

We're tired of our motto, so we thought we'd try a song."

"Jessie!" "James!" The pair said individually.

"The speed of light." They sang in unison again, "Prepare to fight."

"Meowth, that's ri-ight."

Electra and Pikachu grimaced and pulled down their ears in response to Meowth's botched high note. Clefairy frowned uncomfortably and Jigglypuff pouted angrily.

Ash, Brock, Misty, and Soot deadpanned as Arbok and Weezing jumped out of a bush and started posing with their trainers. They all shared a glance and nodded before Misty reached down to pick up Jigglypuff.

"I am the handsome one." James continued.

"I'm the gorgeous one." Jessie followed.

"Looking good is lots of fun.

We get some things wrong,

But we keep rolling along."

The quintet started posing again; oblivious to their surroundings.

"We're here to get you, Phantom-mon. We hope to make it quick.

And when we do, we'll be the new stars of this...

Fanfiiiiiiiic!"

When the music stopped, the tRio sprang over to the machine and crowded around it. The numbers on the screen flashed wildly before abruptly stopping on a score of 54. Which, according to my research, is terrible.

**Illavera: *raised brow* Meowth's part aside, that didn't seem too bad.**

**Seishin: *shrugs* Eh. Just another mess up on the English Dub's behalf. In Japanese, the voice actors intentionally sang poorly.**

**Faux: *raised brow* Voice actors?**

**…**

**Omega: *flips page before eyes widen in shock* That fourth wall break at the end was canon?**

Meowth frowned, "Aw man."

Jessie stood up and put her hands on her hips, "Well, it's obviously not my fault. You two were late on the last verse."

James looked at her sadly, "Hey…"

Meowth smiled proudly, "But my pitch was poifect."

Arbok and Weezing sweat dropped and shared a glance.

Jessie turned back around with a smirk, "Now, then-" She flinched and grimaced, "WHAT THE YVEL?!"

James, Meowth, Arbok, and Weezing flinched and turned around as well. Their eyes widened in shock when the twerps were nowhere to be seen.

"What da-" Meowth blurted out, "When did dey run off?!"

James quickly pulled out his book, flipped a few pages, and frowned, "Right before the handsome and gorgeous part, apparently."

Jessie clenched her teeth and threw her hat to the ground, "Those brats!" She glared at the empty space furiously, "Do they have any idea how hard it is to improvise a song like that?!"

James crouched down into a fetal position, "They could have at least stayed until the end."

Arbok and Weezing drooped sadly.

.

*Group

Clefairy raised a brow in confusion, "_What are we looking for again?_"

Ash translated.

Brock continued looking around, "I've heard about a special kind of fruit that grows around here. The juice has special properties that can instantly heal a sore or tired throat."

Soot blinked in surprise, "Impressive."

"No kidding." Ash followed.

Misty sweat dropped, "And incredibly convenient, once again." She perked up and looked at Ash in surprise, "Wait. You didn't already know about it?"

Ash looked up thoughtfully, "Well I've heard about something that helps a Pokémon that's been hit with Throat Chop, but that's it. I never looked into a name or place."

Soot shrugged, "It seemed a little too close minded."

Brock smirked and put a hand to his chin, "I guess that makes me our expert, this time."

Ash looked at the Pewter Gym Leader curiously, "So you know what they're called?"

Brock tensed up slightly and sweat dropped, "W- well…"

Soot snickered, "Ah, whatever. So long as you can find them." She raised a brow, "What do they look like by the way?"

Brock perked up, smiled, and pointed ahead, "That."

The breeder ran ahead towards a tree. Everyone else followed close behind.

Brock plucked one of the light green fruits and held it out, "Here we are."

Ash blinked in surprise, "Huh." He raised a brow, "It kind of looks like a plump Lum berry."

Soot smirked, "I guess we could just call it a Plum berry, then." She sweat dropped, "On second thought, please forget I ever said that."

Brock held the fruit out to Jigglypuff, "Regardless, this should help with your throat. Wanna give it a try?"

Jigglypuff smiled and nodded happily before biting down on it.

The Normal/Fairy-type swallowed and took a deep breath before starting, "Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-ggly-y-y-puff." Jigglypuff perked up, smiled brightly, and threw her arms up happily, "_It worked!_"

Clefairy raised a paw triumphantly, "_Hooray!_"

Ash, Brock, Soot, Pikachu, and Electra smiled.

Misty pet the Balloon Pokémon, "Good to know you're feeling better." She smiled determinedly and clenched a fist, "But let's really put it to test."

.

**Short Skip**

Misty set Jigglypuff down on another tree stump they found and smiled, "There we go. Now you can sing for us."

Jigglypuff smiled and nodded, "_Alright._"

Brock smiled and put a hand to his chin, "I actually wonder what a jigglypuff song sounds like when you can understand the lyrics." He looked at Ash, "Maybe we could use the Lenses to find out."

Ash smiled sadly, "I thought the same thing once. Turns out a standard jigglypuff song doesn't have a translation. It sounds the same no matter what species you are."

Soot shrugged, "Sorry."

Misty frowned and crossed her arms, "Aw man."

Jigglypuff looked around the group in surprise, "_What are you talking about?_"

Soot looked at her, "Don't worry about it." She sat down, "You can start whenever you're ready."

Ash and Brock sat down to join Soot and Misty around the tree stump. Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra jumped down from their trainers' shoulders.

Jigglypuff looked around the group happily before taking a deep breath again. She closed her eyes as her song began,

"Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-ggly-y-y-puff.

Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-gglyyy.

Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-ggly-y-y-puff.

Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-gglyyy.

Ji-ggly-y-puff.

Ji-ggly-y-puff.

Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-gglyyy."

The pink Pokémon's song came to a stop and she looked at the group.

Ash smiled and applauded, "Very nice, Jigglypuff. Looks like that fruit really did the trick."

Jigglypuff looked around a bit and puffed up with an angry pout.

Ash blinked in surprise, "Huh? What's wro-" He perked up when he heard snoring and looked around to find everyone else asleep. Ash jumped to his feet and looked around at the others in surprise, "What the Yvel?" He heard a zipper and looked over to find Jigglypuff digging through his bag.

Jigglypuff pulled out a black marker and popped off the cap. She stopped and jerked in surprise when a green flash shone from behind her and looked back to find a male mightyena with a green circle on his chest.

Ash sweat dropped, "_Would you mind telling me what you're planning to do with that?_"

Jigglypuff dropped the marker as she stared in shock, "_Wha-_"

"_Yes,_" Ash jumped in matter-of-factly, "_I'm that human from a second ago. I can turn into Pokémon, have been able to since I was five, and can let other humans do the same._"

Jigglypuff blinked; still staring in shock, "_I'm sorry, what was that last one?_"

"_Later._" Ash said before his eyes narrowed, "_Now, why the marker?_"

Jigglypuff picked up the marker and pointed it at the sleeping group with an angry pout, "_Well, why not?! They fell asleep during my song! That's just rude!_"

Ash frowned, "_Okay, but-_" He perked up in realization before raising a brow, "_Wait, were you using Sing while you were singing?_"

Jigglypuff glared at him, "_What kind of question is that? Of course, I was! How else would a being sing?_"

The Bite Pokémon deadpanned, "_Jigglypuff, humans can't use any moves and can sing._"

The Balloon Pokémon pointed at him and was about to say something. She stopped and blinked in surprise, "_Uhh…_" She looked down thoughtfully, "_Huh._"

Ash smiled, "_See? They're not being rude. It's just the effect of your status move._"

Jigglypuff pointed at him accusingly, "_If that's true, why didn't you fall asleep?_"

The Dark-type raised a brow, "_I'm actually not sure eith-_" He perked up in surprise, looked back towards some tall grass, and ran over to it. He stuck his head through and groaned, "_Are you kidding?_"

Jigglypuff blinked in surprise before running over as well. She peeked through the grass to find the humans and meowth from earlier all asleep around a box with wheels on it. The blue haired one was holding a boom mic.

Ash's eye twitched, "_Okay, whatever you were planning to do with the marker, you can do to them._"

.

**Short Skip**

After Jigglypuff's face-doodling session and a little audio sabotage by Ash, the watch user switched himself to dragonite, switched the unconscious Gym Leaders to pikachu form -much to Jigglypuff's surprise-, gathered up everyone at once, and moved back to the tree stump they were at when they met Jigglypuff.

Ash, Brock, and Misty timed out and everyone woke up shortly after and sat around as they thought over why Ash didn't fall asleep. Jigglypuff sat on the ground and looked down thoughtfully as she thought about what Ash said about singing and using Sing. She was still struggling to understand the difference.

Brock looked at Ash with a raised brow, "Could it be that you're just immune to sleeping effects? Maybe one of your forms has a hidden power that's like Insomnia or Soundproof."

Ash frowned and shook his head, "My banette form does have Insomnia, but I've been put to sleep by sleeping moves before. Remember back at Melanie's place?"

Misty sighed, "Right."

Everyone looked down thoughtfully.

After a moment, Soot perked up and looked at Ash, "But what if it's like a selective Insomnia?"

Everyone else in the group looked at her in confusion, "_W_ha_t?_" Jigglypuff looked at her curiously.

Soot looked around the group, "Think about it. The move Sing is a form of non-Psychic hypnosis and the only times dad's been put to sleep was because of substance-based moves." She looked at Ash again, "Factor in your mental barriers and it might come out as a primarily anti-suggestive Insomnia. You might even be immune to Grass Whistle and Yawn."

**Seishin: *sly smirk at readers* How many of you yawned after reading that? … Or this?**

Ash blinked in surprise before putting a hand to his chin, "It's a valid theory, at least. We can test it the next time we visit home."

Misty clapped and smiled, "Good enough! Now," She looked at Jigglypuff, "singing without using Sing." She looked at Ash and Soot, "How do we help with that?"

The father-daughter duo perked up and shared a worried look.

Misty deadpanned, "You're kidding."

Soot chuckled nervously, "Yeah, sorry. This one's pretty new to us."

Ash crossed his arms and looked up thoughtfully, "The best I can really think of is trial and error. Practice singing in front of others while changing up the process." He looked around at the others with a frown, "Which is a lot harder since Jigglypuff's Sing is audio-style. If it were a note-style, she'd be able to practice on her own."

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra all sighed.

Jigglypuff looked at Ash in surprise before looking down thoughtfully, '_Trial and error…_'

Clefairy perked up and raised a paw, "_OH! I have an idea!_"

Ash translated for Brock and Misty before looking at the Fairy-type with a raised brow, "What is it?"

Clefairy jumped to her feet and smiled excitedly, "_What if Jigglypuff sang for everyone in Neon City?!_"

Soot raised a brow, "What?" Ash translated again.

Clefairy nodded, "_Yeah! Everyone there has trouble sleeping anyway, so it'll probably be really good practice!_"

Electra smiled happily, "_Oh, yeah!_"

Jigglypuff jumped back to her feet, "_Wait, like a performance?! With a huge crowd?!_" She smiled brightly, "_Yeah! Let's do it!_"

Soot translated this time.

Misty smiled and clenched a fist, "Yeah. I bet some people might even stay awake through it."

Pikachu looked up at Misty with a smile, "_And if not, those people could probably use the shuteye anyway. It might even put them in a better mood._"

Soot sweat dropped, "I wouldn't go that far." She translated again.

Brock smiled and stood back up, "Alright. Back to Neon City, it is."

.

*Rocketrio

"AHHH!" The tRio screamed as they saw each other's faces; having finally woken up. They all started wiping away at the marker immediately.

"Who did this?!" James cried out.

"How dare they!" Jessie shouted.

After a moment, Meowth perked up, "Wait! Da recordin'! We gotta see if we got dat jigglypuff on tape!"

James looked at the recorder, "Oh, right!" He moved closer and flipped a switch.

"Gra, grae na." Said a voice from the recording, "Na grae grae gra na graena na na-"

"What the Yvel is this?" Jessie asked in confusion as the recording continued.

Meowth glared at the machine angrily, "Da twoip. He's sayin' 'Hey, you three. Not sure what you were plannin' ta do with dat recordin' of Jigglypuff usin' Sing, but it's gone now. Ta cova up de resta da audio, enjoy yourselves snorin'.'" He blinked in surprise, "Wait, what?"

True to the mightyena's words, the sound of their collective snoring started coming out of the machine. James grimaced and stopped the playback.

Jessie frowned, "Well, that was a bust."

James crossed his arms and looked down disappointedly, "What are we supposed to do now?"

Meowth stood back up with a determined glare, "Plan B!"

James leaned closer to Jessie and whispered, "We have a plan B?"

Jessie shrugged, "First I'm hearing of it."

.

*Neon City

Misty looked around curiously as she held the Balloon Pokémon, "Now, where can Jigglypuff sing so that everyone will hear her?"

Ash looked around as well, "An outdoor stage would probably be best."

Soot frowned, "Yeah. If we can find one."

"Let's try asking someone." Brock suggested.

The group made their way over to a nearby music store and went straight to someone out front who was wearing a red vest. Most likely the store's uniform.

The man looked at the group incredulously, "An outdoor stage?"

Misty nodded, "Yeah. Would you happen to know where to find one in the city?"

The guy groaned and shrugged, "Hey, there's nothing like that anywhere near here." He motioned for them to leave, "Now, go bug someone else. I'm busy." He turned away and walked inside.

Clefairy pouted angrily, "_Rude._"

Pikachu sighed, "_Just like everyone else in this city._"

Electra frowned and her ears drooped, "_First Dark City and now here._" She looked at Brock, "_Cities aren't all this bad, right?_"

Soot frowned and translated.

Brock smiled softly and pet the Mouse Pokémon, "I promise that's not the case. Every city's a little different. For better or worse. I actually grew up in Pewter City and I can tell you it's a lot nicer than it is here."

Misty smiled and nodded, "And I lived in Cerulean City. You can't even compare the two."

Electra smiled softly, "_Thanks._" She perked up and looked at Ash, "_What about you? Did you live in a city, too?_"

Ash smiled sadly, "Afraid not. Pallet Town."

Soot shrugged, "Though, we have been to some cities that were much nicer than this."

Pikachu glanced to the side and mumbled, "_Except for Gringey City._"

Electra looked at the other Electric-type in confusion, "_Gringey City?_"

Clefairy raised a finger, "_It's-_"

"It's where we met Muk." Ash jumped in with a smile as he quickly placed a hand over Clefairy's mouth; startling the Fairy-type in the process.

Soot nodded quickly, "Yeah!"

Everyone flinched when they heard tires screeching and turned around to find a blue 18-wheeler with a massive trailer attached to it. Electra's eyes lit up at the sight of it. The window rolled down to reveal the driver. She wore a red leather jacket, orange ball earrings, purple lipstick, a star sticker on her cheek, and had giant green hair.

The driver stuck her elbow out the window and looked at the group, "Hey, we heard you're the ones who are looking for an outdoor stage."

Ash blinked in surprise, "Huh." He pointed at her, "Okay, definite points for the hair and outfit. From a distance, I legitimately wouldn't have known it was you, Jessie."

Jessie flinched and looked at him fearfully. Everyone -except Soot- looked at Ash in shock before looking at the driver.

Soot looked to the end of the truck, "And I know you're over their James! I can smell you!"

James ran out from behind the truck. He wore a leather jacket and pants, star earrings, sunglasses with red rims, and a spiked purple wig.

He removed his shades and glared, "Hey! I do not smell bad!"

Soot smirked, "Never said you did." She raised a paw to her snout, "Canine, glitch!"

Misty glared at James, "What are you up to this time?!"

James sighed before pressing a button on the back of the truck, "We were offering you this."

The side of the trailer opened to reveal a giant stage loaded with speakers, lighting, and even a disco ball. Jigglypuff's eyes lit up as she smiled brightly. Electra stared up at the roof of the stage curiously.

Brock looked across the stage in shock before looking back at Jessie, "Where the Yvel did you get this?"

"It was plan B." Jessie stated as if that explained it. She pointed back, "Do you want the stage or not?"

Misty's eye twitched before she raised a finger, "Give us a second."

The group moved back a few feet.

"Anyone else think this is a trap?" Misty asked.

Soot nodded, "Oh, without a doubt. Its probably booby trapped or something."

Ash looked back at the stage, "No, it's just a normal stage. Nice speakers too."

Misty sweat dropped, "That clairvoyance really is nuts." She shook it off and raised a brow, "That still doesn't explain why they're offering to help."

Brock glared, "I bet they just wanna use Jigglypuff's Sing to put everyone to sleep."

Pikachu raised a brow, "_So, they're after the same thing as us?_"

Soot sweat dropped, "Not if they're doing it to shoplift."

Ash smiled, "If that's the case, we should be fine." He pointed a thumb to himself, "I'll still be awake, so I can send them packing once everyone's asleep."

Misty frowned, "But are you sure you can handle them on your-" She stopped and deadpanned, "Actually, never mind."

Soot snickered, "Just don't go too far if they fight back."

Ash smirked, "We'll see how it goes."

.

**Short Skip**

Brock and Misty got out their sleeping bags in preparation of what was to come. Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy were already on Ash's sleeping bag.

Ash slipped on his yellow gloves again and looked at Pikachu, "Go ahead."

Pikachu nodded before firing a quick Thunderbolt at his trainer.

After he stopped, Ash clenched his fists, lit up slightly from the electricity, and smiled, "Alright." He put his hands together and the sparks faded. He looked back at the others, "I'll go give Jigglypuff the signal. Sweet dreams."

Misty put her hands behind her head and leaned back, "Goodnight."

Brock laid back as well. Electra jumped onto his chest and curled up on top of him. Ash ran over to the control panel James pointed out, stared for a few seconds, and started messing with the controls.

The stage lights lit up to reveal Jigglypuff.

Some of the surrounding people looked over in surprise, "Huh?" "What's that?"

The Balloon Pokémon started singing almost immediately,

"Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-ggly-y-y-puff.

Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-gglyyy.

Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-ggly-y-y-puff."

A crowd slowly started forming at the stage. Some started swaying in place with their eyelids drooping. Others were already lying on the ground.

"Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-gglyyy.

Ji-ggly-y-puff.

Ji-ggly-y-puff.

Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-gglyyy.

Jigglypuff, Jigglypuff, Jigglypuff.

Jigglypuff.

Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-ggly-y-y-puff.

Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-gglyyy.

Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-ggly-y-y-puff.

Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-gglyyy."

Ash's eyes narrowed as the song ended, 'And that's my cue.'

He ran out from the stage and looked around the street with a determined glare. Everyone around was well asleep, but Team Rocket was nowhere to be seen.

Ash gritted his teeth before breaking into a sprint. He failed to notice Jigglypuff puffing up angrily.

After a solid ten minutes, Ash finally found the tRio … asleep behind a phone booth with comically oversized plugs in their ears.

Ash deadpanned, 'Oversized earplugs? Really? They actually thought that would work?' He started yawning and flinched immediately, 'What the?! I thought I was immune to-' He perked up and looked up into the night sky, "Oh, right." He looked back at the stage and perked up in surprise, "Jigglypuff?"

.

*The next day

After a good-ish night's sleep and a very unexpected apology from the guy that bumped into Ash two nights ago, the group made their way back out of the city. Thankfully, for the final time.

Ash smiled, "That actually turned out pretty well. Everyone in town seemed to be in a better mood."

Soot snickered, "Or, at the very least, better than they were before."

Brock smiled, "I guess a lot of them really just needed a good rest."

Misty put her hands behind her head while frowning, "Still, I wish I could've gotten another chance to catch Jigglypuff." She looked at Ash, "Are you sure you didn't see her?"

Ash frowned, "Sorry. I lost track of her while I was looking for Team Rocket."

Misty sighed, "Crag. I at least hope we can meet her again someday."

Soot looked back at her with a smile, "Well with our crazy luck, that might just happen."

Everyone chuckled.

Brock perked up upon remembering something and looked at Ash, "Wait a second. Shouldn't we have looked around the city for a … y'know." He nudged his head back towards Electra.

Electra looked at Brock in confusion, "_What?_"

Ash smirked, "Actually, I had somewhere else in mind." He brought up the watch, popped up the dial, and spun it to reveal the dragonite silhouette.

.

**Time Skip**

A bell rang as Brock pushed through the front entrance, "Suzie? Are you still here?"

The teal haired breeder perked up in surprise before turning around. She smiled brightly, "Everyone! It's so good to see you again! What brings you all back here?"

Misty shrugged while smiling, "An errand, really. We thought we'd stop by since we were already gonna be in the area."

Ash smiled and held up the watch, "And believe it or not, we were in Neon City just last night. I had to go dragonite to get us here this soon."

Suzie blinked in surprise, "That far? Really?"

Electra blinked in surprise, "_She knows about Ash's watch?_"

Soot chuckled nervously, "Yeah. Our secret keeping skills have hit some snags since we left home."

Suzie finally took notice of the pikachu on Brock's shoulder, smiled, and moved closer to pet her, "Aww. Who's this?"

Brock smiled and gestured to the Mouse Pokémon, "This is Electra. She joined us after we visited her tribe a while back."

Electra smiled and raised a paw, "Pika!"

Suzie smiled, "It's nice to meet you, Electra." She perked up, blinked in surprise, and looked at Brock, "Wait, you visited a pikachu tribe?"

Brock smiled and nodded, "Yeah. Up close and personal."

Misty smiled and raised a finger, "We actually spent a few days there and got to know some of them."

The woman flinched and looked at Misty in shock, "What?! How did you manage to get so close?!" She stopped and her eyes widened in shock, "Wait, 'got to know them'? How is that possible?" She looked at Ash, "You and Soot must've translated, right?"

Ash smiled, "Not exactly. I got a new form that helped me come up with something a little more advanced." He smirked, "Something I wanted to show you, in fact."

Soot grinned, "I can say with little doubt that you'll never forget it and probably never knew you wanted it."

Brock and Misty nodded while smiling, "Yeah."

Suzie blinked in surprise, "huh?"

.

.

**Mizuro: … So why was this episode banned in Turkey again?**

**Ohirume: *shrugs* Nobody knows. The only plausible theory I've heard is that the slot machine scenes are to blame.**

**Illavera: Huh. *frowns* Though, I kind of hope we see Puff again. She seemed nice … and cute.**

**Faux: *eye twitch* Oh, trust us. She'll be back**

**Pike, Gem, Gem's Pikachu, and Mewtwo: *group nodding***

**Luke and Laura: *look at others in surprise* Huh?**

**…**

**The new comment response will be posted on "Random-ish stuff on the side" on 6/24/2020 at approximately 11:00 p.m. Central Standard Time.**


	52. Ch 46: Fossils

**Intrusive Google Advertisements cutting into chapters on FanFiction: Time of death 6/25/2020, at approximately 9:00PM

Farewell eyesores. No one will ever miss you**

…

**7/7/2020 - Strike that. They're back. -Insert furious outburst-**

**Omega: *flips page* Aerodactyl, huh?**

**Faux: *smiles* Yup. It's a prehistoric Pokémon. You can find their fossils in a lot of museums.**

**Nuevo: Okay, fossilized Pokémon. Now we're moving onto something realistic.**

**Mizuro: *bright eyed* So cool! I bet they all look like dinosaurs.**

**Illavera: *looks up dreamily* I've always wondered what prehistoric animals were like back in their times. What they looked like, what they ate, how they lived. I wish there was a way to find out.**

**Gem: *smiles* Oh, that's easy. You just revive the fossil.**

**Mizuro, Illavera, and Nuevo: *flinch and stare at Gem blankly* What?**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**Prehistoric Canyon: Aerodactyl's Flight**

.

Suzie slowly and shakily moved to touch her cheek as she stared in wide-eyed, awestruck shock at the mirror standing in front of her. The brown-eyed pikachu with hair stretching past her shoulders and green Lens on her chest did the same.

She placed a paw on the electric sack and flinched in surprise when a spark of electricity painlessly coursed through her entire body. Right down to the tail. She moved the paw away and looked down at it in pure awe.

"_I-_" Suzie muttered aimlessly, " _I-_"

"_What do you think?_"

The pro breeder nearly jumped out of her fur from hearing the new voice and spun around in shock.

Vulpix smiled happily, "_Those Lenses really are something. Don't you think?_"

Suzie's eyes widened even further, "_V- Vulpix…_" She started tearing up and put her paws over her mouth.

Vulpix perked up in surprise before frowning, "_Are you alright, Suzie? I get that it can be a lot to take in, but-_"

"_Vulpix!_" Suzie blurted out excitedly before grabbing and holding Vulpix's paw, "_I want us to have a conversation! Not like before! A real one!_"

Vulpix blinked in surprise before smiling happily, "_Of course. Anything you want, Suzie._"

Suzie smiled softly, started tearing up again, and pulled her into a hug, "_Your voice is beautiful._"

Vulpix glanced at her original trainer with a soft smile and nuzzled up against her. And then the moment was interrupted by a discarded gag.

"KA!" Suzie cried out as her tail whacked her in the back of the head. She let go and put her paws behind her head.

Vulpix chuckled nervously, "_Yeah, sorry. Brock and Misty went through the same thing for a while._"

Suzie frowned and rubbed the spot where she was hit, "_I wish I knew earlier._"

The Fox Pokémon chuckled nervously again. She perked up upon remembering something, "_Oh!_" She smiled excitedly and took a step closer, "_Suzie, you're not gonna believe this! I finally cracked Flame Charge!_"

The Mouse Pokémon's eyes widened before she looked at Vulpix in shock, "_What?_"

.

*Ash, Brock, Pikachu, Clefairy; about a meter away

The group sat at the table by the window as the pair chatted on the ground. Pikachu and Clefairy were snacking on a bowl of Brock's most recent recipe update. Somehow, Brock still thought he could do better.

Brock looked at Ash with a smile, "It really was nice of you to let Suzie use the Change Lenses." He looked back at the pair, "I don't think anything could have made this day better for her."

Ash smiled softly and moved a hand over the watch, "Thanks." He frowned and looked at Brock, "And you really don't mind that she's using your share? You know you won't be able to use them for most of the day after this."

Brock smiled and waved a hand, "It's fine. Promise. I'll have plenty of opportunities another time." He raised a brow, "Though, if you don't mind me asking, how's the Lockdown Mode coming along?"

Ash smiled, "I'm getting pretty close." He pulled out the Lens case, opened it, and stared at the remaining five intently. He smirked as they started breaking apart in his line of sight, "It'll take a few more days, but no more than a week. And I already have the protocol figured out. Three to eight hours with half hour intervals and even the same synchronize system for the watch's Lockdown."

He shook it off and blinked rapidly before looking at Brock again, "And I'm actually really excited about that. I've been trying to find a way to condense my own Lockdown Mode for a long time."

Brock smiled, "Alright. Sounds like this upgrade will be a lot of help."

Ash sweat dropped, "Well, sure. But the rechar-"

"PI, KA?! / _WAIT, WHAT?!_"

The quartet flinched and looked over at the girls again and found Suzie staring at the bowl of food on the table in shock. The Mouse Pokémon glanced to the side and the Fox Pokémon nodded with a smile. She looked back at the bowl warily before running over to the table. Vulpix followed suit.

With a little help from the Fire-type, Suzie managed to climb up on to the table and stared at the food bowl curiously. Vulpix jumped up onto the table as well and took a bite out of the pile immediately. She smiled happily as her tails all wagged extatically.

Suzie looked at her curiously before focusing on the bowl again; feeling unsure.

Pikachu noticed, took two pieces of the food, and walked closer to her, "_Suzie._"

The pro breeder flinched before looking at him. She chuckled nervously as her ears drooped, "_S- sorry. I'm still getting used to … all of this._"

Pikachu chuckled, "_Don't worry about it._" He held out one of the pellets, "_Do you wanna try some? It's really good._" He grinned, "_And don't worry. It's completely safe in this form. Brock's actually been taste testing these personally._"

Suzie perked up and blinked in surprise before looking up at Brock.

Ash glanced at Pewter Gym Leader, "Your taste testing."

"Oh." Brock said with a nod. He looked back at Suzie and smiled, "Yeah. I have been for a while now." He smiled nervously and rubbed the back of his head, "But I am still working on the recipe. I know it could be better."

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_And we all think he's completely lost his mind for thinking that._" He held out a piece of food to her and bit down on the other one, "_See fo' yo'self._"

Clefairy nodded with a bright smile, "_Yeah! It's really really good!_"

Vulpix nodded happily with her mouth full.

Suzie took the piece and stared at it intently before taking a deep breath and biting into it. She squeaked and flinched as her eyes widened in shock. The breeder fell back and off the table as she slipped out of consciousness.

Brock flinched and caught her, "Woah!"

Pikachu stared in surprise, "_I guess she liked it._"

Vulpix snickered, "_She can't say I didn't warn her._"

Clefairy looked off into space curiously, '_I wonder how the others are doing._'

.

*Misty, Soot, Electra; about a block away

"_So insane!_" Electra said excitedly before she twirled and looked over herself in the mirror. She was currently dressed up in … pink. Pants, a shirt, shoes, a belt, a large sunhat that was pushing her ears down, and a giant bow clipped onto her hair. The odd thing out was the necklace. No way in Yvel was she taking that off.

The Electric-type turned and looked back at Misty and Soot excitedly, "_How do I look?!_"

The girls sweat dropped and shared a look.

"Um…" Misty muttered before looking at Electra with a nervous smile, "what's really important is whether you like it."

Soot nodded with a smile, "Yeah. Does anything about it bother you or feel awkward?" She glanced to the side and muttered, "Like the color."

Electra blinked in surprise, "_Awkward?_" She frowned and looked up, "_Well, now that you mention it,_" She removed the sunhat as her ears poked back up; only to droop a second later, "_I don't really like how this keeps my ears down. It makes it a little harder to hear._" She looked over herself and brought up a foot, "_Plus the pants and shoes feel weird._" She reached back to touch the ribbon, "_And this bow pulls my hair._" She put her paws on her chest, "_And this thing under the shirt-_"

"Okay, okay." Soot jumped in, "How about we focus on what you do like?"

Electra smiled happily, "_Well I know I like the shirt. The one Melvin let me borrow was pretty cool._" She gripped the belt, "_And I think I like this. The pants just feel weird around my legs._"

Soot smiled, "So just shirts and belts. That sound right?"

Electra looked up thoughtfully before she smiled at them and nodded.

Misty smiled and stood back up, "Alright. That, we can work with."

Electra held up her arms before Misty picked her up and the pair made their way over to the counter. Soot followed.

A girl behind the counter noticed them and smiled cheerfully, "Oh, hello again! How'd you like the outfit I picked out for your pikachu? It looks adorable, doesn't it? Maybe I could even whip up something for you and your mightyena."

Soot deadpanned, 'Not on your life, kid.'

Misty sweat dropped, "No, I'm good." She perked up, smiled sadly, and held up the Electric-type who was holding the hat, "Well, it turns out she only really likes shirts and belts. So, we're gonna have to turn down the rest."

Electra nodded with a smile.

The girl jerked in surprise, "Huh?" She shook it off and went back to her bright -yet somewhat forced- smile, "Well, even so, you must like it. Right miss? I mean, that is what matters in the end."

Soot's eye twitched. Electra frowned as her ears drooped.

Misty sweat dropped again, "Well not really. No. Electra's the one who wanted to dress up so it should be for her to decide."

The girl stared at Misty blankly, "What?" She flinched slightly when she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked at a slightly older woman with light purple hair, golden hooped earrings, and amber eyes, "Miss Rei?"

**Omega: *eyes widened* What?! What the **** is she doing in that world?!**

**Ohirume: Oh, calm down. I thought it'd be a fun Easter Egg.**

**Gem: *raised brow* But it's not Easter.**

**Ohirume: Not what I meant, Gem.**

**Omega: *groans* Fine. *eyes narrow and pulls out Scissor Blades* But if she tries anything, I'm jumping in.**

Miss Rei smiled, "How about you go take a break? I'll handle things here."

The girl nodded, "Alright." She started walking towards a door with a hand on her head.

Miss Rei looked at the girls with a smile, "I'm sorry about that. She's new here." She turned and gestured for them to follow, "And I heard what you were talking about. Allow me to help." She started walking towards another part of the store.

Soot smirked, "And I like her better already."

The trio followed her immediately. Electra looked around curiously before perking up as her eyes widened.

The Mouse Pokémon patted Misty's arm rapidly, "Pikachu-Pi!" She pointed at a wall frantically, "Pi! Pi Pi Pi Pi!"

Soot and Misty looked at her in confusion before following her line of sight. They stopped and perked up in surprise immediately. Miss Rei stopped, looked back at them, and followed their gaze as well.

Misty blinked in surprise, "You sell backpacks for Pokémon?"

Rei frowned and put a hand to her cheek, "Well the idea was for Fighting-types to help their trainers carry more stuff. But the smaller ones for Pokémon like machop haven't been selling too well."

Electra looked at the wall in bright eyed awe. The Water trainer and Dark-type noticed before sharing a look and smiling.

Misty looked at Rei, "Do you have any fit for a pikachu?"

.

**Time Skip**

After about an hours' worth of browsing and trying everything made for a pikachu, the trio finally made their way back to Suzie's salon. In the end they settled on three outfits. As much as a top and/or belt can count as an outfit.

The first was a paler version of the pink shirt that she tried on in the first place with a baby blue belt. The second was a purple and dark grey, zip-up jacket with the colors split around the hips -purple on top- and a white belt. The last was a Kantonian raichu themed t-shirt with no belt. This was suggested by Rei to go along with her necklace. Electra fell in love with it instantly and is was the outfit she was currently wearing.

**Ohirume: Yes. That raichu tee.**

**Faux and Gem: What?**

**Yugo: Don't worry about it.**

But Electra's favorite item, by far, was the dark blue backpack that held the other two outfits. She chose dark blue because it reminded her of her tent. The Electric-type was currently holding it in her forepaws with a dreamy smile plastered on her face.

Misty looked down at the Mouse Pokémon on the Bite Pokémon's back with a smirk, "I'm gonna guess you're just a little bit excited about the backpack."

Electra looked up at her and nodded rapidly; eyes shining, "_I never actually got to see one up close until you all came to the tribe. Humans never left them behind._" She hugged the bag tighter, "_I can't believe I actually have one of my own! And one that even fits me!_"

Soot glanced back at her with a smile, "I'm actually a little shocked, myself. I've never seen a backpack that small before." She looked up at Misty and translated for Electra.

Misty smiled happily, "Good to hear." She raised a finger, "And now you won't have to carry your stuff around in that bindle. You can even organize everything into different compartments."

Electra's smile brightened even more as her tail started wagging, "_I know! I can't wait!_"

Misty pushed the doors to the salon and called out, "Hey! We're ba-"

"CHAAA!"

The girls perked up and looked over to find Suzie massaging a very familiar squinting pikachu.

Suzie smiled, "I'm glad you like it so much."

Brock smiled blissfully, "_It's like I'm in heaven._"

Electra stared curiously, "_What's Suzie doing?_"

Soot glanced back at her, "It's called a massage. I'll explain the details later but know that Brock'll be fine." She smirked, "If anything, he'll feel even better than before."

Misty watched for a moment before glaring at Ash, "You'd have better saved a Lens for me."

.

**Short Skip**

"Vaaaaay." Misty muttered blissfully as she laid flat on the table, "_Suzie, you're an artist among artists._"

Ash chuckled and called out the translation. He looked over at Electra as Brock helped her with the backpack.

Brock pointed at the bag, "It'll be easier to sort stuff out into different sections. You'll be able to find whatever you're looking for a lot more easily."

Electra put a paw to her chin, "_So, I could put stuff like my fork, spoon, and the stainless steel from my umbrella in one section and all of my copper wire in one of its own?_"

Soot smiled and looked up at Brock before translating.

Brock smiled and nodded, "Yeah. Exactly. And you could put stuff you want to get to faster in the side pockets. With some practice, you won't even need to take the bag off to get to those."

Electra perked up, started rummaging through her laid-out items on the human-sized, sleeveless sweater, and pulled out the destroyed pencil and thick silver rings. She held them up and smiled brightly, "_Like the soldering iron and my ring magnets!_"

Brock gave her a thumbs up; still smiling.

Ash looked over at Pikachu, Clefairy, and Vulpix as they continued happily tearing into the bowl of food.

Pikachu looked up at Ash and motioned for him to come, "_Come on, Ash. There's more than enough to go around._"

Ash smiled softly and nodded. He brought up the watch, sprang up the dial, spun it, hit it, and emerged in pikachu form. He jumped up on to the table and took a piece of the food. He stopped and stared for a moment before looking around at everyone in the room. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of it all.

Clefairy noticed he wasn't eating and looked at him in confusion, "_Everything alright, Ash?_"

Ash nodded before looking at the trio around the bowl; smile never fading, "_Its perfect._" He ate the piece of food in his paw, and his eyes widened in shock, "_Woah._"

Vulpix grinned, "_I know, right?_"

.

*Later; back of the salon

Ash looked at Suzie with a sad smile, "Are you sure we don't need to pay you for the massages this time? We have more than enough cash to spare at the moment."

Misty rubbed the back of her neck with a blissful smile, "Really. We don't mind at all."

Suzie smiled and waved a hand, "I promise, it's fine." She looked down at the Fox Pokémon sitting next to Brock with a soft smile, "Besides, after letting me talk with Vulpix like that, I feel I'm the one who still owes you."

Vulpix walked up and nuzzled up against her previous trainer, "_I liked it too._"

Suzie picked up the Fire-type and pulled her into a hug.

Brock watched with a frown before smiling sadly, "Y'know, if you want to take Vulpix back, I wouldn't argue. She was yours in the first place."

The group perked up and glanced at Brock in surprise. Suzie and Vulpix looked at him in surprise and shared a look. They smiled sadly and nodded to each other.

Suzie put Vulpix down and looked at her fellow breeder with a soft smile, "I appreciate it, Brock." She looked down at the Fire-type, "But Vulpix told me about the adventures you've all been through. How much she's learned and how much she's loved being with all of you." Her smile saddened, "I admit, I had a few doubts when I decided to let her join you. Small ones that I just couldn't shake. No matter how hard I tried." She looked back at Brock with a soft smile, "But now I'm sure. I could never have found a better person for the job."

Brock stared in pure, awestruck shock. He smiled softly, "Thank you, Suzie." He put a fist to his chest, "I promise I'll keep taking great care of her."

"I know you will." Suzie said; still smiling softly. She looked around the group curiously, "So, where are you all heading to next?"

Ash smiled, "Grandpa Canyon. We were already headed in that direction before we decided to come to Scissor Street."

Soot smiled, "And you could join us if you want. I remember you said you were thinking about going on a journey of your own."

Suzie smiled sadly and shook her head, "Thank you for the offer, but I already have plans. I have some appointments that I can't cancel on, so I'll be leaving by the end of the week."

Misty smiled softly and held out a hand, "Well then, see ya on the road someday."

Suzie smiled softly and shook her hand, "Until then." She kneeled down and looked at Vulpix, "And when that day comes, I wanna here about everything. Don't skip on any details."

Vulpix grinned, "_You got it._"

Ash smiled softly before bringing up the watch, springing up the dial, and rotating it. He found the silhouette and hit it before becoming engulfed in the green flash. It faded to reveal the large dragonite who then proceeded to pick up Soot. She grumbled and her ears flattened while her eye twitched.

Everyone else chuckled before Pikachu and Clefairy climbed up and grabbed onto Ash's antenna, and Misty climbed on to Ash's back.

Brock looked at his fellow breeder with a smile, "Take care, Suzie."

Vulpix nodded and smiled sadly, "_I'm still gonna miss you._"

Suzie smiled sadly as well, "And I'll miss you." She glanced at Soot. The canine nodded with a soft smile.

Vulpix took a deep breath, looked back at Brock, and nodded. Brock brought out the Fire-type's pokéball and returned her before climbing onto Ash's back as well. Electra tightened the straps on her backpack before grabbing onto Brock's. Ash started flapping and lifted off.

Brock waved down from the Dragon-type's back, "Goodbye, Suzie!"

Misty waved as well, "See ya later!"

Soot smirked, "Don't go getting into any trouble!"

Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra waved as well, "Pi, Chupi!" "Cle, Fairy!"

Ash smiled, "Dra gon!" He turned and started soaring west.

Suzie waved at them as they flew away, "Fare well, everyone! Take care!" She smiled sadly as they disappeared and whispered, "And thank you."

.

*Outskirts of Grandpa Canyon

After touching down behind some cover, the group made their way through the rocky terrain of Grandpa Canyon.

Clefairy looked around in awe, "_Oh, wow! It almost looks like my old home! Just, brighter._" She looked up into the sky, "_And with no ceiling._"

Electra perked up and looked at her in surprise, "_Huh?_"

Ash looked at the female Mouse Pokémon, "Clefairy grew up in the caves of a place called Mount Moon." He looked around before pointing at a large mountain in the distance, "Kinda like that."

Electra nodded, "_Oh._"

Soot perked up in surprise upon seeing something ahead, "What the?"

Everyone else looked at her before following her gaze and perking up in surprise as well. A giant group of people were walking down a road that led deeper into the canyon. Most were carrying shovels or pickaxes. Electra stared at the tools curiously.

Misty blinked in surprise, "What's with all the digging tools?"

Brock put a hand to his chin, "It looks like they're on their way to a dig site."

"Of course, they are!" A familiar voice blurted out from behind them, "Don't you people know anything?!"

The group tensed up before groaning in annoyance. They looked back to find Gary Oak wearing brown boots, khaki pants, a brown belt, a fedora, and a brown jacket over a light brown undershirt. He also had a satchel on his hip and was carrying a pickaxe.

**Illavera: *stares in shock* Wait … is he dressed up like Indiana Jones?**

**Mizuro: *bright smile* Sweet! I have the exact same outfit!**

**Nuevo: *sweat dropping* Of course, you do.**

Electra noticed everyone else's reactions and hid behind Brock's head worriedly, "_He's not a bad guy like Team Rocket, right?_"

Pikachu sighed, "_No. He's not bad like that._"

Clefairy pouted angrily, "_He's just rude and annoying._"

Soot couldn't help but smirk.

Gary smirked cockily, "You three really are clueless. They're on their way to the great fossil rush."

Ash raised a brow, "Fossil rush?"

"Gary, Gary he's our man!" The group perked up in surprise and looked back to find Gary's cheerleaders dressed up in pink and white uniforms and waving yellow pompoms. "If he can't find them, no one can!"

**Mizuro: *sweat drops* At least it's better than the diglett one.**

Gary waved at them happily, "Thank you! Thank you to all my loyal fans."

Everyone else sweat dropped. Except Electra who was looking at the girls curiously.

The dressed up Mouse Pokémon blinked in surprise and muttered, "_What are those things they're carrying?_"

Gary finally took notice of the Electric-type on Brock's backpack. He smirked with a raised brow and pointed at Electra, "Wait a sec. Did you actually dress that pikachu up like a raichu? And is it wearing a backpack?!" He clutched his stomach and started laughing, "Aw man, that's rich! And I thought putting a bow on the clefairy was lame."

His cheerleaders overheard and started giggling.

Electra looked at him with a frown and her ears drooped, "_Hey…_"

"Don't you know that dumb stuff will only make it harder for it to battle?" Gary said cockily; still not looking at them. He stood up straight again and looked at them, "And not to mentioned that neckl-" He stopped, flinched, and grimaced when he saw the humans and Ash's Pokémon glaring daggers at him.

"Electra doesn't battle." Brock said coldly, "She doesn't like to."

"And we got her the outfit because she wanted one." Misty followed; just as cold, "It was her choice."

"I'd move on to that dig site if I were you." Soot said before her eyes shifted to their banette theme, "Now."

Pikachu and Clefairy nodded; still glaring. Ash's eyes flickered with Intimidate as he tried to hold it back.

Gary backed up, shuffled around to get behind the group, and then broke into a sprint to follow the rest of the trainers into the canyon. The cheerleaders ran after him. Ash took a deep breath to calm down.

Clefairy glared at where the brown-haired trainer went and stuck her tongue out, "_Meanie._"

Electra frowned as she put a paw on the shirt, "_I don't think it's dumb._"

Brock glanced at her with a soft smile and reached back to pet her, "Don't let Gary get you down. I think it looks nice on you."

Electra smiled softly, "_Thanks._" She glared at where Gary went, "_I don't like that Gury human, though._"

"_Oh, none of us do._" Pikachu said with a smile.

Ash sweat dropped, "He's just … a handful at times."

Misty crossed her arms, "Yeah. All times." She glanced at the others with a smirk, "Wanna join in the fossil dig and show him up?"

Soot smirked wickedly, "Oh Yvel yeah."

The group hurried after the other trainers. Right after they did, Jigglypuff jumped up onto a rock and put her microphone capped marker to her mouth.

"_Huh?_" She said in surprise when she saw the trainers had vanished. She puffed up with an angry pout.

.

*Dig Site

The group stood on a ledge high up on a cliff as they looked down at everyone digging below.

Ash blinked in surprise, "Wow. This is a lot of people."

Brock frowned and put a hand to his chin, "I'm kind of surprise that nobody's found a fossil yet. Maybe this 'great fossil rush' isn't all it's cracked up to be."

Electra raised a brow, "_I don't really get what the big deal is. Aren't fossils just the bodies of Pokémon that passed away a really long time ago? Why would anyone want them?_"

Clefairy scratched her head curiously, "_Yeah. I don't get either._"

Pikachu crossed his forepaws with a confused look, "_Same._"

Soot smiled, "Well, some of them may be looking for fossils to sell to museums. Depending on the condition, they can sell for a lot of money."

Ash smiled, "Whereas others may be looking to restore the fossils."

Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra perked up and looked at Ash in surprise, "_Restore them?_"

Brock nodded with a smile, "Yeah. There are machines all around the world that are capable of restoring fossilized Pokémon to their natural form. Ever since they were invented, people have been given the opportunities to train and learn about tons of Pokémon that have gone extinct over the centuries."

**Mizuro, Nuevo, Illavera: *blank, dumbfound stares***

**Gem: *looks at trio with a smirk* Told ya.**

Pikachu and Clefairy's jaws dropped at the news.

Electra stared in shock and muttered, "_Machines … that bring fossils … back to life …_" She started trembling excitedly and smiled so brightly that a Flash would look dim, "_INSANE!_" She started looking around in frantic excitement, "_I wanna see it! Let's go find it! There's gotta be one around here, right?! Right?!_"

Ash smiled sadly, "Sorry Electra. I haven't noticed any tech that's advanced enough. I don't think there's one here."

Electra's smile faded before she laid down on Brock's backpack and her ears flattened. "chuuu." She whimpered.

"_Yeah, but still,_" Pikachu said in shock, "_that's … I- I don't even know what to call that._"

Clefairy looked at the other shoulder rider, "_Insane?_"

Pikachu deadpanned, "_Fair enough._"

Misty smiled and looked over, "Though, if we do find a fossil, someone might tell us where to find a restoration machine. I'd be lying if I said I've never wanted to train a kabuto or omanyte."

Electra's ears shot up before she sprang to her hind paws with a determine glare, "_Then let's get to work and find us a fossil!_"

Ash smiled and translated before everyone else raised a hand/paw into the air excitedly, "Y_e_a_h_!"

"Except," Brock said before sweat dropping, "how do we find one?"

Misty perked up before deadpanning and sweat dropping, "Right…" She perked up and looked at Ash, "What about Hammer Arm? He could probably dig through this whole area in a few-" She perked up, looked down at everyone below them, and sweat dropped, "Never mind."

Ash chuckled nervously, "Yeah. Sorry. Too public."

Soot smiled as her tail started wagging, "Oh! I could-"

"What's takin' does two so long?!" An annoyed voice called out.

Everyone flinched and looked over to find Meowth on another cliff with his back to them. Brock, Misty, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra's eyes narrowed. Ash and Soot each had an eye twitch at the sight of him.

"Every freaking time." Soot grumbled.

.

*Meowth

The Scratch Cat looked up in annoyance and tapped his foot, "Humans. Da only thing you can depend on is dat dey're always undependable."

"Ta Da!" Jessie and James called out as they jumped out from behind a rock; startling Meowth.

"Prepare for trouble!" Jessie said.

"Yes, and make it double!" James followed.

They jumped around to sit on the rock as they continued. Or would have continued.

"Cut da poetry, will ya!" Meowth shouted angrily. He crossed his forepaws and glared, "Did you two plant da dynamite or not?!"

Jessie stood up and glared back, "Of course we did!"

James smirked and held out a hand, "Once we blast Grandpa Canyon to smithereens, we'll be able to scoop up all those Poké fossils."

.

*Ash and co.

Misty flinched, "Blow up?!"

Brock grimaced, "Are they out of their minds?! Everyone digging here will get caught in the blast!"

Ash glared at the tRio before glancing back at the Gym Leaders, "Spread the word for everyone to evacuate! Soot, help them out! Pikachu, Clefairy, and I will handle them!"

Misty, Soot, Electra, and Brock nodded, "Ri_g_ht_!_" They turned and broke into a sprint down the pathway.

Ash turned to face Team Rocket again before breaking into a sprint. He came up to them in a matter of seconds and found Meowth holding a fuse.

"Hold it!" Ash called out angrily, "Do not light that fuse!"

Pikachu and Clefairy jumped down from his shoulders and got into their fighting stances.

The Rocketrio flinched and turned to look at him.

Jessie smirked and crossed her arms, "Prepare for trouble!"

James smirked as well, "And make it double!"

Ash, Pikachu, and Clefairy groaned.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! Dat's right!" The Scratch Cat joined in while pointing.

Clefairy pouted angrily, "_Why do they always do that?_"

Ash noticed something and his eyes widened in shock, "Wait a second. Where's the fuse?"

Meowth smirked wickedly and pointed back, "I lit it when we started da motto. It should already be close."

Ash looked over in shock as the flame went over the edge of the cliff. His eyes narrowed, "Pikachu! Clefairy! Hold them off!" He pulled out and tossed a pokéball upward, "Squirtle!"

The Tiny Turtle appeared in a flash. Before anyone could say anything, Ash shot forward and scooped up the Water-type as he chased the flame.

Squirtle looked up at Ash in confusion, "_Ash, what's going on?_"

Ash glared ahead, "Team Rocket and dynamite! We need to take out that fuse!"

The Water-type looked at the fast-moving flame up ahead and nodded with a determined glare, "_On it!_" He inhaled and started shooting Water Gun at the target. He kept missing by only a few inches. "_Oh, come on!_" Squirtle cried out in annoyance.

"Keep at it!" Ash said as he continued glaring at the flame, "We can't let it reach the-" He was cut off by a round of shouting from behind. He looked back and grimaced, "What the Yvel?!"

Jessie, James, Meowth, Arbok, and Weezing were rolling towards him in a ball and shouting at the top of their lungs. Pikachu was running close behind with Clefairy struggling to keep up. Ash tried to outrun them but he and Squirtle were swept up after only a few seconds.

"How! Did this! Even! Happen!" Ash shouted unevenly as they rolled.

"Shut! Up!" Jessie retaliated.

The septet ended up rolling off the hill, bouncing off two more, and landing on the ground in a painful heap with Ash at the bottom. They all groaned.

Ash looked ahead and his eyes widened at the sight of the shortening fuse directly in front of his face. He raised a fist and struck the ground in an attempt to put it out. He just barely missed.

Ash's eyes widen fearfully, 'CRAG! Now everyone will-' He cut himself off as he looked ahead and deadpanned when he saw three bundles at the entrance to a cave, 'I'm sorry, what? That is what all the fuss was about? That won't threaten anyone unless they get' His eyes widened as he mumbled, "too close…"

The Rockets started struggling, "We need to move!" "Hurry!" "Dere's not much time!" "_Move!_" "_Hurry! Hurry!_"

"It's too late!" Ash cried out before moving one arm over his face and one in front of Squirtle, "Brace yourselves!"

The fuse reached the bundles and set them off. A large explosion erupted from their section of the canyon. Everyone in the surrounding area looked up at the erupting cloud of smoke in shock. The smoke slowly cleared.

"Is- is it over?" Jessie asked apprehensively.

"Yeah." James said, "I think we're okay."

Ash sighed in relief and looked down. His eyes immediately widened in fear when he saw a crack tearing through the ground beneath them. Acting out of panic, Ash grabbed Squirtle by the tail -startling him- and removed his belt. He yanked himself out of the pile and threw both towards the approaching Pikachu and Clefairy.

"PI!/SQUIR!" Pikachu and Squirtle cried out as the Water-type crashed into the Electric-type. "CLE!" Clefairy cried out as the belt hit her in the face. All three crashed against the ground.

The trio managed to recover and stared in shock as the ground opened and swallowed Team Rocket and their trainer. The cliff above the ex-cave crumbled into a rockslide and plugged up the opening.

"_ASH!_" Pikachu, Clefairy, and Squirtle shouted out in panic.

It was at this moment that Brock, Misty, Soot, and Electra ran over to them.

"Woah!" Brock said upon seeing the pile of rocks. Electra stared in shock.

"Guys! What happened?!" Misty asked the Mouse, Fairy, and Tiny Turtle Pokémon worriedly.

Soot's eyes widened worriedly upon noticing Ash's belt in Clefairy's lap, "Where's dad?"

.

*Ash and tRio

Jessie, James, and Meowth screamed at the top of their lungs as they fell through the massive crevasse. Ash was looking around frantically before perking up in realization. He looked down at the Poison-types.

"Arbok! Weezing!" Ash cried out as the wind rushed past him.

The pair glared back at him.

Arbok spoke up, "_We not help-_"

"Weezing! Get Arbok closer to the others and then move under them to slow them down!" Ash shouted, "Arbok! Wrap around Jessie, James, and Meowth and don't let go for anything!"

The pair's eyes widened in surprise before they shared a look and nodded with determined glares. Weezing grabbed Arbok's hood with his smaller head's mouth and moved down towards the screaming tRio. Ash straightened himself to speed up his descent.

Jessie, James, and Meowth just continued screaming; not hearing Ash at all. They stopped and stared in shock as Arbok wrapped around them in a tight coil and bit down on himself. Weezing moved under them and started pushing upward.

Arbok realized something and sweat dropped, '_Wait. What was nex-_' The Cobra Pokémon flinched and bit down harder before glancing back in shock.

Ash held on tight to the Poison-type's tail with his left hand and brought out the claws on his right before reaching and digging into the pitfall's walls. Ash gritted his teeth as his claws tore into the wall and left huge gashes in the solid rock. After a few seconds, they managed to slow to a stop just before the entrance to a large cavern.

Ash panted heavily before taking a deep breath and calling out, "Hey!" The tRio looked up in surprise as he continued, "I'm about to let go! So, brace yourselves! I'm aiming for that flat area below us!"

They all looked below before looking back up at Ash and nodding.

Ash nodded back, "On three! One! Two! Three!" He let go of Arbok.

Team Rocket fell to the ground and landed in a heap on top of weezing.

Ash retracted his claws and dropped down to land on his feet. He grimaced and shivered before falling to his knees; arms limp, 'Okay, ouch.' He sighed, 'At least we're all okay.' He looked up at the way they came in, 'More or less.'

Jessie, James, Meowth, Arbok, and Weezing all gathered into a group hug and happily cried out, "We _m_ade _i_t!"

"But, uh," James said in confusion, "where are we?"

The group separated and looked around.

Jessie frowned, "It looks like we got blown all the way to the moon."

Meowth gulped, "More like ta da center of da earth." The other four looked at him in surprise as he continued, "Dis is a cave. Da dynamite must a blown a hole in the roof. We must be buried deep unda da earth's crust."

Jessie and James looked at him in shock, "Buried?!"

Ash looked at them with a deadpanned expression, "We fell down a crevasse. When did you think we flew upwards?"

Jessie glared at him, "Do you have any idea how often we're sent flying?!" She pointed accusingly, "And don't act so smug! It's your fault we're in here, twerp!"

Ash glared at her, "My fault?! You're the nutjobs who threatened the lives of everyone in the canyon with dynamite!"

James glared, "No we didn't! Our explosion wasn't nearly that big! No one would've been hurt so long as they didn't get close!"

Ash's eyes narrowed further, and he stood back up; arms still dangling, "Well I'm sorry if the phrase 'blast Grandpa Canyon to smithereens' was just a little misleading!"

Meowth perked up in surprise and pointed at Ash, "Hey. What's up with ya arms, dere?"

Ash groaned, "I ended up dislocating them to save you all." The tRio's eyes widened in shock as the boy looked at the Poison-types, "By the way, thanks for the assist. I mean it."

Arbok tensed up and turned away sourly, "_Was only to save Master._"

Weezing nodded with a glare, "_Help Master. Not help you._"

Ash smiled sadly in response to the tone, "Regardless, I appreciate it." He looked up at where they came from, "Let's try and find a way out of here."

The others looked up and grimaced when they saw the blanket of boulders covering the hole.

Jessie gulped, "Well … that's bad."

James frowned worriedly, "How are we supposed to get through-" He perked up and looked at Ash hopefully, "Wait, that's right! Phantom, you can transform into something that can bust out of here!"

Jessie smiled brightly, "Oh yeah!"

Ash looked at them with a frown, "That wouldn't work. My arms would still be messed up no matter what form I take. And transforming might just make it worse." 'That and I can't even reach the watch.'

James slumped forwards sadly, "Oh."

Meowth raised a brow, "But what about ya other Pokémon? Could any a dem dig us out?"

Ash shook his head, "I tossed my belt when the ground split. Everyone else is back on the surface."

"What?!" Jessie blurted out, "Why the Yvel would you do that?!"

Ash shot her a glance, "It was a reflex. When people I care about are in trouble, my body just starts moving on its own sometimes." He sighed, "I can't always explain it."

Team Rocket perked up and looked at the young trainer in surprise.

Ash looked at them, "What's wrong?"

James frowned, "Nothing." He crossed his arms and glanced to the side, "I guess we'll just have to call another truce, then."

Jessie glanced at James before sighing and looking away, "Yeah. Not like there's anything to try and steal off you for the time being."

Meowth groaned in annoyance, "And tryin' ta nab you won't get us out a here."

Ash looked at them in mild surprise. He smiled softly and nodded, "Sounds good."

Ash and Meowth perked up in surprise when they heard something. They turned towards a nearby cave and Ash's eyes widened in shock. Jessie, James, Arbok, and Weezing noticed and followed their gaze.

Four different Pokémon -two of each- walked out of the tunnel and glared at the group angrily. All of their eyes were bloodshot. Jessie and James flinched and pulled each other into a frightened hug. Meowth took a step back, and Arbok and Weezing moved in front of their trainers defensively.

"Who are dose Pokémon?" Meowth asked frightenedly.

Ash continued staring in shock, "Kabuto and Omanyte, and their evolved forms Kabutops and Omastar. They're all Rock and Water-types that are supposed to be extinct. You shouldn't be able to find one without restoring their fossils."

Arbok perked up and looked at Weezing, "_We disguise as one before, right?_"

Weezing nodded, "_Yeah. Star one, I think. At beach show thing._"

James perked up and looked at Ash in surprise, "Wait, so they're hard to find like this?"

Jessie smiled excitedly, "Rare, even?!"

Meowth smiled excitedly as well, "Legendary?!"

Ash sweat dropped, "That's not exactly-"

He was cut off when the humans grabbed each other's hands excitedly and jumped for joy, "Alright!"

"We're going to be rich!" James shouted happily, "We'll open a prehistoric Pokémon park that'll be bigger than Pokéworld!"

**Mizuro: *jaw drops in shock before looking at Omega* TELL ME THAT LINE WAS CANON!**

**Omega: *looks over clipboard before eye twitches and he groans***

**Mizuro: *smiles brightly* WOOO!**

"Even the boss will be impressed with us." Jessie followed happily.

Meowth looked up dreamily, "I could get my own talk show or even my own cartoon."

Ash stared at them in shock, 'How do I even respond to that?' He shook it off and looked at the non-extinct Pokémon warily, "I'm not sure you'll get the chance."

The others looked at him in confusion before following his gaze. They flinched slightly upon finally noticing the angered stares and blood shot eyes.

Jessie took a step back, "You might have a point. They look like they just woke up."

James perked up in realization, "That's it. The dynamite must have woken them up after thousands of years."

Ash deadpanned, "Or after a few hours. These species don't hibernate for that long."

Meowth gulped, "Eitha way, dat's some alarm clock."

Jessie glared and pulled out a pokéball, "Whatever! Let's just capture them!"

James pulled one out as well, "Right!"

Ash looked at them in shock, "No, wait!"

The human Rockets ignored him and threw the spheres at one of the kabutops, "Pokéball, go!"

The kabutops's eyes narrowed before swiping at the balls with their blades, "_No weird rocks!_"

"Wah!" Meowth cried out as he barely managed to jump out of the way of the first ball. "GAH!" He cried out as the second hit him in the back of the head.

The ball opened and the Normal-type glowed red as he was sucked in. The ball fell to the ground and started shaking. The ancient Pokémon all stopped glaring and stared in pure shock. Around the second shake, the ball burst open and Meowth fell to his forepaws and knees.

"Dear Arc." Meowth panted heavily, "I forgot how much I hate that."

James frowned, "Sorry."

Ash looked at Meowth and blinked in surprise, "Wait, you're wild?"

Meowth glared and pointed at him, "Don' get any ideas!"

Kabutops just continued staring in shock. They shook it off and raised a blade into the air, "_Attack! Don't let rocks touch you!_"

The rest of the Rock/Water-types snapped out of it and moved forward; glaring again. Team Rocket flinched.

Ash gritted his teeth and looked at the floating Poison-type, "Weezing, use Smokescreen!"

Weezing flinched slightly and looked at James.

James looked at his Poison-type with a glare, "You heard the twerp! Smokescreen!"

Weezing nodded with a determined glare, floated up front, and shot a wave of black smoke from his mouths. The Fire-type attack covered over the area. The kabutops each picked up a kabuto and ran back to avoid the smoke. The omanyte ran after them with the omastar taking up the rear.

They all looked back as the smoke cleared and perked up in surprise when Ash and Team Rocket were nowhere to be seen.

.

*Behind a stalagmite

Jessie, James, and Meowth panted while trying to keep their voices down. Arbok and Weezing stayed close to their trainers.

Ash glanced back at the Pokémon, 'They're protecting the hatchlings.' He smiled softly, 'Another loss for the prehistoric primal theory.' He started whispering while still watching them, "Meowth, what did they say?"

Meowth glared at him, "And why da ya need me ta translate? Can't ya just do whatever ya gotta do ta turn inta-"

Ash glared at him with Intimidate, making Jessie and James flinch, and spoke in a quiet fury, "Now isn't the time for that! Swallow your pride and tell me what the Yvel they said!"

Meowth stared in shock and stuttered; still whispering, "I-it ain't much. Da kabutops said somet'in' about 'weird rocks' when Jessie and James tried ta catch 'em."

Jessie and James snapped out of it and looked at their teammate in confusion, "Rocks?"

Meowth looked at them and shrugged, "Heck if I know."

Ash cut off the ability and looked down thoughtfully, "Actually, that makes sense." The quintet looked at him in surprise as he continued, "Revived fossil Pokémon go through the same thing. They don't know anything about the modern world and had no idea what the pokéballs were. They even seemed afraid." He frowned and sighed in frustration, "If I could just use Porygon, I might be able to scare them off without hurting any of them."

The tRio just stared at Ash in surprise. Jessie groaned in annoyance before moving closer and grabbing Ash's right arm.

Ash looked at her in confusion, "What are you-"

"Shut up and hold still." Jessie said harshly. She felt around for a second before shoving the arm up.

Ash's eyes widened in surprise when he heard and felt a pop. He pulled his arm back, held it up to his face, and moved his fingers to check. After finding nothing wrong, he looked at Jessie with a raised brow.

The female Rocket groaned, "I went to a nurse school for chansey." She glared and pointed at him, "Don't ask."

Ash blinked in surprise, "Okay then." He grabbed his left arm and popped it back into its socket.

James frowned, "Doesn't that hurt?"

"I have a high pain tolerance." Ash stated before looking back around the rock formation, "Stay here where it's safe. I'll handle them and then get us out of here."

James smiled and gave a thumbs up, "Sounds like a good plan."

Jessie waved with an innocent smile, "Good luck."

Ash sweat dropped, 'No shame.'

Ash sprouted the claws on his left hand, aimed his pinky at a wall on the other side of the cave, and fired. The claw dug into the rock and a large crack burst out. The Spiral and Shellfish Pokémon all looked at the wall in shock. Jessie, James, Meowth, Arbok, and Weezing looked at the wall in surprise. Ash sprang up the dial on the watch and found Porygon.

Before the tRio turned back around, Ash picked up a rock and jumped towards a nearby boulder in an opposite direction to the attacked wall. He landed, smashed the smaller rock against the boulder, and broke into a sprint.

The prehistoric Pokémon all looked over to find the trainer 'running from his hiding spot'.

Ash noticed and cracked a small smirk. He shifted to a nervous smile and stopped in his tracks, "O- oh. Hey." He shot a quick glance at Team Rocket and found them watching him. He started sweating, 'Come on! Look away!' The boy looked back at the Pokémon and raised his hands defensively, "L- look, I'm sure we can work this out." He perked up in surprise when he heard … flapping?

The kabutops both flinched and started looking around warily. One of them looked back at the others, "_Run! They back!_"

The kabutops grabbed the kabuto again and the Rock/Water-types all ran back into the caves.

Ash stared in confusion, "What the Yvel?"

Team Rocket ran out from behind the stalagmite and watched as they ran off.

Jessie smiled, "Alright, twerp! I don't know how you scared them off, but it worked!"

James threw his hands into the air happily, "We're saved."

Ash's eyes narrowed, "Hold on. I don't think I'm the one who scared them off." He put a hand to his ear, "Something's coming."

Meowth looked ahead in confusion before grimacing, "He's right. I hear it too. Somet'in' big and flappin'."

Jessie looked around worriedly, "What? What prehistoric Pokémon flies?"

"Well, archeops and-" Ash's eyes widened, he looked towards a cave, and grimaced, "Aerodactyl!"

Team Rocket looked at him in shock before following his gaze to find the Rock/Flying-type soaring towards them at an alarming rate. They all grimaced and pulled themselves into a group hug out of fear.

Ash glanced back at the tRio as they stared ahead frightenedly. He brought the side of the watch's dial up against his chest and glanced down as he slowly rotated it. Upon finding the form in mind, he swiftly brought the watch up to his face and pushed the dial down with his chin.

Team Rocket flinched and shied away as a green flash shone around Ash and filled the area. They looked at Ash and flinched when they found him in dragonite form.

Meowth blinked in surprise, 'A flash?'

Ash glared back at Team Rocket, "_Get down!_"

.

*Surface

After a quick run down from Pikachu, Clefairy, and Squirtle and a translation from Soot, Brock and Misty let out Geodude and the rest of Ash's Pokémon to help dig him out. Oh, and Team Rocket. Since starting, Officer Jenny had rounded up the other trainers at the dig site to assist.

"Come on!" Brock called out, "We have to keep digging!"

"W_ha_t _do_ y_ou_ t_hi_n_k I_'v_e b_e_en_ d_oi_n_g?_!" Gary, Primeape, and Squirtle called out in annoyance.

The Pig Monkey and Tiny Turtle Pokémon perked up and looked at Gary in surprise.

_"Come on, Ash._" Charmeleon said as he tossed a rock away, "_Just hold out a little longer._"

"_We'll have you out soon._" Muk said before lobbing one almost as big as him.

Pidgeotto sliced through a large rock with Steel Wing in an X-fashion before grabbing one and flying off. Bulbasaur shot out Vine Whip, wrapped another piece up, and flung it back over his head. Krabby scuttled over to lift the third one onto him and Clefairy helped support it. Geodude lifted up the last one and spun to toss it aside.

Some of the other trainers just watched the Pokémon curiously.

Soot noticed, shifted her eyes, and glared at them; making them flinch, "What are you waiting for?! You all came here to dig, so dig already!"

Officer Jenny glared as well, "Don't you get that there are lives at stake?!"

Pikachu and Electra hoisted up a rock in their forepaws, moved over to the more solid ground, and set it down. They turned back towards the pile right as their ears twitched. They perked up in surprise and Pikachu looked around, "_Hey, guys? Does anyone else hear that?_"

The Dark-type's eyes shifted back to normal and she looked at him in confusion, "What do you m-" She stopped and her ears perked up. Soot looked towards the pile of rocks warily. After a few seconds, her eyes widened in shock.

Misty noticed and looked at Soot warily, "Soot?"

Soot looked back and shouted frantically, "EVERYONE! GET BACK!"

Everyone jerked and ran from the covered hole. As soon as they did, something burst up through the rocks and shot into the air. Everyone looked up and stared in shock when they saw a dragonite shooting into the air with an aerodactyl at the end of a two-handed Fire Punch.

Ash's Pokémon all looked up at the Dragon Pokémon in surprise, "_ASH!_"

Soot stared in pure shock and muttered, "A- an aerodactyl? How is that possible?"

Everyone else just stared in shock.

Ash cut off the Fire-type attack and spun around to nail Aerodactyl in the side with Aqua Tail. They started panting. Aerodactyl recovered in the air and looked at the Dragon/Flying-type with a smirk.

Ash inhaled before firing a stream of Dragon Rage. Aerodactyl flew out of the way and shot straight towards Ash while covered with a shroud of purple energy with orange streaks. The Dragon Pokémon's eyes widened as the Giga Impact struck him in the chest. Ash was thrown backwards by the attack and managed to recover. He glared and fired another Dragon Rage while Aerodactyl was forced to recharge.

The smoke from the attack faded to reveal a partially scuffed Aerodactyl looking at Ash with an excited grin, "_Strong…_"

"Come on, Aerodactyl!" Gary shouted excitedly. Everyone in the group looked at him in shock as he brought out a pokéball, "Show that dragonite who's boss."

Aerodactyl's smiled faded and he glanced down at the onlookers.

Misty glared, "You're rooting for him?!"

Gary looked at her with a smirk, "Well, duh! I missed my chance to get that dragonite at Porta Vista, and now one shows up here that already has something battling it?! Don't you get how huge of a stroke of luck that is?!" He looked up at the sky battlers cockily, "It's like the universe is just begging for me to catch one!"

Brock looked at the brown-haired boy angrily and was about to say something when-

"HYPER BEAM!" Soot shouted frightenedly.

Everyone looked up in shock as the Fossil Pokémon fired a large beam of orange energy towards the ground near them. The attack struck the ground in an instant and everyone was thrown back by the blast. Soot was thrown into a rock and yelped out in pain before falling to the ground and slipping out of consciousness. Everyone else laid on the ground in a daze.

"_LEAVE THEM OUT OF THIS!_"

Aerodactyl looked over right as Ash spun and nailed him in the cheek with Aqua Tail; shooting him deeper into the canyon.

Charmeleon shakily managed to get back to his feet, '_Ash … I'm coming._' He ran after the half Flying-types and became engulfed in Flame Charge.

.

*Ash and Aerodactyl

"_Listen!_" Ash shouted, "_I don't want to fight you! I only wanted to get out of your home and now I am! Just go back now and we can forget this ever happened!_"

"_Fight strong!_" Aerodactyl cried out excitedly in response, "_Stronger win!_"

Ash gritted his teeth, '_What the Yvel is with this guy?!_'

Aerodactyl's wings lit up blue before he shot at Ash. Ash's claws became engulfed in flames as he shot forward as well. The pair met in the air and parried their attacks at rapid speeds.

Ash ducked under the last Wing Attack and delivered a Fire Punch to Aerodactyl's jaw. Aerodactyl faltered back before Ash spun and Aqua Tailed him in the gut to shoot him backwards.

Aerodactyl managed to recover in the air and panted. He looked at Ash with a smirk. Ash glared and took up his fighting stance again.

"_Ash!_"

Ash's eyes widened in shock and he looked back to find Charmeleon run into the area.

Aerodactyl glared down at him, "_No interrupt!_" His head lit up white and he shot down towards Charmeleon.

"_NO!_" Ash cried out. His eyes narrowed and he shot after Aerodactyl.

Charmeleon stared in shock as Aerodactyl approached and crossed his arms over his face to brace himself; eyes shut. A metal clang rang throughout the canyon. Charmeleon became confused when he felt nothing hit and slowly opened his eyes to find a large shadow covering him.

"_Charmeleon._" Ash muttered.

The Flame Pokémon's eyes widened fearfully as he looked up into the figure's eyes.

Ash smiled sadly with a far-away look, "_Hey buddy._" He brought up a trembling paw to the Fire-type's cheek, "_You're … O … kaay_" The dragonite fell to the side and crashed against the rocky ground; eyes closed.

Charmeleon jerked, moved closer, and started shaking his trainer, "_Ash! Ash wake up! Come on! Show me you're okay! Please!_"

Charmeleon flinched when he heard something land behind him and looked over. His eyes widened fearfully when he saw Aerodactyl. The Fossil Pokémon stared at Charmeleon for a moment before setting his sights on Ash.

The Flame Pokémon glared and moved in front of the Dragon Pokémon defensively, "_Don't come any closer to my trainer!_"

Aerodactyl started walking forward, "_Fight. Strong._"

Charmeleon gritted his teeth, "_He can't fight anymore! He's unable to battle! Can't you see that?!_"

The Fossil Pokémon grinned as he continued approaching, "_Fight strong! More!_"

Charmeleon's glare deepened, "_I said stay back!_" He inhaled and fired Dragon Rage.

Aerodactyl's eyes widened and he crossed his wings over his face as the attack struck. The Rock/Flying-type moved his wing away a moment later and looked at the Fire-type with a disappointed glare, "_Weak._"

Charmeleon's eyes widened in shock as Aerodactyl swiped a wing at him and batted him into a rock.

"_KAH!_" Charmeleon exhaled forcefully. He fell forward from the stone and landed on his chest. The Fire-type recovered shakily and looked ahead. His eyes widened as Aerodactyl started attacking the unconscious Dragon/Flying-type.

"_Get up!_" Aerodactyl shouted as he batted away at Ash with a wing, "_Fight not over!_"

Charmeleon continued staring in shock, "_Ash…_"

'I always knew you could do it.'

Charmeleon held out a claw desperately, "_St- stop it …_"

Aerodactyl became impatient and started batting Ash with Wing Attack, "_Fight!_"

'You gave it your all and that's what matters.'

The Fire-type started tearing up, "_Stop it!_"

'Dad would never abandon us. I know that for a fact.'

Charmeleon started flashing with sparks, "_Get away from him!_"

Aerodactyl glared furiously, "_FIGHT!_" He opened his mouth and charged a Hyper Beam.

'Welcome to the family, Charmander.'

Charmeleon's eyes widened in rage before he stood back up and shouted in absolute fury. He lit up blue immediately. Aerodactyl stopped charging and looked over in shock as Charmeleon's glowing silhouette began shifting.

The light faded to reveal the Flame Pokémon looking downward with his entire body glowing red, "_I said,_" The charizard glared at Aerodactyl in pure fury; tears evaporating on the spot, "_GET AWAY FROM HIM!_" He shot forward into a Flame Charge.

Charizard nailed Aerodactyl in the gut before he could respond and shot up into the air. He cut off the flames, grabbed his opponent by the head, and fired another Dragon Rage at pointblank.

"_AGH!_" Aerodactyl cried out as he was thrown back by the blast. He managed to recover in the air, shook his head, and looked at the Fire/Flying-type in surprise. He grinned wickedly, "_Strong._"

Charizard glared angrily, "_That's all you care about, isn't it? Fighting opponents who you think are strong._" His eyes narrowed further, "_And you don't care who you have to hurt to do it! Do you?!_"

The Rock/Flying-type continued grinning, "_Strong only win! Weak only lose! Strong become stronger by winning_"

Charizard stared in surprise before chuckling softly, "_Y'know, you remind me a little of a certain blue haired being._" He glared at the Rock/Flying-type, "_So, thank you for making this easier for me._"

Aerodactyl opened his mouth before firing a Hyper Beam at Charizard. The Fire/Flying-type shot towards the beam and became engulfed in Flame Charge. He barrel-rolled out of the way last second and rammed into the Rock/Flying-types chest; launching him back. Charizard's wings then lit up blue and he flapped ahead forcefully. A small swarm of light blue saw blades shot out of his wings and exploded against Aerodactyl. The smoke cleared to reveal the Fossil Pokémon panting.

Charizard flew up to him and flapped in place; arms crossed, "_Hyper Beam and Giga Impact have a recharge time where the user is left defenseless. It's extremely exploitable._"

Aerodactyl glared before shooting forward with Iron Head. Charizard sighed and shot forward into Flame Charge again.

Before they collided Charizard disappeared in a blur. Aerodactyl glanced sideways in shock as Charizard shot past.

"_Flame Charge increases the user's speed every time it's used._" Charizard stated, "_And I've just used it for the fourth time._"

The Flame Pokémon quickly spun in the air and slammed his tail into Aerodactyl's back. Aerodactyl grimaced as he was thrown downward and crashed to the ground. He struggled to get back up but was cut off by a small barrage of Dragon Rage, Air Slash, and Flamethrower exploding against his back.

The glow faded from Charizard's wings as he touched down in front of the Rock/Flying-type, "_Stay down. You can't battle anymore. You've lost._"

Aerodactyl glared at him, "_No loss._" He started struggling again, "_I … not … weak._"

"_Losing isn't weakness!_" Charizard shouted angrily. Aerodactyl stopped struggling and looked at Charizard in confusion as he continued, "_Losing doesn't make you weak. It's not something to be ashamed of. When you lose, you learn and grow. You train and get stronger._" He took a deep breath to calm down, "_That is what my trainer taught me._"

Aerodactyl blinked in confusion, "_Tray ner?_"

Charizard nodded and looked back at the unconscious dragonite, "_He's the reason I was able to become stronger. If it weren't for him, I-_" He paused and shook his head, "_I'd probably still be a charmander who kept losing to Grass-types._"

Aerodactyl stared at Charizard in surprise, "_Trainer make stronger?_"

Charizard chuckled softly and looked at him with a kind smile, "_That's part of their job. They make sure we're ready to battle._"

Aerodactyl blinked in surprise, "_Battle?_" His eyes widened in realization, "_Fight? You fight strong opponents?_"

Charizard raised a brow, "_Uh, yeah. We battle a lot of the time. Either by sparring during training or with another trainer or Pokémon we come across who challenges us._"

Aerodactyl blinked in surprise and looked down thoughtfully, "_Trainer make stronger… Trainer let battle a lot…_"

Charizard frowned worriedly, "_Are you ok-_"

"Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-ggly-y-y-puff.

Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-gglyyy."

The pair perked up in surprise and looked around in confusion.

"_What that?_" Aerodactyl asked.

"Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-ggly-y-y-puff.

Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-gglyyy."

Charizard frowned, "_A jigglypuff song? Why is one of them h-_" He stopped and yawned.

Aerodactyl did as well.

"Ji-ggly-y-puff.

Ji-ggly-y-puff.

Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-gglyyy."

Aerodactyl fell forward onto his chest and started snoring.

Charizard started swaying, "_They're … using Sing?_" He jerked when a red flash went off in the corner of his eye and looked over at his unconscious trainer, "_A- Ash._"

"Jigglypuff, Jigglypuff, Jigglypuff.

Jigglypuff."

Charizard managed to start flapping, lifted up, and drowsily hovered over to Ash. He fell to the ground next to the boy and fell asleep.

"Ji-ggly-y-puff Ji-ggly-y-y-puff.

Ji-ggly-y-puff- Puff?"

"_Oh, come on!_" An angry voice shouted in the distance.

.

**Time Skip**

Ash stirred awake slowly and groaned. He looked up into the orange sky to find that it was already late in the afternoon. He sat up and looked ahead to find a large orange tail with a cream-colored underside and flame at the tip lying in front of him. He stared in drowsy confusion and followed the tail towards its source.

Ash's eyes widened in shock, "Ch- Charizard?"

Charizard shifted and opened his eyes slowly. He glanced over and his eyes shot open the rest of the way when he saw his trainer staring back.

Charizard immediately got to his feet and pulled the boy into a hug, "_Ash!_"

Ash stared in surprise before smiling softly and hugging him back, "It's okay. I promise I'm fine." He looked at and brought up a hand to one of the Fire/Flying-types new wings, "Look at you. You evolved already."

Charizard glanced over at his other wing, moved it around a bit, and smiled softly, "_Yeah. You were right,_" He hugged Ash tighter, "_I'd be soaring in no time. All instinct._"

Ash smiled softly, "I always knew you had it in you."

"_ASH!_/DAD!"

The pair perked up and separated. They looked over as the entire rest of Ash's team ran into view from around the rock. Pikachu and Clefairy ran up, jumped onto Ash's shoulder, and hugged his head. Everyone else -except Soot- stopped and stared at Charizard in shock.

Soot wrapped her forepaws around Ash's waist, "Thank Arceus you're okay!"

Ash smiled softly and pet her on the back, "Everything's alright, sweetie. I promise."

Soot tensed up slightly before groaning and nuzzling closer to him, "Just this once, you get a pass on that. But don't push it."

Squirtle stared up at Charizard in shock, "_Dude…_" He smiled and gestured to the Flame Pokémon's new form, "_Look at you!_"

Primeape laughed, "_Dear Arc! You're bigger than all of us, now!_"

Bulbasaur stared in shock, "_Y- yeah. And you were a charmander less than a week ago._"

Charizard grinned and held up an arm to flex, "_Guess I'm just a fast bloomer._"

The team started chuckling. They stopped and perked up in surprise when they heard something shifting and looked over as Aerodactyl started stirring awake. He got back to his feet and started trudging over to the group; eyes shaded over. Everyone glared and got into their fighting stances.

Pikachu, Clefairy, Soot, and Charizard stood in front of Ash defensively. Ash brought up the watch and placed his thumb over the button that would spring up the dial.

Aerodactyl stopped in front of them and muttered, "_Trainer… want join trainer._"

Everyone perked up in surprise.

"_I'm sorry, what?_" Muk asked.

Clefairy blinked in surprise, "_Are you saying you wanna join us?_"

Ash perked up, looked at the Fairy Pokémon in shock, and looked at Aerodactyl; still shocked.

Aerodactyl nodded with a determined glare, "_Trainer make stronger. Trainer let battle a lot._" He grinned, "_Battle strong opponents!_"

Primeape looked around at the others and pointed a thumb at Aerodactyl, "_I like this guy._"

Pikachu smiled and put his paws behind his head, "_I don't see a problem with it._" He looked up at Ash and translated.

Ash smiled and looked at Aerodactyl, "Yeah. I'd be happy to have you join us."

Everyone else considered it and either nodded with a smile or shrugged. Well, almost everyone.

"_What?!_" Pidgeotto blurted out; catching everyone else's attention. She glared around at the others, "_Are we seriously going to trust this guy?! He attacked Ash! He attacked all of us!_"

Soot looked at her with a kind smile, "Yeah. Just like you did when we first met."

Pidgeotto blushed and glanced to the side, "_W- well…_"

Primeape walked over and put a hand on the Bird Pokémon's back, "_Hey, take it from another battle-hungry nutjob._" He gave a thumbs up, "_With Ash's track record, he'll have plenty of opportunities to vent that craving._"

"_I…_" Pidgeotto started in an attempt to argue. She stopped and sighed in defeat, "_I guess you have a point._"

Soot, Pikachu, and Squirtle snickered.

Ash sweat dropped, "Do I wanna know what they said?"

Clefairy giggled, "_Nu uh._"

Aerodactyl blinked in confusion, "_Ash?_"

Pikachu translated.

Ash smiled and nodded, "That'd be me." He stood back up, "And I'd be happy to be your trainer."

Aerodactyl frowned and shook his head, "_No. Not you._" He looked at Charizard, "_Want you as trainer._"

Everyone flinched and stared at him in shock. Except Ash who glanced around in confusion.

Charizard blinked in surprise, "_… what?_"

Brock, Misty, and Electra rounded the corner and sighed in relief when they saw Ash was okay. Electra and Brock flinched slightly when they saw that Aerodactyl was conscious. Misty took a step back. She stopped when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye and looked over.

.

**Time Skip**

After Brock, Misty, and Electra were debriefed on the situation with the Rock/Flying-type, Ash returned everyone except Charizard and the obvious ones. They made their way back to the cave-in entrance where everyone had been gathered. It also turned out that Ash, Charizard, and Aerodactyl were the only ones spared from Jigglypuff's doodling. Soot got it off the rest of the group when they woke up.

Officer Jenny -who had been given a curled mustache, and monocle on her right eye- stood on a large rock as she spoke to everyone, "Some of you are claiming that you saw a prehistoric Pokémon here in the canyon! That is ridiculous! Let me assure you, it was only a dream caused by that wild jigglypuff's song!"

Ash, Brock, Misty, Soot, and the shoulder riders sweat dropped.

"I must also announce" Jenny continued, "that due to the danger of further cave collapses, no more digging will be permitted!"

Everyone started muttering.

"A dream?"

"It was more like a nightmare."

"I guess that dragonite was just a dream too."

Someone rubbed their shoulder, "But why does my arm hurt from when it attacked?"

Someone else, likely a friend, looked at them, "Maybe you just fell on it when you fell asleep?"

Gary looked upward thoughtfully with a hand to his chin. He had a large 'x' on his right cheek and a number sign (#) on his left, "That sure didn't seem like a dream." He sighed, "But it makes sense. I mean, a dragonite battling an aerodactyl? That's too crazy for words."

Gary's cheerleaders started doing their thing as they stood next to him. All of their faces were lettered 'A' through 'F' in large blocky letters, "Gary dreams the best! Better than the rest! He's the best from east to west!"

**Mizuro: *ashamed groan***

Gary smirked cockily, "Yeah. I know."

Misty's eye twitched before glancing at Ash with a sly smirk, "Wanna tell him about Aerodactyl?"

Ash looked at his rival and considered it. He shrugged, "Eh. Not today."

Soot pouted, "Aw."

.

*Charizard and Aerodactyl; down the road

"_Don't understand!_" Aerodactyl said in frustration, "_Why you can't be trainer?!_"

Charizard held up his claws defensively, "_I keep telling you that that isn't how it works. Only humans are trainers._"

"_But you strong!_" Aerodactyl argued, "_Want to train and fight with you!_"

"_What?_" Charizard raised a brow in confusion, "_We can still train and battle together even if I'm not your trainer. We'd be on the same team._"

Aerodactyl perked up before deadpanning, "_Why you not say that before?_"

Charizard sweat dropped, "_I honestly didn't think I needed to._" He glanced to the side, perked up upon seeing something, and turned towards it. He smiled, "_There they are._"

Aerodactyl perked up and followed his gaze to find the group headed their way. Ash smiled and pointed towards a large cluster of rocks off the road.

Charizard nodded, looked back at Aerodactyl, and gestured for him to follow, "_Follow me._"

The group and the pair of half-Flying-types made their way over to the rocks and hid behind. Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra jumped down from Ash and Brock's shoulders. Ash brought out all of his pokéballs and tossed them into the air.

Aerodactyl looked up in confusion and flinched as they all burst open and spewed white energy. The energy shot down and materialized into his soon-to-be teammates.

The Fossil Pokémon's jaw dropped in shock, "_H- how-_"

Ash looked at him and smiled, "Don't worry. You'll get used to it."

Bulbasaur perked up and looked at Ash warily, "_Are we jumping into another training session right now?_"

Soot translated.

Ash shook his head, "Oh, Yvel no. I've had enough excitement for the day."

Primeape and Aerodactyl grumbled.

Soot looked at them; deadpanned, "Oh, suck it up. We can kick off training around mid-day tomorrow."

Primeape huffed and crossed his arms, "_Fine._"

Krabby raised a claw, "_So, what are we doing?_"

"One second." Ash said before reaching around and pulling out the Change Lens's case.

He brought up the watch, sprang up the dial, and spun it to find the vaporeon silhouette. He brought out a Lens and placed it on the watch before flipping the vaporeon silhouetted disk over to Misty. He spun the dial and repeated the process before flipping a pikachu silhouetted one to Brock. Aerodactyl watched all of it happen in confusion.

Ash spun the dial again as the Gym Leaders placed their respective Lenses on their chests. Misty removed her backpack and placed it on the ground before all three humans hit their device and became engulfed in the green flash. The light faded to reveal the squinting pikachu, viridian-eyed vaporeon, and a normal looking mightyena; all with a green symbol on their chests.

Aerodactyl looked around at the trainers in shock, "_How you use Transform? You all ditto?_"

Misty blinked in surprise, looked at Charizard, and raised a brow while pointing a paw at Aerodactyl, "_Has he been talking like that this whole time?_"

Charizard nodded, "_Whole time._"

Brock smiled and waved his paws, "_No, we're not ditto. We'll explain the whole story later. Promise._"

Squirtle looked at Ash with a raised brow, "_So, again, what are we doing?_"

Ash frowned, "_There's something we need to discuss._" He took a deep breath, "_For Aerodactyl to join my team, one of you has to go to Professor Oak's ranch._"

Most of the Pokémon perked up in surprise and shared a sorrowful look. Soot, Brock, Misty, and Electra looked at all of them sadly.

Ash looked around at them with a frown, "_I know this is tough, but there isn't another way. Still, I'm not going to just send you off without you're consent. So I'm asking for a volunteer to go to my hometown._"

"_Oh, then I'll go._"

Everyone else perked up and looked at them in surprise.

.

*Back at the canyon

Team Rocket lied on their backs and panted heavily; having finally managed to escape the cavern.

"I officially prefer … this version … over the canon." Jessie muttered.

James glanced at her; deadpanned, "What was that about fourth-wall stuff?"

Jessie pointed at him without looking, "Zip it!"

.

.

**Mizuro: *glares at Ohirume* You son of a *****!**

**Ohirume: I regret nothing!**

**Seishin: *looks at readers while grinning and waves* Feel free to guess who's tagging out!**

**…**

**Faux, Pike, Gem: *stare in dumbfound shock***

**Nuevo: *raises brow and looks at Omega while pointing thumb at pair* The ****'s up with them?**

**Omega: *flips page before smirking* Huh. Apparently, they never caught that pterodactyl.**

**Faux: *glares at Omega* Could you please not rub it in?**


	53. Ch 47: Dr Proctor

**If you're being harassed by these ******** google ads, turn on Reader View. Activating it and results vary by device.

I am so sorry that I cannot offer any help beyond saying that**

**Omega: *flips page before eyes widen in shock* No ******* way is that his real name.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**PokÉ R**

**(Omega: You just keep dishing out the flop titles, don't you.**

**Ohirume: *Glares at Omega* References aren't easy!)**

.

"_Krabby?_" Ash asked in surprise, "_You wanna go?_"

The River Crab nodded, "_Yeah. You've gotta keep up your team's diversity._" He gestured to his Water-type teammate, "_And you've already got Squirtle who I know doesn't wanna go._"

Squirtle blinked in surprise before looking at the other Water-type sadly, "_Krabby…_"

The male Dark-type frowned and walked closer to the Water-type, "_Hey, I don't care about that stuff that much. I don't want that to be the whole reason for you to volunteer._"

"_I know that. You're just that nice of a person._" Krabby said kindly before looking Ash in the eye, "_But I made the decision a while back._" He looked around at everyone happily, "_Don't get me wrong, I like traveling with you all and I have a lot of fun. I've seen and experienced so much and learned all kinds of moves that I didn't even know I could learn._"

His expression became somber, "_But I also knew that something like this could come up. With a trainer like Ash, more Pokémon would be bound to wanna join him, and this decision would have to be made. So, I decided that I'd be the first to leave when it happens._"

Everyone just stared at the River Crab Pokémon in awestruck shock. Except Aerodactyl who was looking around in confusion.

"_Krabby …_" Ash muttered, "_I- I don't know what to say._"

Krabby looked up at his trainer, "_My minds made up, Ash. I'm sure of it._" He took on a happier expression, "_Besides, it's not like this is really a goodbye. I'll see you all again when you come to the ranch._"

Ash smiled sadly, "_Of course._" He crouched down and nudged up against the Water-type, "_But we're still gonna miss you. Thank you for this._"

"_It's no problem._" Krabby said before sweat dropping, "_Though, I do have one question._"

Ash stood back up and looked at him in confusion, "_What is it?_"

Krabby looked up at Ash somberly, "_Does this mean I have to leave immediately?_"

Ash perked up before frowning and looking at Aerodactyl, "_Actually, no. When a Pokémon is caught by a trainer who already has a full party, that new Pokémon will be locked into their pokéball in stasis until the party count is back to a reasonable number._"

Aerodactyl raised a brow, "_What that mean?_"

Soot looked at him and smiled sadly, "It means you won't be able to talk to anyone or do much of anything until Krabby leaves. We're about two days away from the next town."

Aerodactyl frowned, "_I wait long time?_"

Charizard shook his head, "_Not exactly. You'll be in stasis, so it'll probably feel like less than a day._"

Brock and Misty perked up and looked at the Flame Pokémon in confusion, "_Huh?_"

Aerodactyl looked at Charizard in surprise, "_Not long time?_" He smiled, looked back at Ash, and nodded, "_I okay with that._"

Ash smiled and pawed at the symbol on his chest. Aerodactyl flinched slightly as the trainer flashed green and emerged in human form.

Ash noticed Aerodactyl's expression and chuckled, "I promise I'll explain later." He reached around and pulled out an empty pokéball.

Aerodactyl's eyes widened, "_That rock. Same others come out of, right?_"

Clefairy looked at him in surprise, "_You don't know what a pokéball is?_"

Aerodactyl looked at her in confusion, "_Poking ball?_"

Pikachu looked at Ash in translated for Aerodactyl.

Ash nodded, "This is how you'll officially join my team." He pointed at the button on the ball, "All you have to do to go inside is press down on this round white part in the middle. Afterwards, you'll feel a kind of pressure." He held out the ball to the Rock/Flying-type, "I need to ask that you not resist it or else this won't work. Do you understand?"

Aerodactyl nodded, "_Think so._" He reached out a digit and pressed down on the button. He flinched slightly as his entire body glowed red and dematerialized.

.

*Pallet Town

Trainer Ash Ketchum has captured a new Pokémon.

Professor Oak perked up and looked over at the computer in surprise. He smiled before getting up and started walking over to it, 'So Ash finally went over his limit. Guess I should be expecting a call soon.' He smiled excitedly, 'Which means I'll finally be able to ask about those new forms!'

His smile saddened, 'Maybe I can also see if he's getting close on the Change Len-' He frowned and shook his head, 'No. He might've given up again. Best stay on the safe side and not bring it up at all.'

He stopped in front of the computer and pressed a button on it. His eyes widened in surprise as an image of an aerodactyl appeared on the monitor.

Samuel blinked in surprise, "An aerodactyl?" He smiled and put a hand to his chin, "Very impressive. Ash and Soot must've come across one of their fossils or an Old Amber."

He glanced at the Pokémon's move set and nodded contently before looking at the picture again. After about three seconds, he flinched and looked back at the list in shock. The moves listed were Wing Attack, Iron Head, Hyper Beam, and Giga Impact.

Oak blinked; still staring in shock, "I really hope they call soon."

.

*Back with the group

Ash stared at the compressed, non-moving pokéball in awe, "I just caught an aerodactyl. A non-revived aerodactyl." He smiled, "woah…"

Brock raised a brow, "_Didn't he ask to join you?_"

Misty deadpanned and sweat dropped, "_Like everyone else on your team?_"

Krabby looked at her and sweat dropped, "_Uh, Misty?_"

"_Almost everyone._" Misty corrected.

Ash looked back and down at them, and scratched his cheek sheepishly, "Well, sure. But catching a fossil Pokémon without reviving them first? This kind of thing doesn't happen to everyone."

Pikachu smirked and pointed at the Fairy-type, "_Says the trainer with 10 slots, who had a clefairy join him._"

Squirtle smirked, "_And the trainer/meema to the world's only inherent Pokémon._"

Clefairy giggled before translating.

Bulbasaur smirked as well, "_And probably one of the only people to have one of every Kanto starter join him without getting one as his actual starter._"

Soot held back a laugh and translated as well.

Charizard chuckled and pointed a claw at Ash's right wrist, "_And we can't forget about the watch that lets you-_"

Ash chuckled and waved his hands, "Alright, alright. I get it. A lot of out-of-the-ordinary stuff happens to me." He perked up and smiled normally, "Still," He held up and looked down at the pokéball, "I can't help but feel kind of awestruck by it." He smiled softly, "To think that his species, kabuto, and omanyte didn't actually go extinct. He's living proof of that and decided to join me of all people."

Muk chuckled softly and crossed his arms, "_Yeah. I guess you have a point there._"

"Anyway," Soot said; catching the others attention, "now that that's settled," She looked at the Bubble Jet Pokémon, "mind telling us what's in your bag?"

Misty flinched and looked at her in shock, "_Huh?!_"

Ash looked at Misty curiously, "Yeah. I've been wondering that too."

Misty looked at Ash in shock, "_H- how did you know?_"

Ash crossed his arms, "Well, the only time I've ever seen you take your bag off before transforming was when we were about to Lockdown." He tapped his nose, "But, mostly, I could smell something."

Soot sniffed the air, "Yeah. It kind of smells like a-"

"_Okay, okay!_" Misty called out while waving her forepaws. She sighed, "_I'll show you. Just let me let my team out, so I don't have to explain again later._"

Brock perked up, "_Oh. Good idea._"

The Gym Leaders hit the Lenses on their chests, lit up green, and emerged in their natural forms. Both tossed the Lenses back to Ash before pulling the pokéballs off their belts and tossing them into the air. The nine pokéballs burst open and the Pokémon materialized on the ground.

Zubat tensed up before looking into the sky. He sighed in relief when they saw it was evening. Horsea fell forward onto his stomach and whined. Goldeen started flopping aimlessly.

Misty frowned, "Oh, right. Sorry guys. I'll get the pool."

Ash smirked, "Actually, I don't think that'll be necessary." He looked at the flailing Goldfish Pokémon.

Goldeen smiled before flopping off the ground forcefully, moving herself upright, and flapping her fins slightly. Three thick rings of water formed around her as she fell back to the ground. The Water-type remained upright as the rings held her in place.

Misty stared in shock, "What the?! Goldeen, when did you learn how to do that?!"

Ash looked at Misty and smiled, "It's actually a pretty simple technique for the stationary-style of Aqua Ring. It naturally levitates around the user and -with the right placement and sized control- can even hold them." He crossed his arms, "She is stuck in place, so it's no real substitute for a body of water or levitating naturally. But it does keep her from flopping around."

Goldeen smiled up at Misty, "_I wanted to surprise you._"

Soot translated.

Misty smiled, crouched down, and pet the Water-type; minding the horn, "Well, mission accomplished. Nice Work."

Horsea looked at Goldeen in surprise before looking at Soot, "_Can I learn that too?_"

Soot looked at him with a sad smile as her ears drooped, "Sorry. 'Fraid not. Goldeen's the only one on Misty's team who can learn Aqua Ring."

Horsea laid on the ground sadly and whined, "seaaaa."

Misty looked at her Dragon Pokémon sadly before perking up, "Wait a sec. What about this?" She picked up Horsea and placed him in the highest of the floating rings around Goldeen.

Horsea blinked in surprise and looked down at the Water-type move, "_Huh?_"

Ash put a hand to his chin with a smirk, "Oh yeah. Stationary-style doesn't flow. He can move around freely in the rings."

Horsea looked at Ash in surprise, "_Really?_" He moved around the ring a bit before taking on an overjoyed expression and swimming around excitedly, "_Alright! Thank you, Goldeen!_"

Goldeen smiled at him, "_You're welcome._" She looked at Misty with a raised brow, "_Though, why are we out this late? Last minute training?_"

Soot looked at Misty with a sly smirk, "Yeah, Mist. Why are they out?"

Misty sighed, "I get it." She looked at Ash, "Can I get another Lens?"

After Ash passed two active Lenses to the Gym Leaders and the humans all shifted back to the forms they were in a moment ago, Psyduck fainted. Everyone looked at him and deadpanned.

Horsea looked at Ash, "_You are getting close to cracking Calm Mind, right?_"

Ash looked at him and nodded, "_Yup. Committed a tutorial to memory and already started on the personal training._"

Starmie sighed in relief, "_Oh, thank Arceus._"

"_Yeah. No kidding._" Misty said in relief. She walked over to her bag, sat next to it, and looked at everyone, "_Okay. The reason you're all out right now is because I need to show you something. Please don't overreact._"

The Bubble Jet Pokémon managed to open her bag and stepped aside. Everyone's eyes widened in shock at the sight of a white egg with red and blue triangles littered around it.

Horsea and Electra squealed happily.

Soot raised a paw immediately, "I call godmother!"

Vulpix looked at Soot in surprise before pouting with her ears drooping, "_Aw man._"

Squirtle ran up to Misty and nudged her with an elbow as he grinned, "_Look who went and found themselves a mate._"

Misty flinched and looked at him in shock, "_huh?_"

Goldeen frowned, "_I can't believe you get to be a meema before me._"

Pidgeotto looked at the Goldfish Pokémon with a smile, "_Hey, come on. Be happy for her. This is a big step._"

Goldeen sighed, "_Yeah, I guess._"

Onix frowned; feeling unsure, "_Though, isn't it kind of a weird color for an eevee egg?_"

Geodude crossed his arms and raised a brow, "_Maybe she was in a different form?_"

"_So,_" Staryu said in a sly tone, "_who's the proud papa?_"

Misty blushed heavily before shouting, "_I DID NOT LAY THIS! And I am way too young to actually be a-_" She perked up, looked at Ash, and sweat dropped, "_right…_" She sighed and looked back at them, "_Look, I found this egg back in the Canyon._" She looked at it sadly and her ears drooped, "_They were all alone on the ground and it didn't look like there was a nest anywhere. I couldn't just leave them there._"

Soot smiled softly, "Well then, I guess you're a meema now, Misty."

Misty glared at the Dark-type, "_I just told you-_"

"Meema doesn't always have to mean biological hatchling." Soot said; still smiling softly, "Pokémon adopt too."

Misty's glare faded before she looked at the egg again. She frowned and her ears drooped, "_Still … I've never taken care of an egg before. Heck, I've never even babysat._" She walked closer and placed a paw on the egg, "_What if-_"

"_Let me stop you right there._" Ash said in a serious tone; catching everyone's' attention, "_Misty. No one in this situation is ready right off the bat._" He smiled sadly and looked at Soot, "_I mean, did you really think I was?_"

Soot chuckled softly and shook her head.

The male Dark-type smiled softly at the Water-type, "_I had my mom and Professor Oak to help me when I didn't know what to do for Soot._"

Soot smiled at Misty, "Just like how you'll have us."

Misty perked up in surprise, "_W- what?_"

Goldeen smirked and raised a brow, "_Well, yeah. You didn't really think you'd be on your own, did you?_"

Starmie nodded, "_While none of us may actually be meemas-_" They perked up and looked at Ash, "_okay, most of us._" They shook it off and looked at Misty again, "_anyway, we'll still do whatever we can to help._"

Brock nodded and crossed his forepaws, "_Right. Like how I read up on this topic a long time ago. Afterall, egg care is part of being a breeder._"

Vulpix smiled as well, "_And I have helped Suzie take care of a few hatchlings._"

Soot grinned, "Babysitter."

Ash perked up in realization, "_Oh!_" He smiled as his tail started wagging, "_And my ponyta form has Heat Body. You can use it to help incubate._"

Soot looked at Ash in surprise, "Aw, what?" She pouted, "Wish I could've gotten that when I was an egg."

Ash chuckled nervously and sweat dropped, "_Sorry sweetie._"

Soot glared at Ash, "Hey. I said you only get a pass on that once."

Misty stared around the group in awestruck shock. She started tearing up a bit and smiled softly, "_Everyone…_" She wiped the tears out of her eyes, "_Sometimes I forget how lucky I was to have met you all._"

Geodude raised a brow and smirked, "_You mean you didn't realize that the first time you turned into a pikachu?_"

Misty chuckled, "_Okay, fair._" She looked around the massive group with a soft smile, "_But I mean it. You've always been there for me in a way that even my sisters sometimes weren't._" She lightly placed a forepaw on the Lens, "_I can't thank you all enough. For everything._"

"_Of course._" Ash said softly, "_We're your friends._"

"_And your team._" Staryu followed.

"_Nothing's gonna change that._" Brock finished.

Misty chuckled softly, "_Thanks._"

Soot smirked slyly, "And, y'know, that whole idea of your own little eevee baby isn't off the table."

Misty flinched and blushed heavily before glaring at the female Bite Pokémon, "_Will you cut that out?_"

Soot pouted, "Aww. But why?" She started using baby talk, "Just imagine cwadlin' dat fwuffy widdle bundle of joy in your arms. Your own cuddly wuddly vee-vee aw swaddewed up and snuggawy in a baby bwankie."

**Mizuro: *shivers* Felt a little cringe, there.**

**Ohirume: *nods* Understandable.**

"_Stop it!_" Misty shouted.

Everyone else started laughing.

"_Now you know how I feel when she does that._" Ash said with a smirk.

Krabby flinched upon realizing something and drooped sorrowfully, "_Aw man. I just realized I won't get to see the egg hatch._"

Clefairy frowned and patted the River Crab Pokémon sympathetically, "_Sorry._"

.

*A little later that day

The group continued down the trail leaving Grandpa Canyon. After about two hours, the sun set, and they set up camp on a clear area next to the trail. Unfortunately, random trainers would pass by down the trail, so they couldn't risk using the Lenses or the watch.

Brock was cooking with help from Geodude and Electra while Ash and Soot helped Misty with the egg. Onix, zubat, and all of Misty's Pokémon were waiting in their pokéballs.

The rest of Ash's Pokémon were grouped up off to the side as they decided to go ahead and say their goodbyes to Krabby.

Pikachu, Muk, and Pidgeotto had already done so by this point and Clefairy was currently hugging the Water-type.

"_Thanks for helping out with Hidden Power training._" Krabby said.

Clefairy smiled, "_I was happy to. Thanks for having a Dragon-type Hidden Power. It was fun._"

Krabby chuckled, "_Hey. I'm just happy I was able to learn the move at all._"

They separated and Clefairy smiled before walking away.

Bulbasaur walked up and held out a vine as he smiled softly, "_Take care, Krabby._"

Krabby nodded and shook the vine, "_Thanks._"

The Seed Pokémon walked off as the Pig Monkey Pokémon approached.

Primeape held out a fist and glared, "_Don't go slacking off back at that ranch, pipsqueak. I've seen a lot of potential and don't want you getting soft._"

Krabby chuckled softly and placed a claw against the fist, "_Same to you, furball._"

Primeape chuckled a bit before walking to the side.

Charizard walked over to Krabby, kneeled down, and smiled at him, "_See ya when we get to Pallet Town. I'm gonna miss you._"

Krabby glared determinedly, "_Well don't miss me too much. I'll be a lot stronger by then. I plan to pay you back for our first battle._"

Charizard blinked in surprise before chuckling lightly. He shifted to a cocky grin, "_We'll see about that._" He smiled softly and held out a claw, "_Until then._"

Krabby's expression softened as he shook the claw, "_Until then._"

Charizard stood up and took a step back.

Squirtle walked up to the other Water-type and smiled sadly, "_Hey. Thanks for going through with this. I really appreciate it._"

Krabby looked at him with a kind, somber expression, "_It's no problem. Like I said, someone had to switch out eventually and it'd be better to keep up the diversity. I knew that you sure as Yvel didn't wanna go._"

Squirtle stared in mild surprise before smiling sadly again, "_Thanks. It's been an honor to team up with a dude as cool as you._" He held out a fist, "_Team Water-boys._"

Krabby looked at Squirtle in confusion, "_I thought you hated that name._"

The Tiny Turtle Pokémon's eye twitched, "_Please just go along with it before I change my mind._"

The River Crab Pokémon chuckled softly before putting a claw to the fist, "_Team Water-boys._"

.

*Ash, Misty, and Soot

Misty slowly and carefully wrapped a blanket around the egg as it sat on the table. She finished and stepped back, "Like that?"

Ash smiled with a hand to his chin while looking at the egg, "Yeah. Nice job." He looked at Misty, "This'll definitely be a good substitute until we get an egg case in the next town. And, depending on the Pokémon, it might even help after they hatch."

Misty sighed in relief before smiling softly, "Good."

Soot's eyes narrowed as she stared at the egg intently, "Y'know, I could swear I've seen that design before. It looks a lot like-"

Misty grab Soot by the muzzle; making her flinch, "Nope. Don't spoil it for me. I wanna wait for them to hatch." She let go of the Dark-type.

Soot looked at her; deadpanned, "Okay, you do have an egg, so I'll let you off with a warning this time. But please don't do that again." She raised a brow, "And are you sure you don't wanna know?"

Misty looked back at the egg again and nodded, "I'm sure." She placed a hand on the egg and rubbed it gently, "I don't care what they are. I'll take care of them all the same."

Soot smirked slyly, "Even if they're a Bug-type?"

"Even if they're a-" Misty stopped and perked up before looking back at the pair warily, "They're not a Bug-type, right?"

Ash chuckled slightly, "No. I can tell they're not a Bug-type."

.

**Time Skip**

Continuing on their journey, the group found themselves in the park of a large town. Before this, they stopped by the local Pokémart to stock up on supplies, get the egg case, get some supplies for the hatchling to be, and subsequently let Electra explore for a bit. The human obsessed Electric-type got a few confused and curious stares from the other shoppers when she started hopping in place and joy-squealing in front of the tents on display.

Afterwards they decided to take a break at the park they were in now. Most of them sat on a few benches that were under a large apple tree and just enjoyed the quiet.

Misty held the egg in the case in her lap. Soot was lying across Ash's lap as he petted her calmly. Clefairy was looking up at the clouds while lying against Ash's side. Electra was dressed up in her light pink shirt and baby blue belt and curled up in Brock's lap with her backpack still on. And Pikachu was up in the tree getting a snack.

Everyone sat in comfortable silence for a while. Right up until they heard a pained squeak and looked back as Pikachu fell into a bush.

Soot got off Ash before the boy jumped off the bench and hurried over to the bush. Brock picked up Electra and Misty held the egg as they, Clefairy, and Soot hurried over as well.

Ash picked Pikachu up out of the bush and looked at him worriedly, "Pikachu! What's wrong?!"

Pikachu gave a high-pitched squeak before he flinched and put a paw over his throat; ears drooping.

Electra frowned worriedly, "_What's wrong with him?_"

Brock grimaced, "There might be something caught in his throat."

Clefairy looked at Brock before looking at Pikachu with a worried frown.

Misty glared determinedly, "We've gotta get him to a Pokémon Center, quick!"

"Hold on." Soot said before shifting her eyes to the banette design.

She moved closer and bit down around and through Pikachu's neck. The Mouse Pokémon inhaled deeply before Soot pulled a full-sized apple out of his throat. She handed it to Ash.

Pikachu put a paw to his chest and coughed before looking at Soot with a sad smile, "_Thanks._"

Clefairy looked at the male Electric-type worriedly, "_Are you okay?_"

Pikachu looked at her and nodded with a smile, "_I am now. But I'm never doing that again._"

Ash looked at his Mouse Pokémon with a raised brow as he held up the apple, "Speaking of, why did you swallow this whole?"

Pikachu chuckled nervously as his ears drooped, "_I didn't think it all the way through._"

Ash looked at Brock and Misty and translated. He brought out the four remaining claws on his left hand and started cutting up the apple.

Misty sweat dropped, "But, still, how did you swallow it whole? It's bigger than your mouth."

Pikachu looked at her with a raised brow, "_Maybe. But not by that much._" He opened his mouth as wide as he could. Brock and Misty flinch slightly when they saw it was just over the size of one of their fists. He closed his mouth again and smiled, "_See?_"

Ash handed Pikachu an apple slice, "Here you go."

Pikachu took it immediately, "_Thanks._" He bit into it and started chewing happily.

Soot looked back at the Gym Leaders with a smirk and a raised brow, "You guys never tested that when you were pikachu?"

Brock sweat dropped, "I guess not."

Misty chuckled nervously; still looking at Pikachu, "Well, on the upside, we don't have to rush you to a Pokémon Center, now." She looked at Ash curiously, "Speaking of which, where is it in this town?"

Ash and Soot flinched slightly and shared a look.

"Um…" Soot mumbled.

Ash looked at Brock, "Can I see the map?"

Brock brought out and handed him the folded sheet, "Here."

Ash unfolded the map and looked over it for a moment before frowning, "Well, this stinks. There's no Pokémon Center in this town."

Soot's ears drooped as she deadpanned, "Great…" She sighed, "I guess we'll just have to try the next one."

Ash raised a brow while still looking over the map, "Well, there is something else we could try first." He pointed off into the distance, "There's a hospital a few blocks that way. They might have a Transfer Machine."

Electra blinked in surprise, "_Hospital?_"

Pikachu looked at her and nodded, "_You can think of it like a Pokémon Center for humans … or 'Human Center,' I guess._"

Soot looked up at Electra, "Except with more floors and without the healing machines."

Brock frowned, "Going to a hospital just to transfer a Pokémon? I'm not sure I like the sound of that. What if we interrupt something important?"

Ash shrugged, "Well we can head that way and check it out. If they seem busy, then we don't even ask and head to the nearest Center. If it looks like a slow day, we can at least ask."

Misty and Brock shared a look and shrugged. They looked back and Misty smiled, "I guess that wouldn't hurt."

Soot smiled up at Ash, "Lead the way, dad."

With that, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra took their places on their trainers' shoulders, everyone gathered up their stuff, and the group followed Ash down the road.

"Anyone else think it's kind of weird that this town has a Pokémart but no Pokémon Center?" Misty asked.

Ash frowned and looked up thoughtfully, "Actually, yeah, now that you mention it."

.

*Hospital

"_Woooooooah._" Electra and Clefairy said as they stared at the building in bright-eyed awe.

Pikachu blinked in surprise, "_Huh. It looks a lot like the one in Pewter City._"

Brock looked at the vehicle in the parking lot, "Well, there's an ambulance here."

Ash put his hands to his ears, "And I don't hear any sirens from other ones."

Misty smiled and clenched a fist, "Sweet! Maybe they really aren't busy."

Soot looked at the door and blinked in surprise, "Or they're closed."

Ash looked at her with a raised brow, "Soot, you know that emergency hospitals don't have closing hours."

Soot pointed a paw ahead, "Yeah, I thought the same thing until now."

Everyone else looked where she was pointing and perked up in surprise at the sight of the small 'closed' sign on the door.

Brock stared in confusion, "Huh." He scratched his head with an unsure expression, "Maybe this one closed down recently. My map could be outdated."

Clefairy noticed something and pointed ahead, "_If it's closed, should that human be in there?_"

Everyone else looked again as a brown-haired man in a lab coat walked past the door and yawned into his hand. The group shared a confused look before walking up to the door.

Ash knocked on the 'closed' sign, "Excuse me!"

The man stopped walking and looked over at the door. He frowned before walking over and hitting a switch on the wall. The doors slid open a moment later.

Electra perked up and smiled happily, "_Automatic doors!_"

The man yawned again and mumbled, "Just getting to sleep." He looked at the group again, "What do you want?"

Ash chuckled nervously, "Sorry, but, uh, I was wondering if you had a Transfer Machine here. I went over my party limit recently."

The man raised a brow, "You came to a hospital for a Transfer Machine?"

Brock waved his hands defensively, "We know. We're sorry. We at least wanted to check."

Misty smiled sadly, "The nearest Pokémon Center's really far away and we were hoping to make a quick call. We'll leave if you're busy."

The man looked at her. After a moment, he smiled kindly, "Not at all. I'd be happy to let you use it. Afterall, how could I turn down such a pretty face?"

**Illavera: I'm sorry, what?**

Misty blinked in surprise, "Huh?"

Ash and Brock perked up and shared a look. Soot sweat dropped and deadpanned.

.

*Hospital back room

The man -Doctor Proctor as he said- opened a door to reveal a video phone and the Transfer Machine. He smiled at Misty, "Here you are. Take all the time you need, miss."

Misty smiled nervously and sweat dropped, "Um … thanks."

The group made their way inside.

Ash looked at the doctor, "Thanks again for letting us use this."

Proctor frowned, "Yeah, sure. I'll be on break if you need me." He closed the door behind them.

Soot sweat dropped, "That guy gives me the creeps."

Misty frowned and adjusted her hold on the egg, "Yeah. Me too."

Clefairy smiled, "_I thought he seemed nice._"

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_Yeah. To Misty._"

"_Insane…_" Electra muttered as she looked over the video phone in bright eyed awe.

Soot looked up at her and smiled, "Oh, yeah. This is your first time seeing a phone, isn't it?"

Electra nodded excitedly, "_How does it work?!_"

Brock smiled and sat down in the chair in front of the computer, "Just watch." He hit a button on the side.

Electra's jaw dropped in shock as the screen lit up. Ash, Brock, Misty, and Soot frowned when a lock symbol appeared over a word bar. Pikachu and Clefairy tilted in confusion.

"Oh." Brock said in disappointment, "It looks like we need a password."

Misty sweat dropped, "Of course we do." She sighed, "I guess we need to go get Proctor."

"Or not." Ash said; catching the others attention, "You're about to see another reason for why I wore those sunglasses back in Neon City."

Brock moved out of the chair as Ash sat down. The trainer stared at the locked computer intently for about five seconds before he started typing. Everyone else's -except Soot's- eyes widened when he unlocked the computer on the first try.

Misty stared in shock, "Okay. If you were anyone else, I'd be more than a little scared."

Ash sweat dropped, "I honestly don't blame you." He started dialing up Professor Oak's number, turned on the speaker, and tensed up before rapidly lowering the volume.

Soot looked at Ash, "Volume too high?"

Ash nodded, "Yup."

The phone continued ringing before Professor Oak appeared on the monitor. He looked at them and smiled excitedly, "Ash! Soot! It's good to see you again! I've been meaning to ask about-" He stopped and tensed up slightly when he saw the Gym Leaders. He smiled nervously, "O- oh. Hello Brock. Hello Misty."

Misty smiled and waved, "Hi Professor. It's been a while."

Brock smiled, "Nice to see you again."

"Likewise." Oak said.

Soot smirked, "I'm guessing you wanted to ask about Aerodactyl."

Oak sweat dropped, 'I'd hoped for a little more than just that.' He sighed before smiling sadly, "Well, yes. That is something I was hoping to ask about." He focused on Ash, "But I assume you wanted to send over one of your Pokémon first?"

Ash nodded with a sad smile, "Yeah. We can talk about Aerodactyl in a bit." He pulled out Krabby's pokéball, placed it on the device, and started typing again.

The machine whirred to life before the ball lit up and disappeared. Electra stared at the Transfer Machine in slack jawed, awestruck shock. Pikachu and Clefairy looked at the machine in surprise.

"_So, that's what it looks like._" Pikachu said.

Oak took the pokéball from the stand and held it in front of the camera; still smiling, "Here we are. They made it here safe and sound."

Electra started looking back and forth between the monitor and the Transfer Machine in shock.

Ash smiled, "Good to know. But could you let him out real fast?"

Samuel nodded, "Very well." He held out the pokéball before it burst open.

Krabby materialized on the counter, looked around the room, and flinched, "_What the?!_"

Ash waved, "Krabby. Over here."

The Water-type looked at the monitor and blinked in surprise, "_Ash?_" He looked up at the professor, "_Oh, right. The transfer._" He looked around again, "_So this is the place, huh? Seems kinda cramped._"

Soot snickered, "You're in the lab, right now. The ranch is outside."

Krabby looked at her before looking around again, "_That makes a lot more sense._"

"Krabby." Ash said with a sad smile; catching the River Crab Pokémon's attention, "I wanted to say thank you, again, for volunteering like that. That couldn't have been an easy decision and I really appreciate it."

Krabby looked at him with kind a yet somber expression, "_It was no problem. Still, I'd be lying if I said I won't miss you all._"

Soot smiled softly, "Well, I can guarantee you won't be bored. The lake there is huge, and you'll meet a lot of Pokémon from regions you've probably never heard of."

"Take care, Krabby." Ash continued; still with the sad smile, "I'll see you next time I call."

Krabby nodded, "_Until then._" He looked back at the professor.

Samuel nodded before returning the Water-type and placing the pokéball in his coat pocket.

Ash looked at Oak, "Take good care of him, Professor."

Professor Oak nodded with a smile, "I promise I will." He raised a finger and smiled nervously, "Now, sorry to change subjects so suddenly, but …"

Soot snickered, "Yeah, yeah. Aerodactyl."

.

*One explanation later

"An entire civilization?!" Oak blurted out in shock.

Ash smiled nervously and sweat dropped, "I'm not sure if I'd go that far. I only saw nine in total. Two of each for kabutops, kabuto, omastar, and omanyte, and the only aerodactyl I saw was the one who joined me."

The old professor calmed down and smiled, "Still, discovering that many ancient Pokémon in one place? It's an incredible find, Ash. And not to mention your Charmeleon evolving and Aerodactyl willingly joining you. It almost sounds too good to be true."

Misty smiled and held up the egg, "And that's not all that happened."

Oak blinked in confusion, "An egg?" His eyes widened in shock before he leaned closer, "Wait! Are you saying you got that egg from Grandpa Canyon?! That it holds an ancient Pokémon?!"

Misty smiled sadly, "I don't think so. I found it above ground a little after Aerodactyl decided to join Ash. I have no idea what's in it."

Soot smiled, "I've got a pretty good idea, but she doesn't want me to spoil it."

Oak moved back and smiled normally, "Regardless, it sounds as though you all had an incredibly progressive trip." He looked at the Pewter Gym Leader, "And what about you, Brock?" He pointed at Electra, "Is it safe to assume that pikachu came from Grandpa Canyon as well?"

Brock smiled but shook his head, "Actually no." He gestured to the Electric-type on his shoulder, "This is Electra. She joined me after we-"

"After we left Matcha City." Soot jumped in with a smile, "She's actually a really big human fanatic. So much so that she gave herself her name and lived in a tent back in her tribe."

Electra nodded excitedly.

Professor Oak looked at Soot in surprise, "Really?" He looked at the female Mouse Pokémon and smiled happily, "Well it's a pleasure to meet you, Electra. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them."

Electra smiled excitedly before she jumped down to the counter and put her paws on the screen as her tail started wagging wildly, "_This thing is called a phone right?! How does it work?! Are you somewhere else or actually inside this one?! If it's the first one, how far away are you?! How does this machine let us see and hear each other?! If it's the second, how'd you get inside?! Was it like a really advanced human machine that makes stuff smaller?! And what about that thing that sent Krabby from here to-_"

"Electra!" Ash interrupted loudly. Electra looked up at the trainer as he smiled sadly, "You know he can't understand you, right?"

Electra perked up and looked at the screen again to find the old man staring at her in confusion. She frowned and her ears drooped, "_Oh, right._" She took a few steps back from the phone, "_Sorry._"

Soot translated.

Oak smiled, "It's quite alright. I'd be lying if I said I've never gotten a little over excited about something. How about we start from the top?" He looked at the Bite Pokémon, "Soot, would you mind translating?"

Soot smirked, "Can do." She looked at Electra, "Though, please take it a bit slower or summarize your questions to like two sentences at a time. I'm not sure I could keep up with you at full speed."

Electra nodded and looked back at the professor with a smile, "_How does the phone work? Are you somewhere else or actually inside this one?_"

Soot translated.

Samuel smiled, "The first one. Take a look." He looked down and started typing for a moment. The image shifted to the back of the professor's head and he stepped aside to reveal his phone with an image of Electra staring back.

Electra's jaw dropped as her eyes widened in shock. She started moving around as the image of her did the same, "_What the Yvel?_"

Oak walked back into view and fixed the camera to point at him, "That was the secondary camera that I put behind me. As you saw, the phone you're using is actually calling my phone. One doesn't work without another to call." He held up the receiver and pointed to it; lowering his voice in the process, "Regular phones work with this component called a receiver. Though, it's also known as a handset." He put the handset back to his ear, "It's equipped with a speaker and concealed microphone that allows you to talk to and listen to whoever you're calling."

Electra smiled brightly as her eyes lit up, "_Insane!_" She sat down and stared at the man intently; tail wagging again, "_What else?! How does it do all of-_"

Everyone flinched and looked over when a banging sounded from the door.

"Hey!" Dr. Proctor's voice called out, "Hurry up in there! I don't have all day!"

Ash sweat dropped, "I guess we're out of time."

Electra looked at Ash in shock, "_What?!_" She looked at Oak sadly as her ears drooped, "_But I had so much more I wanted to ask you!_"

Soot frowned and translated.

Oak smiled sadly, "I'm sorry, Electra. Perhaps another time." He looked around the group, "Take care, everyone."

Ash smiled and waved, "Bye, Professor."

Soot grinned, "See ya, Oak."

Misty smiled, "Bye."

Brock smiled, "Until next time."

Pikachu and Clefairy raised a paw while smiling, "Pika/Fairy!"

Electra waved while frowning, "pi…"

Oak waved back while smiling, "So long!" He placed the handset down and the screen went black a moment later.

Electra looked down sadly and whimpered, "chu…"

Brock looked at her with a frown before smiling sadly and petting her, "It'll be alright, Electra. We can always call again another time."

The female Electric-type looked up at her trainer before smiling sadly, "_Thanks._" She held up her paws to him.

Brock smiled softly before picking her up and moving her back to his backpack. Everyone flinched again when the banging continued.

Misty glared at the door, "We get it!"

The group made their way back over to the door and opened it to reveal Proctor standing there with his arms crossed.

"About time." Proctor said before pointing a thumb to the side, "Now go on home." He started walking away and mumbled, "I knew I should've become a lawyer."

"_Maybe he's not that nice._" Clefairy said.

"No, really?" Soot said sarcastically.

Brock frowned, "He seemed a lot nicer to Misty than any of the rest of us."

Misty glanced at Brock and smirked slyly, "It almost sounds like a certain someone else we know."

Brock tensed up and chuckled nervously, "I, uh … well-"

Soot snickered, "Let's just get out of here. We did what we came to do."

The group made their way back out of the room and back toward the front desk. Upon reaching it-

Ring, ring, ring. Phone call, phone call. Ring, ring, ring. Phone call, phone call.

The phone at the counter started ringing.

**Nuevo: What the **** kind of ringtone is that?!**

**Omega: *skims pages before smirking* One that gives the episode a minun every time it's used.**

**Gem: *raised brow* What? Why?**

**Faux: *scratches head* Yeah. I don't hear anything wrong with it.**

**Mizuro and Illavera: *look at Faux and Gem and deadpan while sweat dropping***

Proctor walked right past the phone.

Misty looked at the doctor, "Um, your phone is ringing."

Proctor just continued walking, "I'm not gonna answer it. I'm off duty."

Misty's eye twitched, "Seriously?"

Brock frowned, "But what if it's an emergency?"

Soot sighed and walked around the counter, "Come on."

Proctor stopped walking and perked up when he heard the new voice. He looked back right as the group answered the phone.

Nurse Joy appeared on the other end, "Hello! Hello!"

Brock blushed and smiled goofily, "Hello, Nurse Joy!" Electra glanced at her trainer and sweat dropped.

The nurse's eyes narrowed, "Who are you?! This is supposed to be an emergency hospital!"

Ash stepped aside and pointed a thumb at Proctor, "It is."

The doctor frowned and waved a hand as he leaned against the counter, "Gimme a break. I'm off duty."

Joy glared at him, "Doctor, this is a critical situation! A truck that was carrying Pokémon was involved in a traffic accident!"

The image changed to show the crashed truck on the side of the road and a large number of Pokémon scattered all around. An ambulance was already present with an Officer Jenny directing a handful of chansey as they all pushed around stretchers.

The Nurse continued; off screen, "Many Pokémon were injured, and my Center can't handle all the victims."

Brock frowned, "Uh oh."

Misty frowned as well, "No kidding."

Ash raised a brow, "Wait a second. Couldn't you transport them to another Pokémon Center? And why was a truck transporting Pokémon like that?"

The nurse reappeared on the screen and shook her head, "None of the Pokémon were in any pokéballs and none of them appear to be wild. Officer Jenny's still investigating what happened, but these Pokémon need help, first and foremost." She looked at the doctor, "We need your hospital to help care for some of these patients temporarily."

Soot glared back at Proctor, "You have to help them!"

The nurse and doctor jerked and looked at Soot in surprise.

"What the-" Proctor muttered before shaking his head and looking at Joy, "Alright. Bring them down this way." He smiled, "By the way, Nurse Joy, would you be interested in going out for pizza Saturday night?"

Joy glared at him, "You can talk to me about pizza after our work is done." She hung up.

Proctor shrugged, "Well, can't blame a guy for trying." He walked over to a supply closet.

Soot sweat dropped and mumbled, "In this situation, yes you can."

Brock frowned, "You might've been right about me being like him, Misty."

"No, he's worse than you." Misty said; deadpanned.

Electra frowned, "_Way worse._"

Proctor walked back over with a few lab coats in hand, "Alright, all of you had better get into these."

Misty flinched and her eyes widened, "Excuse me?"

Proctor nodded, "We don't have any other doctors and nurses in today. So, you'll all have to be my assistants." He smiled kindly, "You'll do fine as long as you do exactly as I tell you."

**Omega: *pushes button as a minun videogame cry sounds***

**Faux: … where-**

**Omega: Yukiro.**

**Seishin: 😋**

**Ohirume: *points at Omega* You know you don't get to use that whenever you want, right?**

**Omega: Yes, but can you really blame me for doing it right then and there?**

**Ohirume: … fair enough.**

Everyone sweat dropped.

"_I mean,_" Pikachu muttered, "_it is the right thing to do._"

Clefairy smiled and clenched a fist determinedly, "_Yeah! We can do it!_"

Electra nodded with a smile as well.

The humans and Soot all shared a looked and nodded while smiling.

Soot looked up at Proctor, "We're in."

The doctor looked at her again before looking around at the trainers, "Hey. How did you get a-"

Ambulance sirens started sounding outside; cutting off Proctor and catching everyone's attention.

Ash blinked in surprise, "That was fast."

.

**Short Skip**

A handful of ambulances drove up to the hospital momentarily. Immediately after they stopped out front, a large number of chansey started wheeling the Pokémon into the building on stretchers.

Ash and Brock had been given a typical lab coat to put over their regular clothes and Misty was … given an entire nurse's outfit. Pikachu, Clefairy, Electra, and Soot weren't given any outfits; much to Electra's disappointment. Everyone's bags were propped up in the corner of the room and the egg was in Misty's bag.

Proctor ran into the room with a pair of chansey pushing a stretcher that had a crying cubone on it. The Ground-type's skull was littered with scuffs and cracks.

"Move Cubone to the treatment table!" Proctor instructed, "Stat!"

Brock and the chansey nodded before grabbing the pad from the stretcher and moving it over to the table. Cubone started crying even harder. Brock and Misty tensed up in response. One of the chansey hurried out of the room.

Proctor stepped forward, "You've got to keep the patient under control."

Ash nodded, "On it." He pointed to Cubone, "Pikachu, Thunderbolt."

Pikachu complied and unleashed a large bolt of electricity on the Lonely Pokémon.

Proctor stared in shock before glaring at Ash, "What do you think you're doing?! You can't just attack a patient!"

Ash smiled, "Calm down. Cubone's not hurt."

Proctor blinked in surprise and looked again. Cubone's crying had slowed down to some sniffling as they looked around in confusion; tears still in their eyes.

Soot smirked, "Cubone are Ground-types. Electricity has no effect on them. But given how young he is, he can still notice that it happened. It was more surprising than anything."

Proctor blinked in surprise again, "Huh…"

The chansey from before returned and held up an X-ray, "_Here you go._"

The doctor snapped out of it before looking at the Egg Pokémon, "Oh, right. Thanks, Chansey." He took the sheet and held it up, "It's head is okay thanks to that thick skull." He smiled, "Repair the fractures with superglue and apply a bandage."

Soot sweat dropped, "Uh…"

"That won't be necessary." Ash stated before he looked at the two Egg Pokémon, "We need some healing moves. Raise your right arm if you know Soft-Boiled and left for Heal Pulse."

One of the chansey raised her left arm. The other frowned sorrowfully, "_The only healing move I know is Refresh._"

Soot translated for the second one.

Ash smiled softly, "Hey, don't worry about it. That'll come in handy for another patient." He looked at his hatchling, "Soot, go find a chansey that knows Soft-Boiled."

Soot nodded, "On it." She turned and ran out the door.

Ash looked at Brock, "We have Cubone handled. Go treat the rhyhorn that came in."

Brock smiled and nodded, "Alright." He looked at the chansey with Refresh, "Mind lending me a hand?"

Chansey perked up in surprise and looked at him before smiling and nodding, "_Sure._"

The Pewter Gym Leader nodded and walked out of the room with the chansey following him. Electra ran after them.

Ash looked at the Water trainer, "Misty, I need you to comfort Cubone until Soot gets back."

Misty tensed up slightly and looked at Ash in surprise, "Huh? I'm not sure I'm the best choice for this."

Ash smiled softly, "You'll do fine, Misty. Besides, this'll be a good experience."

Misty perked up in realization before taking a deep breath and nodding with a smile. She started moving closer to Cubone. Cubone looked at her and flinched before holding up his bone defensively.

Misty stopped and smiled softly before kneeling down to his level, "It's alright, Cubone. I'm not gonna hurt you." She held out a hand to the Ground-type; making him tense up slightly, "I promise."

Cubone blinked in surprise and looked at the hand warily. He slowly held out a paw to touch it. He flinched slightly and pulled back upon doing so before placing his paw on her palm. Cubone looked up at Misty curiously.

Misty smiled kindly, "See? Everything's fine." She brought up her other hand into the Ground-type's line of sight, "Would it be alright if I picked you up?"

Cubone glanced at her hand before looking up at Misty again and nodding slowly, "_S- sure._"

The Cerulean trainer calmly moved to pick up the Lonely Pokémon and cradled him. Cubone looked up at her curiously before leaning closer and nuzzling against her. Misty started petting him.

Proctor stared in mild surprise.

Ash smiled softly, "See? You're a natural, Misty."

Misty glanced at her bag before smiling softly, "Thanks."

Everyone heard a clacking from the doorway and looked over to find Soot standing next to a chansey.

The Dark-type smirked, "Someone order a Soft-Boiled chansey?"

Ash rolled his eyes while smiling. He looked at the Egg Pokémon, "Thanks for getting here so fast. I'm guessing Soot filled you in?"

Chansey nodded before moving over to Cubone. The one with Heal Pulse moved closer as well. Cubone looked at them warily and nudged closer to Misty; grabbing her sleeve.

The Water trainer smiled and pet him, "It's okay. They're here to help."

Cubone looked up at her before looking at the chansey again. He loosened his grip on Misty.

Soot looked at the Normal-types, "Go ahead."

Both Chansey looked back and nodded before turning to face Cubone again.

One of them had the egg in her pouch glow bright orange before placing her arms on it. She raised her arms up forcefully as an egg-shaped ball of energy rose from the egg and into the air.

The other chansey took a deep breath before unleashing a calm wave of green light from her mouth.

Cubone tensed up and closed his eyes as the moves approached. The moves connected and Cubone began to glow a clustered mixture of bright orange and green. The scuffs on his outer skull began fading immediately and the cracks started sealing. By the time the moves stopped, only two short cracks were left extending from the eye sockets; neither more than an inch in length.

Cubone perked up and blinked in surprise, "_Huh?_"

Misty smiled down at him, "Feel better?"

The Ground-type looked up at her again before nuzzling closer to her, "_Yeah!_"

Misty nuzzled him back, "Good. You're a tough little guy, aren't you, Cubone?"

Ash smiled and looked at the chansey, "Nice work." He looked at Misty, "You too. Now see if you can get him down for a nap. The rest of us will move on to another patient."

Misty nodded while smiling, "Got it."

Clefairy raised a hand while smiling happily, "_I'll help her out!_"

Proctor frowned and held out a hand, "Wait a second. We're not done here. There are still a few cracks left on Cubone's skull."

Ash smiled, "It's fine. Outer cracks on a cubone skull are cosmetic. When he evolves, the minor ones will fade completely with the rest becoming minor scars. We don't need to seal all of the cracks completely. We just need to fix the ones we can and make sure none of them get any worse."

The chansey both looked at Ash in surprise before sharing a look.

.

*Team Rocket; lobby

Arbok and Raticate glared at each other angrily as each stood/laid on a stretcher; the former with their tail tied in a knot and the latter with their teeth shattered.

"Can someone please remove this raticate?!" Jessie cried out, "It insists on trying to take a bite out of my arbok!"

James tried to shoo the Kantonian Normal-type away, "Beat it, Raticate. Amscray."

Proctor walked up with a chansey beside him, "This raticate's teeth are broken. It couldn't bite anything if it tried." He looked at the chansey, "Just glue its teeth back in with super glue."

Chansey frowned, "_I'm not sure that sounds r-_"

Another chansey ran over and placed an arm on her shoulder; catching her attention, "_Don't argue. He can't understand us._" She pointed back, "_Get Raticate to the male trainer with a hat on. From what I've seen, he'll be a lot more helpful._"

The first chansey nodded, "_Got it._" She picked up Raticate and started walking to another room.

.

*Raticate, Ash, Pikachu, Chansey

Pikachu frowned as he looked at the Mouse Pokémon's incisors, "_Ouch. That has got to hurt._"

Raticate glared at him, "_Ya think?!_"

Pikachu flinched before chuckling nervously, "_Sorry._"

Ash kneeled down in front of Raticate, "I can help with this, but I need you to hold as still as you can for a few seconds. Okay?"

Raticate sighed before nodding, "_Yeah, sure._"

Ash smiled, "Thank you." He quickly brought out his claws and slashed at the Normal-type's teeth before they could do anything.

Chansey's jaw dropped as the jagged portions all fell off and clattered on the ground. The only thing left were straight-cut portions less than an eighth of the usual length.

Raticate flinched and looked down frightenedly, "_My teeth!_" He glared up at Ash, "_Why the Yvel did you do that?!_"

Pikachu looked up at Ash and translated. Raticate and Chansey looked at the other Mouse Pokémon in confusion as he did so.

Ash smiled at Raticate, "Don't worry. This is actually a well-practiced method." Raticate and Chansey looked at the human in surprise as he raised a finger, "Your kind's teeth grow perpetually and can actually become overgrown if you're not wearing them down on your own. Clipping them is completely harmless so long as there's still something to grow from." He scratched the side of his head and smiled sheepishly, "Though, given the circumstances, you're gonna wanna lay off solid foods until they grow back to an appropriate length."

Chansey blinked in surprise before looking at Pikachu, "_You can speak human too?_"

Pikachu shook his head and pointed to his trainer, "_Actually Ash can understand my kind._"

Ash looked at Chansey and shrugged, "And a few others. Though, your species isn't on that list." He looked at Raticate, "And neither is yours. Sorry."

Raticate stared in surprise, "_Still, that's … pretty incredible._" He shook it off, "_And I guess I should actually be thanking you for doing that. Thinking about it now, I'm really not sure I wanted my teeth glued back on like that other human said._"

Pikachu sweat dropped before translating.

Ash deadpanned, "Seriously? That was what he said to do?" He pinched the bridge of his nose, "Freaking Yvel. That's not even an option when a human has a broken tooth."

Chansey blinked in surprise, '_My sibling was right about him._"

Ash looked at Raticate again and smiled sadly, "Also, you really shouldn't thank me just yet. There is one more thing we need to do for your teeth."

Raticate raised a brow, "_What is it?_"

Ash chuckled sheepishly; guessing the question, "You may not like it."

.

*Soot, Brock, Electra, Vulpix, and Refresh Chansey

The quintet looked over as Proctor wheeled in an arbok with their body tied in a knot. Four of them recognized him immediately.

Electra flinched, "_Wait! That's-_"

"AH!" A pair of shouts rang out.

They all looked over to find Jessie and James staring at them in shock.

"The twerps?!" Jessie cried out.

James pointed, "What are you doing here?!"

Soot sweat dropped, "What does it look like? We're helping out."

Electra jumped onto Brock and hid behind his head. Vulpix crouched down and glared angrily. Chansey blinked in confusion.

Brock glared at them, "What are you up to this time?!"

Jessie glared back, "Later!" She looked up at Proctor and smiled softly, "Doctor, I'll be so grateful if you help my arbok."

Soot nodded, "On it." She started walking towards the cabinets.

Electra looked at her in surprise, "_You're helping them?_"

Soot continued walking, "Hurt Pokémon's a hurt Pokémon. I don't like this a whole lot either, but we promised to help." The Bite Pokémon shifted her eyes before phasing her head into a ground-level cabinet and pulled back out with a syringe in her mouth. She walked over to Proctor and held it up.

Proctor took the needle and stared down at it in confusion. He looked at Soot, "How did you know where this was?"

Soot looked up at him, "I ran around while intangible and took stock."

The doctor blinked in surprise. He shook it off before injecting Arbok. The Poison-type flinched, sat up, and shrieked before flattening on the stretcher.

"Arbok!" Jessie shouted fearfully before glaring at Soot, "I knew I couldn't trust you, you gl-"

"Oh, calm down." Soot interrupted while looking at her; deadpanned, "That was anesthetic. It just knocked him unconscious."

Proctor looked at Soot in surprise, "That's, uh … that's right." He started messing with the knot on Arbok's tail, "Anyway. Now I can perform the procedure."

Vulpix deadpanned, "_Does he always have to seem so surprise whenever Soot does something even remotely intelligent?_"

Electra frowned and crossed her forepaws, "_Yeah. It's kind of annoying._"

After about a minute, the knot was undone and Arbok seemed to relax.

The doctor smiled, "Now to cure it's poison."

Brock perked up and looked at the man with a raised brow, "Cure their poison? A Poison-type can't be poisoned."

"Unless there's a rogue salandit in the building." Soot commented.

Jessie glared at them, "Hey! Doctor Proctor said that Arbok's own poison was circulating through his veins! I trust the doctor a Yvel of a lot more than any of you!"

Soot rolled her eyes, "Fine." She looked at Chansey, "Go ahead and give him a Refresh."

Chansey smiled and nodded, "_On it!_"

She walked closer to Arbok and placed an arm on his tail before closing her eyes. She started glowing light blue before the energy spread across Arbok. The glow faded and Chansey stepped back.

"_All done._" Chansey said happily.

Brock smiled, "Good job."

Soot, Electra, and Vulpix's ears twitched before they looked over to find a pair of chansey each wheeling a stretcher down the hallway. One had a poliwhirl on it and the other had a weepinbell with a voltorb stuck in their mouth. Everyone else noticed and followed their gaze.

Brock frowned, "There are still more coming in."

Proctor frowned as well, "Yeah." He looked at Jessie with a smile, "But maybe I could convince this beautiful young woman to lend us a hand."

Brock, Soot, Electra, and Vulpix glanced at him; deadpanned, 'Se_ri_ou_sl_y?'

Jessie perked up in surprise, "Huh?" She smiled and pointed to herself while blushing, "I presume you're referring to me?"

"Why, yes." Proctor responded.

Jessie smiled happily while nodding, "I'll do my best."

James raised a hand, "And I'll help too."

Everyone flinched when a loud screeching and a harsh metal scraping sound came from down the hall.

"_I HATE THIS!_"

"I know! I'm sorry!"

Brock stared in confusion, "Was that Ash and a raticate?"

Jessie and James blinked in surprise before sharing a look.

"Like that one with the broken teeth?" James asked.

Soot sweat dropped, "Ah. That's what's going on. Dad must be filing down the poor guy's teeth."

Proctor looked at her in shock, "What?! I told a chansey to super glue them back on!"

Soot, Brock, and Vulpix flinched before looking at him; deadpanned. Electra noticed and did the same.

Proctor noticed and looked at them in confusion, "What?"

.

*Soot

After filling in Ash, Pikachu, Misty, and Clefairy on the whole 'Team Rocket helping' thing, the Dark-type made her way back down the hall.

"I said price, not rice!"

She stopped and perked up before looking towards one of the rooms. She groaned, walked over to the room, and looked inside to find Meowth struggling to stand up with a gameboard on his head.

"I don't wanna play." The Scratch Cat whined, "Find my charm, please!"

Soot sighed before walking in, "I'll take it from here, Chansey."

The pair of Normal-types looked over at her before the feline flinched.

Chansey smiled and raised an arm, "_Okay!_" She walked past Soot and out of the room.

**Seishin: Wait a sec! *looks at Ohirume sourly* That just voided the best part!**

**Ohirume: *sweat drops while looking down shamefully* I know, I know. I'm sorry.**

**Pike: *raises brow* What are you talking about?**

**Seishin: *pulls up video of Chansey smiling blankly and slapping Meowth for four straight seconds***

**Everyone: *stares in shock before bursting out into laughter***

**Mizuro: *calms down and looks at Ohirume* Why the **** would you cut that?!**

**Ohirume: I'm sorry, okay?!**

Meowth removed the board, placed it to the side, and looked at Soot sadly; revealing nothing where his charm should be, "What are you doin' here?"

Soot sweat dropped, "Like I told your partners, helping." She raised a brow, "What happened to your head charm?"

"It musta fallen off in da crash." Meowth sniffled as he started tearing up, "I couldn't find it anywhere."

Soot stared at him blankly before groaning, "Dear Arc, you are dumb."

Meowth looked at her angrily; tears still in his eyes, "Hey! A meowth's charm means a lot to 'em! How would you feel if ya lost somethin' important ta you?!"

Soot tensed up before glancing away somberly.

Meowth blinked in surprise, "Hey, what's-"

"It's nothing that concerns you." Soot said sternly before taking a deep breath and looking at Meowth, "Your charm isn't gone, doofus. That thing is a part of your skull. If it were gone like you say, you'd be the luckiest son of a glitch alive for surviving the frontal portion of your skull being destroyed."

The Normal-type glared, jumped to his hind paws, and pointed at the spot where his charm was supposed to be, "Oh yeah?! Well, if you're such a genius, tell me where it is now!"

The inherent Dark-type shifted her eyes and placed a claw on his forehead, "Right there."

About a second later, Meowth's charm popped out of his head; right through his skin. Soot pulled her paw back.

Meowth's eyes widened before he looked up. He smiled and placed a paw on his head, "My charm!"

Soot smirked, "It got tucked in between your skin and skull. Gotta tell ya, that is not easy to make happen." She gestured back, "Now go find Jessie and James and get to work. They're helping out, so you have to too." She turned and walked out the door.

Meowth flinched and looked at the door in shock, "Wait, what?!"

.

*Misty and Jessie

The pair had been assigned to the voltorb and weepinbell. Misty held Weepinbell in place while Jessie -who had also been given an entire nurse's outfit- tried pulling Voltorb out. A chansey stood by them and Proctor was behind them tending to an ivysaur.

Misty looked at Jessie, "We have to do this carefully."

Jessie glared at Misty, "I don't need you to tell me how to do things, thank you." She focused back on the Ball Pokémon and started pulling again, "Easy does it."

Voltorb's eyes narrowed before they started sparking wildly. The girls flinched, let go, and stepped back cautiously.

Proctor looked back at them, "Be careful back there, ladies. Voltorb can use Self-Destruct, y'know."

Jessie flinched and looked back at him in shock, "Self-Destruct?!" She raised a finger and chuckled nervously, "I- I just remembered that I have to go find-"

"Hey, Jess." Meowth said as he walked up to the doorway; making Jessie tense up, "The twoip's mutt said ta come find-" He stopped and flinched when Jessie picked him up and slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Sorry about that." Jessie said nervously as she started backing up towards the door, "Meowth's obviously not feeling well. So, if you'll excuse me-" She turned and ran down the hallway.

Misty's eye twitched, "Typical."

Proctor sighed and looked at the Egg Pokémon, "Chansey, take over."

Chansey raised an arm while smiling, "_Can do._" She moved around the table and grabbed Voltorb.

The Electric-type glared and started sparking again as the Normal-type started tugging.

Misty glared at them while holding on to Weepinbell, "Don't you dare, Voltorb. We can't get you out if you attack."

Voltorb grumbled and stopped sparking, "_Just hurry it up._"

After nearly a minute's worth of tugging, Chansey and Misty finally managed to pull Weepinbell and Voltorb apart. Chansey held Voltorb up triumphantly and Weepinbell started panting heavily.

Misty smiled, "Nice work." She looked down at the Grass/Poison-type happily, "Feel better, Weepinbell?"

"_Y- yeah._" Weepinbell panted, "_Thanks._"

.

*Brock and James

The pair had been working with a pinsir whose left horn had completely broken off. Proctor instructed them to super glue it back on.

"Hold them steady." Brock said as he moved to reattach the horn.

"I'm trying." James said while he had his arms wrapped around the Stag Beetle Pokémon.

Brock put the horn back into place before stepping back and smiling, "Alright. Looks good. Try not to move around too much until the glue hardens."

"_Got it._" Pinsir said happily, "_Thanks for putting it back on._"

James grimaced, "Hey! Take it easy!"

Brock smiled, "I'm pretty sure they're saying, 'thank you', James."

Pinsir nodded happily.

"Pinsir horns grow back." Soot said without looking as she walked past the door.

Brock, James, and Pinsir flinched and looked at the door in shock.

Brock looked at the Stag Beetle Pokémon, "Did you know it grew back?"

Pinsir shook in disagreement, "_I've never broken it off before._" She perked up and pointed at the door, "_Wait. That mightyena speaks human?_"

James grabbed the glued horn, "We should probably get this off, now." He started tugging. He frowned when it wouldn't budge, "Uh oh."

Brock sweat dropped, "I'll go find a solvent."

"Room 3-A, third to last upper cabinet on the right!" Soot's voiced called out.

"Thanks, Soot!" Brock called back.

.

*Ash

The trainer had moved to a nidoking who was currently laying on a stretcher. Clefairy and the chansey who brought Raticate were with him.

The Drill Pokémon tensed up and grimaced when Ash spritzed one of his spines with a Max Potion, "_Yup! That's the right spot, alright!_"

Clefairy translated.

Ash nodded, "Thanks. I'll try to make it fast." He continued spraying; much to Nidoking's discomfort.

Chansey looked at Clefairy curiously, "_So your trainer can understand your kind too?_"

Clefairy nodded with a smile, "_Yup. It's cool, right?_"

Ash chuckled softly and rolled his eyes.

Nidoking looked at Clefairy with a smile, "_Yeah, no kidding. I never thought I'd get treated by a human who I could tell where it-_" He flinched again and cried out, "_Hurts! Hurts!_"

The Fairy Pokémon looked up at Ash and translated for the others.

Ash chuckled nervously, "Sorry. I'm almost done." He continued spraying and finished up in a matter of seconds. He stepped back and smiled, "There."

Nidoking moved to sit up and smiled at Ash, "_Thanks._" He looked back towards his spines, "_I think it's already feeling better._"

Clefairy smiled and translated.

Ash smiled at Nidoking, "I was happy to help. Just don't lay on your side for a day or two."

Nidoking nodded, "_No problem._"

Chansey looked at Ash and raised a brow, "_Hey. If you don't mind me asking, how are you able to understand them but not the rest of us?_"

Nidoking perked up before looking at Ash in confusion, "_Yeah, she has a point. I thought language was an 'all or nothing' kind of thing._"

Clefairy smiled, "_Oh. It's because of Ash's Power Integration._"

Ash tensed up as the Poison/Ground-type and Normal-type looked at the Fairy-type in confusion, "_Power Integration?_"

Clefairy nodded; still smiling, "_Yeah. It's when …_" She frowned and scratched the side of her head, "_Um… Well I don't really know how it works, completely. I just know that Ash can understand a Pokémon species a little while after one of them touches his watch._"

Ash looked at his Fairy Pokémon with a frown, "Clefairy, you didn't have to tell them all of-"

"_You mean this thing?_" Nidoking asked before poking the face on the device.

The trainer flinched when he heard the watch spring up and brought it up to see it spinning and glowing yellow. It stopped and returned to green as a nidoking silhouette appeared on the face.

Nidoking stared in surprise, "_Woah._"

Ash sweat dropped, "great…" He let his arm drop and gave Clefairy a deadpanned look.

Clefairy chuckled nervously and sweat dropped, "_Sorry._"

Ash sighed, "It's fine. Just please be a little more carefu-" He flinched, and his eyes widened when he heard the watch spring up again. He looked over to find Chansey staring at the spinning device curiously with her arm out.

"Chansey?!" Ash blurted out before pulling his arm away, "Why the Yvel did you do that?!"

Chansey frowned, "_What's wrong? Isn't understanding us a good thing?_"

Clefairy translated; causing Nidoking and Chansey to look at her in confusion.

Ash frowned, "Well, sure. But that isn't all that-"

Everyone flinched when a loud shout rang out from another room. Everyone except Nidoking recognized it as Proctor's voice.

"_What was that?!_" Clefairy cried out in alarm.

Ash groaned, 'It's just one thing after another.' He ran out the door while calling out, "Chansey, finish up with Nidoking! Any damage healing move will do!"

Clefairy ran after Ash. Chansey and Nidoking watched in confusion.

Clefairy looked at Nidoking, "_Does Heal Pulse sound alright?_"

"_As long as it doesn't sting like that spray._" Nidoking responded.

.

*Proctor

Ash, Brock, Misty, Soot, Clefairy, and the tRio ran into the room and appropriately flinched. Proctor was standing in front of a dodrio with their necks all tangled together. Pikachu, Electra, and a chansey stood by and stared at the man frightenedly. The alarming thing was the fact that the doctor had a freaking needle in his shoulder.

Jessie ran up and looked at him worriedly, "Doctor Proctor! Are you alright?!"

The man looked at her and smiled, "Oh, I'll be fine." He pulled the needle out and frowned, "But I'd say this'll put me out for at least" His eye lids started drooping, "six … hours."

James grimaced, "But you can't go to sleep! We need your help!"

"We really don't." Soot muttered under her breath.

Proctor started walking over to a bench while rubbing his eye, "You guys take over." He laid down on it, "Good night."

The tRio ran over and James started nudging him, "Come on, Doc. Wake up." He frowned and looked at his teammates, "Well, he's out."

Meowth frowned, "great…"

"Bulbasaur, come on out."

Team Rocket looked back as Ash released his Grass/Poison-type. The Seed Pokémon noticed the tRio and glared at them.

"Not now, Bulbasaur." Ash said before pointing a thumb at the Triple Bird Pokémon, "I need you to use Sleep Powder on Dodrio, here."

Bulbasaur looked at Ash and nodded, "_Alright._" He turned to face Dodrio before releasing a large puff of blue powder at their faces.

Dodrio fell forward from the blue cloud and started snoring.

Ash smiled, "Nice job." He looked at the Gym Leaders, "You guys mind untangling him? I'm thinking about getting a head start on that parasect."

Soot looked at them as well, "And I'm gonna go check on Tauros."

Brock smiled and nodded, "Go for it. We'll be done here in no time."

Misty sweat dropped and smiled nervously, "Yeah. Parasect's all yours."

Ash nodded, "Thanks." He looked at Bulbasaur, "Mind staying with them?"

Bulbasaur smiled, "_No problem._"

Electra raised a paw, "_I'll stay too._"

Ash looked at the female Rocket, "Jessie, stay in here and watch over Proctor. We don't want anything to happen to him by accident."

Jessie looked at Ash in surprise before smiling and saluting, "Can do, twerp!" She looked at her teammates harshly, "James! Meowth! You're staying too!"

Meowth flinched slightly, "Yes ma'am."

James frowned, "But, what about Weezing? He's still hurt."

Soot looked at the male Rocket, "I'll get him patched up and then bring him to you. Arbok too."

James frowned worriedly and Meowth's eyes narrowed apprehensively.

Jessie smiled happily as she pulled a blanket over the sleeping doctor, "Yes, yes. Sounds good. Good luck."

The group sweat dropped. They shook it off before Brock, Misty, Electra, Bulbasaur, and Chansey got to work untangling the sleeping Dodrio. Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder and Clefairy jumped onto Soot's back before the four of them left the room.

.

**Time Skip**

A few hours had passed as everyone took care of the Pokémon in the hospital.

Misty had tended to a hitmonlee with Bulbasaur's help, Brock patched up a sandslash with a potion, and Soot tended to Weezing with Clefairy's assistance.

The tRio had already gotten Arbok and Weezing back but remained in Dodrio's room with Proctor. Every time James or Meowth tried to say something, Jessie would shut them up with a glare. They didn't dare try to leave the room.

Ash had gone all around to more or less supervise but mostly translate for the Pokémon with the help of Pikachu and the chansey. Speaking of which, it only took about an hour for that translator to take effect. The nidoking one wasn't ready, last he checked.

Right now, the group, the Refresh chansey, the chansey Ash scanned, and the scanned chansey's sibling were gathered in an empty room as Ash showed them all the new form. Everyone figured it out pretty fast and they wouldn't stop bugging him over it.

Everyone stared in surprise at the chansey with a familiar green symbol on his chest. The natural chansey in the room stared blankly.

Pikachu blinked in surprise, "_Wow._"

Clefairy smiled happily, "_Cool!_"

Misty blinked, "A male chansey. I … really shouldn't be surprise at this point."

Brock smiled and crossed his arms, "Though this will be a lot of help in the long run. A healer form like this can really help in an emergency."

Ash smiled, "_Plus, this form apparently knows Light Screen._" The chanseys' eyes widened even further upon hearing his voice as he looked up at Misty, "_I can teach it to Staryu, Starmie, or even Psyduck._"

Soot translated.

Misty smiled brightly, "Sweet! I can't wait to tell them!"

"_Y-_"

Ash, Soot, Pikachu, Clefairy, Bulbasaur, and Electra perked up and looked at the chansey. Brock and Misty looked as well soon after.

The Chansey with Refresh stared at Ash in pure shock, "_You- You're male. You're actually a male._"

The Chansey he scanned stared as well, "_I-It's unbelievable. Our kind are only ever supposed to be girls. But, this … wow._"

Her sibling looked back and forth between her and Ash, "_And you look freakishly similar to my sibling. I just … I'm not even sure what to say about that._"

Soot snickered, "If you think this is nuts, you should see the kangaskhan form. Both of him break all kinds of logic rules."

The siblings looked at Soot in shock, "_Kangaskhan?!_"

Refresh Chansey blinked in shock, "_Both?_"

"Hey! Anyone here?!" Someone called out from the lobby.

Brock immediately stood up and smiled upon recognizing the voice, "Officer Jenny!"

Misty, Soot, Electra, and Pikachu glanced at him while sweat dropping. Ash hit the symbol on his chest and shifted back to human before everyone made their way to the lobby.

They found Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy there. The nurse was looking over Sandslash, Raticate, and the sleeping Cubone in mild awe while Jenny sat in a chair by the door.

Jenny noticed them and smiled before standing up, "There you are."

Joy looked over as well before raising a brow, "Where's the doctor in charge?"

Misty sighed and pointed back, "He took an anesthetic to the shoulder and has been asleep for the last four hours."

Joy's eyes widened in shock, "Wha- Four hours?! You've been on your own for that long?!"

Soot sweat dropped, "We were kind of on our own before that, too." Jenny looked at her in surprise.

Ash sweat dropped with a nervous smile, "Doctor Proctor kept trying to get us to use superglue to help the Pokémon. Obviously, we didn't do that."

Brock scratched his head while chuckling nervously, "W- well … at least not without fixing it soon after."

Joy blinked in surprise before looking back at the Normal-type and Ground-types, "So he didn't treat these Pokémon?"

Soot shook her head, "Oh Yvel no."

Brock smiled, "I took care of Sandslash with a few potions."

Misty smiled, "And I helped calm Cubone down so the chansey could heal him."

Ash raised a hand, "And I clipped Raticate's teeth." He looked at Raticate with a sad smile, "And sorry again about the metal file. There really wasn't another option."

Raticate sighed, "_It's fine. It stopped hurting about a minute after you finished._"

Soot smiled and translated.

Ash smiled, "Good to hear."

Joy smiled softly, "Well I can tell that you've all done a great job. Thank you so much for all your help."

Jenny blinked in surprise and mumbled; still looking at Soot, "Talking mightyena…" She perked up and smiled at Ash, "Oh, now I get it. You're that trainer my third cousin, twice removed was talking about. You helped her out at the preservation area."

Everyone in the group -except Electra- tensed up upon hearing that. Electra noticed and looked around in confusion.

Ash sweat dropped with a nervous smile, "Sh- she told you about me?"

The officer nodded with a smile, "Yeah. She said you helped save the kangaskhan herd twice and even managed to reunite Tomo with his real family. I have to admit, I'm impressed."

Soot cleared her throat, "Is, uh … is that all she told you?"

Jenny raised a brow, "Pretty sure, yeah. Is there something I missed?"

Misty waved her hands, "No, no. That sounds right."

Pikachu and Clefairy sighed in relief. Electra was still looking around at the others in confusion.

Brock stepped forward, "By the way, did you find out how this all happened in the first place? The crash, I mean."

Jenny looked at him, "Oh yeah. Turns out the Pokémon were all stolen from there trainers and the thieves were trying to use that truck to move them." She smiled, "On the bright side, they didn't take any of the pokéballs." She pointed a thumb to the entrance, "We already found the trainers and got them on a bus. They're on their way here now."

Everyone perked up before sharing a deadpanned look.

Misty groaned, "Of course."

Jenny blinked in confusion, "What?"

Ash sighed, "We know who and where the thieves are. Their Pokémon were being treated, too." He pointed back down the hall, "Six rooms down on the left."

Jenny looked at him in shock before looking down the hall Ash was pointing to. She glared and broke into a sprint, "They're not getting away!"

Everyone except Joy and the treated Pokémon ran after her.

Jenny came up to the room momentarily and pointed into it while glaring, "Hold it right-" She stopped and blinked in surprise, "Huh?"

Everyone else came up to the room and stared in surprise when they found Proctor still sleeping. Dodrio's right head was lightly pecking at him curiously. The man frowned and turned away.

Misty blinked, "Where did they go?"

.

*Team Rocket and Proctor; moments before

Jessie continued watching over Proctor as he slept on the bench. The only thing on her mind was the pizza dinner later. James and Meowth sat on a pair of chairs behind her. Both sat in a slump as they were essentially forced to keep watch.

James sighed before he stood up and held out a hand to his teammate, "Jessie, shouldn't we be trying to get-"

Jessie glared back at him; effectively shutting him up. James sat back down.

Meowth grumbled, "At dis rate we'll neva get those Pokémon back."

"Hey! Anyone here?!" Someone called out from the lobby.

The tRio flinched upon recognizing the voice and looked at the door in shock.

Meowth jump off the chair, "It's da fuzz!"

James stood up again and looked at Jessie with a determined glare, "Jess, we need to leave!"

Jessie looked at James in shock. She started looking back and forth between the door and Proctor.

"Jessie!" James and Meowth said harshly; trying not to be heard by the others in the building.

Jessie stood back up and grumbled, "Fine."

The tRio ran out the door and down a hallway. All three of Dodrio's heads watched curiously as they did. After a moment, he hopped down from the table and walked over to Proctor.

.

**Short Skip**

The bus pulled up shortly and the trainers piled in immediately. The group got to work in reuniting everyone with their Pokémon.

Ash noticed Nidoking walking through the hall and looking around worriedly.

He hurried over and looked up at him, "Nidoking. You alright?"

The Drill Pokémon perked up and looked down at Ash before smiling, "_Oh, hey. It's you again. Did that inte-whatever translator happen yet?_"

Ash smiled, "Yeah. Apparently." He frowned, "Is everything alright? You looked worried for a moment."

Nidoking frowned, "_I'm trying to find my trainer._" He started looking around again, "_I haven't had much luck yet. I'm starting to worry that-_"

"_MEEMA!_"

Ash and Nidoking perked up and looked over to find an eevee looking at them happily with his tail wagging extatically. The Evolution Pokémon charged forward.

Nidoking smiled happily, "_Hatchling!_" He kneeled down with his arms out before Eevee jumped into his arms. Nidoking hugged him happily, "_I missed you so much._"

"_Nidoking!/Meema!_"

They looked again to find a female espeon and a male flareon running over to them.

Espeon nuzzled up against Nidoking with a sad smile, "_I was so worried._"

Nidoking smiled softly and put a claw on her back, "_I'm okay, dear. There's nothing to worry about._" He looked at Ash, "_I actually have ..._" He blinked in confusion, "_Uh..._"

The Trainer smiled, "Ash."

"_Ash, here, to thank for helping me._" Nidoking continued with a smile, "_He patched me up and everything._"

Espeon smiled and stared up at Ash.

After a few seconds, Ash frowned uncomfortably, "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Espeon perked up and blinked in surprise. Her eyes narrowed as she stared intently.

Ash sweat dropped, "Seriously, what are you doing?"

Espeon flinched and blinked in shock, "_My telepathy isn't working?_" She looked down worriedly, "_Maybe the stress was getting to me more than I thought?_"

Ash smiled, "Oh. Don't worry, that's not the case." He put a finger to his temple, "I have a resistance to psychic influence and a few mental barriers set up." He chuckled nervously, "Your telepathy won't work on me. Sorry."

Eevee, Flareon, and Espeon stared at Ash in shock.

Nidoking blinked in surprise, "_You can understand there species too?_"

Ash smiled and nodded, "Yeah. I scanned an eevee a long time ago and it gave me a translator for all the eeveelutions."

Flareon raised a brow, "_What?_"

Nidoking pet his evolved hatchling, "_I'll explain later._"

Espeon continued staring at Ash in shock for a moment before shaking it off. She smiled, "_I was trying to say thank you for taking care of my mate. We were really worried about him._"

Ash smiled and kneeled down in front of her, "It was no trouble. You'll be happy to know that he wasn't even that hurt when he got here. Just a few bruises that we fixed really easily with a Hyper Potion."

Espeon sighed in relief.

Flareon smirked, "_Well, of course he was barely hurt. No way something as simple as a car crash is gonna really hurt him._"

Eevee glared determinedly with a smile, "_Our male meema's super tough._"

Nidoking chuckled nervously and sweat dropped, "_R- right._"

Espeon noticed and smirked slyly. She walked up to Ash and whispered, "_He whined like a hatchling when you used the potion, didn't he?_"

Ash blinked in surprise before glancing at Nidoking. He looked at the Sun Pokémon again and whispered back, "Just a little bit."

Espeon snickered before looking at her family, "_Come on, Dan's been looking for you._"

Nidoking smiled, put Eevee down, and stood back up, "_Then, let's not keep him waiting._"

Ash stood back up as well and Espeon led all of them down the hall.

Soon enough, they found a male trainer -presumably Dan- kneeling down in front of Soot and talking to her with a worried expression on his face. Soot's nose twitched before she looked at the five of them and smiled.

Dan followed her gaze before running over and hugging the Poison/Ground-type, "Nidoking! Thank Arceus you're okay!"

The Drill Pokémon smiled and hugged his trainer back. Espeon looked up at the man happily and nudged her head towards Ash.

Dan looked down at her in surprise, "Really?" He looked at Ash and smiled, "Thank you for taking care of Nidoking. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to him."

Ash smiled, "It was no trouble."

Soot walked over and looked up at the Drill Pokémon with a smile, "So you're the ace this guy won't stop talking about."

Ash looked at Soot and blinked in surprise, "Ace?"

Dan smiled, "I guess that's one word for it." He put a hand on Nidoking's back and looked up at him with a smile, "I've had Nidoking since he was a nidoran and he's become one of my strongest Pokémon. He and I have been through everything together." He looked at Ash and grinned, "We even finished in the top four at the last Indigo League. Right now, we're working on the Battle Frontier and just earned our third symbol when …" He sweat dropped, "this happened."

Ash smiled nervously and sweat dropped, "You don't say…"

Soot raised a brow, "Speaking of, how did this happen? It sure as Yvel doesn't sound like they overpowered any of you."

Nidoking chuckled nervously and scratched his cheek, "_They tricked us by saying it was some spa deal. I talked Dan into it._"

Espeon sighed as her ears drooped, "_And I helped by translating. Not our finest moment._"

Eevee blinked in surprise, "_Wait. Meema wasn't at a spa?_"

Flareon tensed up slightly before glancing at his younger sibling apprehensively.

Soot sweat dropped, "Ah." 'Even when those three manage to outsmart someone, they mess it up.'

"Uh, Dan, right?" Ash asked.

The other trainer looked at him, "Yeah?"

Ash smiled nervously, "This may sound weird, but … can I ask what Nidoking's move set is?"

The five present Pokémon all perked up and looked at Ash in confusion. After a few seconds, Soot's eyes widened in realization before looking up at Nidoking and then at the watch.

Dan blinked in surprise, "Sure, I guess."

.

*Later that day; forest clearing

After saying their goodbyes to Proctor, Officer Jenny, Nurse Joy, and all of the chansey, the group continued on their journey. After a while, they set up camp for the night and let out everyone. Which now included Aerodactyl.

Right now, everyone stared in stunned silence and/or awe at the nidoking towering over all but two of them. The Drill Pokémon with the symbol on his chest was frowning with his arms crossed. As per the usual, Brock was in pikachu form and Misty was a vaporeon.

"_SWEET!_" Squirtle cried out excitedly; shattering the silence, "_What does this one know?!_"

Ash grumbled, "_Poison Jab, Earthquake, Fire Blast, and Thunder Punch._"

Primeape started trembling from the excitement, Aerodactyl grinned excitedly, and everyone else stared in shock.

Bulbasaur blinked in surprise, "_That gives us a lot of options._"

Misty raised a brow, "_And you're upset about that, why?_"

Ash sighed, "_Because that Dan guy put a lot of work and time into training Nidoking and I feel like I just out right took that._"

Brock raised a brow, "_But didn't you say that Nidoking touched the watch willingly? It's not like you did it intentionally._"

"_Yeah, but still._" Ash said, "_It just feels … cheap._"

Primeape stepped forward excitedly, "_So what if it is?! You're still teaching me that Thunder Punch!_"

Aerodactyl grinned, "_And teach Fire Blast!_"

Muk glanced at the battle maniacs while sweat dropping, "_You do realize you'll each have to forget a move to learn those, right?_"

Primeape tensed up before looking down thoughtfully, "_Hm…_" He looked at Ash, "_I'll think it over._"

Aerodactyl continued grinning, "_Not worry. Just forget weak move like Wing Attack._"

Ash pointed at Aerodactyl, "_And I'll explain what's wrong with that later._"

"Well, now that that's settled," Soot said casually; catching everyone else's attention, "to officially welcome Aerodactyl to the team." She grinned, "I think a nice break for the rest of the day is in order."

The Pokémon all perked up and looked at Ash.

Ash chuckled softly before smiling, "_Sure. Why not?_"

"_YEAH!_" All of the other Pokémon -except Aerodactyl and Primeape- cried out excitedly.

Primeape grumbled and crossed his arms.

Aerodactyl looked at Charizard, "_What we breaking?_"

Charizard sweat dropped, "_Um…_"

.

.

**Omega: *looks at Faux and Gem* So how much of that doctor's instruction did you follow?**

**Gem: *tenses up* Um...**

**Faux: *scratches side of head sheepishly* W- well. It wasn't that much, r-**

**Pike and Shadow Pearl: All of it.**

**Faux and Gem: *flinch* GUYS!**

**Mizuro: HAH!**

**Nuevo: *smirks* Shown up by Trix, yet again.**

**Faux and Gem: *groan***


	54. Ch 48: Jessebelle

**If you're being harassed by these ******** google ads, turn on Reader View. Activating it and results vary by device.

I am so sorry that I cannot offer any help beyond saying that**

**Omega: *flips page* Jessebelle, huh? *shrugs* Probably that Rocket woman's full first name.**

**Faux: *frowns and sweat drops* You'd lose that bet.**

**Gem: *tenses up and eyes widen* Wait! That's what's coming up next?!**

**Pike: *shivers* Really rather forget about her.**

**Nuevo: *stares at others warily before looking at Luke* What the **** is about to happen?**

**Luke: *frowns* I'm actually not sure. We have run into her before, but I was not present for this encounter.**

**Laura: *nods* Same.**

**I don't own Pokémon or Ben 10.**

.

.

**What The Yvel, Jessebelle?!**

.

Aerodactyl swallowed and smiled blissfully, "_Okay, like break._"

Charizard sighed in relief before smiling at him, "_Glad to hear._"

For their remainder-of-the-day off, everyone basically sat around the clearing to do … well, whatever really. They also decided to take it easy and stick to Brock's extra reserves of Pokémon food for dinner. No one argued.

After that, almost everyone just lazed around the campfire in some way. The difference, this time, is that Ash was the campfire.

The ponyta laid in the middle of the area with the egg sitting near him. Soot laid next to her father with Pikachu, Clefairy, Electra, and Brock in pikachu form lying against her.

Squirtle, Misty, and Misty's team lounged around in the pool; preferring it to the heat. Though, the vaporeon remained propped up against the pool rim to keep an eye on the egg.

Bulbasaur knocked Primeape out with Sleep Powder to keep the noise down. Afterwards, the Seed Pokémon resigned to sunbathing happily as Onix, Geodude, and Muk resting near him.

Zubat found a very well shaded tree to rest under as Pidgeotto rested in the branches higher up.

And Psyduck was asleep. Because he fainted again.

Charizard, Aerodactyl, and Vulpix were the only ones still eating. They sat on the other side of the clearing so the others could relax.

Aerodactyl picked up his bowl, downed the rest of the food happily, and started chewing. He perked up when he noticed the Fox Pokémon staring at him.

The Fossil Pokémon sweat dropped and swallowed before looking at her, "_Why staring at me?_"

Vulpix tensed up and chuckled nervously, "_S- sorry._" She perked up and looked at him intently, "_It's just- I have never seen one of your kind before. And to think you grew up underground. That your kind and other fossilized Pokémon are still alive after all these years._"

Aerodactyl raised a brow, "_What that mean?_"

Charizard and Vulpix tensed up and shared a worried look.

Vulpix took a deep breath before looking at the Rock/Flying-type again, "_Aerodactyl … your species was thought to be extinct._"

"_Oh._" Aerodactyl said with a nod before putting the bowl back down.

Charizard blinked in surprise before raising a brow, "_You're taking this awfully well._"

Aerodactyl looked at him, "_Hear about bad thing that hurt my kind long long long time ago. Ancestors lucky._"

Vulpix blinked in surprise before smiling, "_I guess they were. Still, it's not like you're the only aerodactyl around now-a-days. Fossil restoration has made it so your kind can show up anywhere._"

Aerodactyl perked up and looked at her in confusion, "_Restore? Like healing? How that help my kind? They gone._"

Vulpix chuckled, "_Not that kind of restore._" She smiled, "_They're called fossil restoration machines. They're big chamb-_" She flinched a bit and sweat dropped, "_uh, cylin- tube-_" She groaned and muttered, "_Ah, to Yvel with it._" She perked up and smiled at him again, "_They're really big machines that can turn any fossil -the thing that deceased beings turn into after a long enough time- and bring them back to their original, living form._"

Aerodactyl's eyes widened in shock, "_B- bring back ... to life? Machine bring being back to life? All machine?_"

Charizard scratched the side of his head sheepishly, "_Not all machines._" Aerodactyl looked at him as he continued, "_There are all kinds of machines that do all kinds of other things. Bringing back fossils is just what one kind can do._"

Vulpix nodded with a smile, "_Yeah. Pokéballs are even a kind of machine._"

Aerodactyl looked back and forth between them in shock. After a moment, he looked downward and smiled softly, "_Others of kind not gone forever. I not last._"

Charizard smiled, "_Still, you're pretty freaking unique compared to any other aerodactyl._" He stood back up and stretched, "_Now, come on. The sun should be setting soon. We can do some stargazing._"

Aerodactyl looked at Charizard in surprise, "_Stars? We see them up here?_"

Vulpix smiled sadly, "_You have missed out on a lot._"

.

*That night

Aerodactyl laid on the ground and stared in awe at the night sky above.

Everyone else laid around the clearing and looked up calmly. All except for Psyduck, Primeape, and Electra.

Psyduck fainted yet again when the trainers changed and was returned to his pokéball. Primeape woke up furious and was returned as well. Electra wasn't watching only because she fell asleep next to Brock.

Ash, Brock, and Misty were each in pikachu form as they looked up.

Brock smiled at Aerodactyl, "_So this is your first time seeing any stars, huh?_"

Aerodactyl nodded slowly; still focused on the sky, "_Y- yeah. First. They so bright…_"

Bulbasaur looked at the Rock/Flying-type with a raised brow, "_Still, I'm kind of surprised you've heard of them._"

"_Hear about from diglett._" Aerodactyl muttered, "_Imagine, but ... never see. So many..._"

Soot smiled and looked up, "It's thought that most stars are other planets or suns. Most so far away that it would take lifetimes to even teleport to them."

Squirtle blinked in surprise, "_Woah..._"

Ash smiled, "_Just goes to show how big the universe really is._"

"_Yeah..._" Aerodactyl muttered again.

.

**Time Skip**

The next day came and went like clockwork. Ash and co. made good distance in their traveling and the day was surprisingly, and thankfully, uneventful.

A little after noon, they broke for lunch in a clearing and got into a training session. Everyone -except Brock and Electra- basically sparred with whoever.

Misty was in vaporeon form and was sparring with Geodude. Though, the Rock Pokémon had limited himself to using Rock Throw and Tackle to attack. Hidden Power was only being used to counter Misty's attacks. Seismic Toss was off the table entirely.

For the Fossil Pokémon's training, Ash was in the new nidoking form with Soot and Charizard on either side of him. Aerodactyl stood across from them. So far, things were-

"_What?!_" Aerodactyl shouted angrily, "_Why forget strong attack for weaker attack?!_"

difficult.

Ash crossed his arms, "_You said you wanted to learn Fire Blast. I'm not teaching it to you unless you swear to forget either Giga Impact or Hyper Beam for it._"

Aerodactyl's glared deepened, "_But strong attack better! Why not have strongest attacks?!_"

Charizard sighed, "_Because-_"

"_Because it's a poor strategy._"

Ash, Soot, Aerodactyl, and Charizard perked up in surprise and looked over.

Soot blinked in surprise, "Primeape? You're on our side with this?"

Primeape looked at her with a raised brow, "_Why the Yvel wouldn't I be?_"

Charizard sweat dropped, "_We kind of thought you'd agree with Aerodactyl on this._"

Ash nodded, "_Since both of you like battling so much._"

The Fighting-type shrugged, "_Okay, fair._" He looked up at the Rock/Flying-type, "_But they are right. Only having strong moves doesn't make you strong. Forgetting one of those moves for Fire Blast isn't supposed to make you more powerful. It's to make you better in a battle._"

Aerodactyl frowned in confusion, "_I not understand. What difference?_"

Primeape crossed his arms, "_There's a lot of crag you have to think about when you're making your move set. Power, accuracy, after effect, the amount of times you can use it, the STAB and, one of the most important, type coverage._"

Ash, Soot, and Charizard stared at Primeape in shock.

Aerodactyl blinked in surprise, "_What stab and cover age?_"

Ash snapped out of it and looked at Aerodactyl, "_Uh ... S.T.A.B., or stab, stands for 'same type attack bonus'. It means that attacks are stronger if they're used by a Pokémon from the same type as the move. Like your Wing Attack and my current form's Poison Jab and Earthquake._"

Soot shook it off before looking at him as well, "And type coverage means having one or more attacks that are strong against a type that you have a disadvantage against. Like how I have Fire Fang for Bug-types and Play Rough for Fighting-types."

Aerodactyl blinked in surprise before looking down thoughtfully. After a moment, he looked at Primeape, "_So forgetting strong move for Fire Blast is good idea? Make stron- make better in battle?_"

Primeape nodded with a determined glare, "_I swear it is. It'll give you coverage against ..._" He blinked, "_um._"

Soot snickered, "Ice and Steel-types." She looked up at the Fossil Pokémon, "Plus, you do have a little coverage already. Iron Head is strong against other Rock-types. Something you're Flying-type makes you vulnerable to."

Ash smiled, "_And I'm not asking you to forget both of the attacks. Having Hyper Beam or Giga Impact isn't a bad thing. They're each incredibly powerful moves and can really be useful in a tough situation._" His smile saddened, "_But having both of them is a little redundant. They're almost exactly the same except for the execution._"

Charizard smirked, "_That and the recharge sucks. You should know that by now._"

Aerodactyl glanced at Charizard harshly, "_Don't remind._" He looked at Ash, "_But I still keep one?_"

Ash smiled and nodded, "_Yup. I'm leaving that choice up to you. Whichever attack you want more is the one you keep. The other gets forgotten for Fire Blast._"

Aerodactyl grinned and nodded, "_If it make better in battle, I forget one._" He frowned, "_But not sure which yet._"

Charizard smiled, "_Which is fine. We can do some basic training until you've decided._" He started flapping and flew above the others, "_Like some speed and air battle training with Pidgeotto. I've still gotta learn to use my wings for more than just basic flying. We could even race each other._" He smirked, "_A race that I'll win, obviously._" He turned and flew away.

Aerodactyl grinned determinedly, "_I show you! I win race!_" He lifted off and started flying after the Flame Pokémon.

Ash watched as the pair left and smiled softly.

Soot looked at Primeape with a smile, "I have to admit, I did not expect that out of you."

Primeape chuckled, "_Yeah. I don't blame you._" He looked off to where the reptiles went, "_But I like my teammates tough. He wasn't gonna get anywhere with that 'only the strong matter' mindset._"

Ash smiled, "_I couldn't have said it better myself._"

Soot raised a brow while smiling, "Speaking of, have you decided what you'll drop for Thunder Punch?"

Primeape looked up at them and nodded, "_Yeah. I'm forgetting Seismic Toss._"

Ash blinked in surprise, "_Really?_" He raised a brow, "_I kind of expected you to forget Karate Chop._"

Primeape shook in disagreement, "_Seismic Toss may be strong but it takes a little too long for my taste. I like fighting fast, up close, and hand to hand. Don't get me wrong, I wanna drop Karate Chop for a better Fighting-type attack eventually, but right now my goal is Thunder Punch._"

Soot blinked in surprise, "huh…" She smiled, "Okay, I admit. I've been underestimating you." She glanced to the side and mumbled, "Been doing that a lot lately."

Ash raised a brow, "_Though, if you want to upgrade from Karate Chop, my pikachu form knows Brick Break._"

Primeape perked up and looked up at Ash in surprise. He glared, "_And I'm only just hearing about this now?!_"

Ash tensed up and chuckled nervously, "_You never asked?_"

Soot glanced at Ash with a sly smirk, "Smooth." She turned and started walking away, "Well, it looks like you've got your claws full with training. I'll go see how the others are doing."

.

*Campsite

Electra sat on the table as Brock cooked and watched everyone else with a bored expression. She was currently wearing the raichu shirt again.

She looked up at her trainer, "Pika-Chu, chu pi-" She stopped and perked up before groaning, "_right…_"

Brock noticed and looked at her, "Everything alright, Electra?"

Electra looked up at him and nodded with a smile.

Brock frowned, "If you're sure. But don't be afraid to go get Ash or Soot if you need to tell me something."

Electra nodded again before looking ahead. Brock went back to cooking after a moment.

The Electric-type's ears popped back up when she heard a bush rustling. She looked over right as Soot walked back into the clearing, shook the leaves off herself, and walked over to the sparring Pokémon.

Electra watched her for a moment before she perked up in realization. She hopped down from the table and ran over to the Dark-type, "_Soot!_"

Soot perked up and looked at her in surprise, "Electra? Hey, you alright?"

Electra nodded, "_Yeah. But there's something I wanna ask you._"

Soot raised a brow, "Uh, sure. "

Electra took a deep breath before blurting out, "_I want you to-_"

A loud whooshing sounded out in the clearing as Charizard, Aerodactyl, and Pidgeotto shot by overhead. Pidgeotto was in the lead, Charizard was in second, and Aerodactyl was begrudgingly in third.

Soot blinked in surprise, "Wait, really?"

Electra looked up at Soot with a worried frown, "_Is that alright?_"

Soot nodded, "Well, yeah. Of course, it is. I'm just a little shocked it took you this long to ask."

Electra perked up in surprise, "_Huh?_"

**Mizuro: *glares at Ohirume* That was a **** move and you know it.**

**Ohirume: Well aware. I do not regret it.**

.

*The next day

The group made their way down a long trail as they continued on their journey. Pikachu and Clefairy stood on Ash's shoulders, and Electra on Brock's backpack as usual. Electra was dressed up in the purple and dark gray jacket with the white belt. Misty held the egg in its case close to her as Soot walked alongside her.

The Water trainer looked down at the Bite Pokémon, "Do you really think they'll hatch soon?"

Soot smiled up at her, "Pretty sure. The egg was already in a good condition when we found them, and Dad's been helping with Heat Body for the last two days. If we keep this up, I'd estimate less than a week until they're running around."

Misty perked up in surprise before she looked down at the egg. She smiled softly. After a moment, she perked up upon realizing something, "Wait, running?" She glared at Soot, "I told you I didn't want any hints."

Soot sweat dropped and chuckled nervously, "Sorry. It just slipped out."

Ash chuckled before smiling, "What's more, that's about how close I am to finishing the Lockdown upgrade on the Lenses. It might even be done before they hatch."

Brock smiled excitedly, "Alright!"

Misty smiled happily and pumped a fist, "I can't wait!"

Electra looked ahead and perked up in surprise before pointing, "_Hey. What's that?_"

Ash, Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy looked at her in confusion before following her gaze.

Soot sweat dropped, "Electra, that's a sign. Probably for the next town or city."

Electra nodded, "_Oh._" She raised a brow; still looking at the sign, "_So, does that mean we're close to Miss Ing Town?_"

Ash looked at her in confusion, "What?" He looked again before perking up, "Oh. Sorry, Electra, our bad. That's a missing person's … sign."

The trainers and Soot stopped in their tracks as everyone -except Electra- perked up in surprise. They shared a worried look.

The female Mouse Pokémon frowned worriedly as her ears drooped, "_Is everything alright?_"

Pikachu looked at Electra, "_If we're lucky, yes._"

Clefairy frowned, "_Last time we saw one of those, a bunch of human kids had been missing for a few days._"

Ash frowned, "Yeah. And finding one out here, in the middle of nowhere, isn't any less concerning." He looked back and forth between the Gym Leaders and translated for the Mouse and Fairy Pokémon.

Misty frowned before removing her backpack and placing the egg in it, "Yeah. It was really freaky."

Brock started walking again, "Let's take a look."

Everyone else followed. They came up to the sign momentarily and their eyes widened in shock.

It depicted a young boy with blue hair and green eyes. He was wearing a blue vest with a gold rim, a white undershirt, and a very short light green tie with a red jewel at the base. Though, none of that was the shocking part.

"J_A_M_E_S_?_!" All of them blurted out.

"What the Yvel?!" Brock said in shock.

"That can't actually be him, right?!" Misty followed, "It's just some kid that looks like him!"

Clefairy snapped out of it and nodded with a glare, "_R- right! They just look alike!_"

Electra nodded as well, "_Like a doppelganger!_"

Ash shook his head, "No way. I've had all of their faces memorized since Cerulean. That's actually him."

Pikachu continued staring, "_But ... how?_"

Soot was about to say something but was cut off when a limousine pulled up and screeched to a halt next to them. Everyone looked over at it in surprise. Electra's eyes lit up in awe.

The door in the back opened as an old man with balding gray hair and a mustache appeared with a megaphone in hand.

"Have you seen that boy in the photo?!" The man shouted.

Ash, Soot, Pikachu, and Electra flinched and covered their ears in response. Soot had to lie down to do so. Brock, Misty, and Clefairy sweat dropped.

Electra recovered and glanced at the device curiously, '_Is he really that loud or is it that thing?_'

Ash shook it off before nodding, "Y- yeah. If you mean a Team Rocket agent named James."

"JOLLY GOOD!" The man shouted with tears streaming down his face, "EUREKA!"

The omnitrix user, Bite Pokémon, and two Mouse Pokémon flinched and covered their ears again.

"_Hey!_" Pikachu shouted, "_Enough with the megaphone, already!_"

Electra perked up and looked at Pikachu curiously, "_It's called a megaphone?_"

The man looked at the group; still shouting through the megaphone, "Quick, to the estate!"

Misty blinked in surprise, "Wait, what do you-"

The man cut her off as he grabbed everyone and shoved them into the limo. It drove off a moment later.

**Illavera: … did he just kidnap them?**

**Faux: *sighs* Yup.**

After the vehicle left, Jessie, James, and Meowth popped up out of a nearby bush. Jessie and Meowth hurried over to the sign. James trudged along after them.

Jessie put a hand to her chin, "Hmm. The twerp might've had a point. This kid does look a lot like you."

James looked at her before glaring at the sign, "I think he looks pathetic."

Meowth grinned, "Yeah. That's what she means."

Jessie smiled and clenched a fist, "Right! We'd better go investigate."

Meowth nodded, "Yeah!"

The pair broke into a sprint down the road.

James watched his teammates run off before looking at the sign worriedly, 'What are you up to this time?'

.

*In the limo

The group sat in silence as they sat across from the man. All of the shoulder riders were nudged up against their trainers' apprehensively.

Soot moved closer to Ash and whispered; eyes already in the banette theme, "Dad, say the word, and I phase us and the engine out of this thing."

"Make that Plan C." Ash whispered back, "Let's see what he wants first."

Misty glanced at Ash and whispered, "What happened to Plan B?"

"That'll be a follow up if Plan A doesn't go well." Ash whispered before glancing at Soot, "Obedience intimidation."

Soot glanced back, shifted her eyes back to normal, and nodded, "Got it."

Everyone else nodded.

Brock looked at the man, "So, would you mind telling us what all of this is about?"

"You'll find out when we get there." The man said sternly.

'Plan B, it is.' Ash's eyes narrowed, "Or we could find out now." He held up a hand and snapped.

Soot gave a quick smirk before jumping down from the seat. She glared at the man furiously and started growling. Brock, Misty, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra smirked.

The man flinched, "What are you doing?! Restrain that beast this instant!"

Ash's eye twitched and he snapped again. The Dark-type open her mouth and formed a Shadow Ball.

The man grimaced and held out a hand, "Alright, alright! I'll tell you!"

Ash smiled wickedly, "Thank you." He snapped one more time.

Soot dispelled the Shadow Ball and closed her mouth. She walked back over to Ash and sat down in front of him.

Ash smiled and petted her, "Well done, sweetie."

Soot tensed up before shooting Ash a harsh glance.

Ash smirked before glaring at the man, "Now, what's this about?"

The man sighed in relief before frowning, "I can't disclose all of the details right now for fear of security. But my name is Hopkins and I'm the butler to the family of Master James."

Electra and Clefairy blinked in confusion, "_Butler?_"

Soot sweat dropped, 'Master?'

Brock stared in surprise, "Are you actually saying that James is rich?"

Pikachu and Misty just stared in shock. Ash blinked in surprise.

Hopkins nodded, "Quite. An urgent family ordeal has arisen, and I must find him. You all said you know him, so I gathered you up in hopes that you might help. Right now, we're en route to his family's home."

Misty sweat dropped, "Couldn't you have said all of that without kidnapping us?"

The butler frowned, "Well would you have listened if I hadn't?"

"Yes." Ash responded; deadpanned, "We probably would've agreed to help, too."

Soot groaned, "I can't believe I went and used the intimidation tactic for nothing."

Hopkins flinched and stared at Soot in shock, "What in the world?!" He looked at Ash in shock, "It speaks?!"

Ash clenched a fist as his eyes flickered with Intimidate. Everyone else -except Soot- sweat dropped.

Soot rolled her eyes, "Yeah. Talking dog. Big whoop." She looked at the butler, "You have any snacks in here?"

Electra perked up and looked at Soot before saying something.

Soot pointed a paw towards the Electric-type without looking, "Also, Electra wants to see the megaphone."

.

**Time Skip**

By now the group had calmed down from the little stunt before. Ash, Brock, and Misty were each given a cup of tea. Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra were each eating a biscuit. Soot was given some treats made for canine Pokémon that the limo had a wide selection of; which they all thought was kind of weird.

Electra got to examine the megaphone for about two minutes before she accidently turned on the siren. Ash quickly managed to turn it off and gave it back to Hopkins. Now Electra was looking around the limo itself curiously. Though, she shot the device a wary glance every so often.

The limo stopped before a gate. It opened a second later and the limo drove through.

After about twenty minutes of driving, Ash frowned and looked at the butler, "Hey, Hopkins. How much farther is the estate?"

The man looked at him, "We're almost at the end of the driveway."

Misty blinked in surprise, "Seriously? It seems like we drove past the front gate a half-hour ago."

"Twenty-two minutes, actually." Soot said.

Pikachu looked out a window and jerked, "_Woah!_"

Everyone followed his gaze and perked up in surprise at the sight of a huge, two-story yellow and white mansion with a blue roof.

Misty sweat dropped while staring in shock, "F- freaking Yvel."

Clefairy blinked in shock, "_It's so big._"

Brock gulped, "I think I've seen shopping malls smaller than that place."

Electra's eyes lit up as she smiled brightly, "_Insane!_" She perked up and looked at Brock curiously, "_Wait. Shopping mall?_"

Soot looked at the Mouse Pokémon, "We'll explain later."

The limousine pulled up between the building and a large fountain momentarily. Everyone except Hopkins exited the vehicle and looked up at it in awe.

"_It's even bigger up close._" Clefairy muttered in awe.

Electra smiled brightly as her tail wagged, "_It's almost as big as the hospital!_"

Ash blinked, "Y- yeah. It's the biggest mansion I've ever seen."

"THAT IS NOT THE MANSION!" Hopkins shouted through the megaphone again; making everyone cover their ears. Ash, Soot, Pikachu, and Electra grimaced from getting the worst of it.

Misty noticed before glaring at the butler, "Will you stop that?! Some of us have really sensitive hearing!"

The man frowned before putting the megaphone down, "As I was saying, that is not the mansion. This little doghouse is for Growlie. The favorite Pokémon of Master James."

Soot and Ash raised a brow, 'Growlie?' They perked up in realization, 'Ohhh. That explains all the treats.' Their eyes widened in surprise, 'Wait, James has a growlithe?!'

Hopkins looked to the side, "That is the master's mansion."

Everyone followed his gaze and appropriately flinched as they stared in shock. This mansion was four-stories, gray, and had a greenish-blue roof. Lining the roof were numerous statues depicting various Pokémon.

"Dear Arc!" Soot blurted out.

"How the Yvel did we miss that?!" Brock asked in shock.

Electra fell forward to lay on Brock's backpack and fainted.

Misty looked at the downed Electric-type before looking at the mansion again, "No kidding."

Hopkins walked over to the mansion and gestured to the front door, "Please follow me." He continued walking.

Everyone snapped out of it and Brock moved his Mouse Pokémon to his arms before they followed him. Upon entering, everyone perked up in surprise at the pair of coffins sitting on a large platform covered in flower petals.

Misty frowned worriedly, "Coffins? Was there a funeral?"

Hopkins sighed sadly before looking at a picture, "My master and mistress had only one child. A boy named James."

Everyone else looked at the picture as well. It depicted a younger James with a growlithe in his arms, his father standing behind him with a cane, and his mother sitting in a wicker chair with a yellow parasol in hand. The father had dark gray hair and green eyes. The mother had purple hair and brown eyes.

The butler looked back at the group, "This morning, James's parents passed away. This estate is now his."

Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Clefairy jerked in surprise at the news. Ash and Soot just stared in shock before looking at the coffins again. The pair frowned.

.

*In the attic; tRio

"What?!" Jessie and Meowth blurted out in a harsh whisper before looking at their teammate in shock.

"Is this place really yours?!" Jessie blurted out, "Why didn't you ever tell us you were rich?!"

James frowned and glanced to the side, "I've told you about my parents before."

Meowth pointed at the vent, "Well, ya left out a pretty freakin' big detail!"

"It's so frightfully tragic."

Jessie and Meowth perked up as the butler continued. They moved closer to the vent and went back to eavesdropping. The twerps were all looking at the platform sadly. Pikachu and the Phantom Child's ears were drooping, and the 'Phantom' had his hat in his hands.

"After Master James ran away," Hopkins said, "his parents no longer had the strength to go on. Their hearts were broken."

James glared at the vent, 'They seemed fine for more than a few years, apparently.'

"T_h_a_t_'s _s_o _s_a_d_." Clefairy and Misty said sadly.

The Dark-type looked down sadly before shaking it off and looking at the platform, "He- he needs to know about this."

Ash nodded, "Yeah. We need to find him real soon."

"REAL SOON WON'T DO!" Hopkins shouted through the megaphone; startling everyone.

James sweat dropped, 'He's still doing that?'

.

*Back on the ground

Electra jerked awake and looked around frantically, "_What happened?!_" Her eyes widened in awe when she finally saw where they were. She started looking around curiously.

Brock glared at the butler, "What did we say about the megaphone?!"

Hopkins frowned before putting the device away again. He glared, "Real soon won't do. His parents' will clearly states that Master James must marry his fiancée within twenty-four hours of their passing."

The human speakers' eyes all widened in shock, 'FIANCÉE?!'

"If not," The butler continued, "this entire estate will no longer belong to him but will be donated to charity. I must find him at once."

Everyone stared in shock before sharing a look.

Hopkins took a deep breath, "If you need time to think it over, you're free to do so outside. Just know that the deadline is Eight O' Nine tomorrow morning."

.

*Soon after; front door

Everyone sat around the steps in silence.

After a minute, Ash spoke up, "I think we should help."

Everyone -except Soot- perked up and looked at him in surprise.

"What?!" Misty asked before glaring, "Why should we help him after all the trouble he, Jessie, and Meowth have put us through?!"

Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra each nodded with a glare, "_Yeah!_"

Soot glanced around, "Guys, put yourself in his shoes. Both of his parents just passed away." She frowned as her ears drooped, "He should, at least, get to say goodbye."

The four of them looked at Soot before frowning.

Misty looked down sadly, "I didn't think about it like that. Maybe you're right."

Ash smiled sadly and nodded, "Glad we agree."

Brock frowned, "Still, how are we supposed to find them?"

Soot smirked with a raised brow, "You say that as if we don't run into them one to five times a week."

Misty frowned and held out a hand, "Well, sure. But it can't always be that easy."

"No! Never!" A familiar voice cried out.

"Careful, James!" Jessie shouted.

Everyone perked up and looked upwards as the tRio fell off the roof of the mansion. They landed in a heap on the ground in front of them and started groaning.

Misty blinked in surprise, "I stand corrected."

Clefairy looked at the Water trainer in confusion, "_But you're sitting._"

Ash sweat dropped, "It's an expression, Clefairy." He looked at the tRio, "So, you were eavesdropping the whole time, huh?"

Meowth hopped out of the heap and looked back at them with a smirk, "Yvel, yeah, we were!"

Jessie followed suit and smiled slyly, "And you can bet that James is going in there to get that inheritance!"

James recovered and got on his knees before looking up at his teammates, "No, I'm not!"

The Mouse and Fairy Pokémon all perked up and looked at Soot.

Soot noticed and deadpanned, "Wrong kind of inheritance." She sighed before looking at the male Rocket sadly, "James, I don't know what happened between you all, but they're still your parents. The least you could do is come to their funeral."

James glared at her, "Never!"

The group all flinched and stared at him in shock. Jessie and Meowth each shot him a glance. James noticed the latter, frowned, and looked down worriedly.

"Look James," Jessie said in frustration, "we're becoming very annoyed with you."

Meowth crossed his forepaws, "Don't ya wanna become da richest guy in da world?"

"I, uh-" James stuttered before his eyes widened slightly. He grabbed his head and cried out, "AH! I feel like my head is splitting! I can't remember anything that happened back then!"

Brock flinched, "Huh?!"

Misty looked upwards worriedly, "Maybe that fall was worse than we thought."

James perked up and pointed at her, "Y- yes! That must be it!"

Ash and Soot looked at the man in confusion.

James glanced to the side, "I- I only remember a few things before joining Team Rocket. Like Pokémon Tech, and mine and Jessie's old bicycle gang."

Ash, Brock, Misty, Soot, Pikachu, and Clefairy perked up in surprise and shared a look.

Electra noticed before frowning, '_Why do I always feel left out w_i_th stuff like this?_'

Jessie stepped closer to him and glared, "Who cares? It doesn't matter what you remember. Just take the cash."

Ash snapped out of it and looked at her, "Wait a second. The will says James can't collect his inheritance without marrying his fiancée."

Soot sweat dropped, "Also, James apparently has a fiancée."

Jessie looked at the group with a smirk, "Well then we'll fake a wedding and scram with the money."

James glanced at her before looking away with a hand on his head, "That's ridiculous."

Jessie glared at him, "Ridiculous?! This entire estate will be all yours!"

Meowth looked at James with a determined glare, "Yeah! We could make dis place our hideout and live in da lap of luxury!"

Brock sweat dropped and muttered to the others, "He does realize he just said that in front of us, right?"

"Doubt it." Misty said; deadpanned.

"I won't do it!" James shrieked before jumping to his feet and breaking into a sprint.

Jessie and Meowth stared in surprise before sharing a look and smirking.

Before James could make it past the fountain, a pair of lassos shot forward and tied him up. James glanced back to see his teammates holding the ropes.

Soot stared in surprise, 'Where were they hiding the rope?'

James started struggling, "Let me go! I don't want to!"

Misty glared, "Hey! You can't force him to get married!"

Brock nodded, "He should be free to decide for himself!"

Jessie glared back at them, "Put a sock in it!"

Meowth glared as well, "Keep ya dumb opinions to ya'selfs!"

Everyone frowned and shared a worried look. Jessie and Meowth forced James into a nearby bush and ducked down. After about a minute, they reappeared. The group looked over and deadpanned.

James was in a dark blue tuxedo with a white undershirt and black tie. He also had a white sash covering his mouth and a terrified look in his eyes. Jessie and Meowth were each wearing black stagehand outfits with a black veil covering their faces.

"Dis'll do da trick!" Meowth called out as he held James's legs.

Jessie smirked while holding James's arms up, "These invisible costumes are perfect."

The pair forced James over to the door and knocked.

"Yes. Coming." Hopkins called out from the other side.

Everyone else just stood a few feet back and watched.

Soot sweat dropped, "They can't be serious, right?"

Ash sighed, "Unfortunately, I think they are, Soot."

Misty pinched the bridge of her nose, "There is no chance in Yvel that that Hopkins guy is gonna fall for this."

Brock, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra nodded.

The door opened a second later and Hopkins looked at the tRio curiously, "May I help you, sir?"

Jessie smirked and spoke in a slightly deeper voice; trying to sound like James, "It's me, James. I've come back."

"W- welcome home, sir!" Hopkins said happily through the megaphone.

Meowth tensed up and grimaced from the sound. Everyone else's eyes widened in shock.

Hopkins put the megaphone down and smiled excitedly, "Your parents shall be most pleased to see that you've returned." He opened the door wider and gestured for them to come in, "Please come in."

"Thank you." Jessie said in her 'disguised' voice again.

Meowth and Jessie pushed James inside. Hopkins followed while leaving the door open.

Pikachu just stared in shock and stuttered, "_I- uh … what?_"

Clefairy blinked in surprise, "_How did that work?_"

Ash blinked in surprise, "I, uh ... I wish I could tell you, Clefairy." He perked up upon realizing something before looking at the others, "Wait. Did Hopkins just say James's parents would be happy to see him?"

Everyone else perked up in surprise. They all shared a look before running to the door and peaking inside.

Hopkins and the tRio were standing in front of the coffins. Jessie and Meowth had James on his knees with his hands together respectfully.

"I'm going to get married, just like it says in your will." Jessie said for James, "And I want cash. Not a check."

Hopkins moved closer and put a hand to his ear, "What's that?"

Jessie and Meowth tensed up before Jessie said, "I- I mean- I'm only joking, of course."

The group sweat dropped.

James glanced back at Jessie worriedly as she continued, "Oh, mom and dad. I wish I'd come back sooner."

A pair of chuckles came from the coffins.

Jessie perked up in surprise, "Huh?"

"H- hey," Meowth said warily, "who's dat?"

The coffin on the right burst open as James's father appeared, "Prepare for trouble!"

The left one burst open to reveal James's mother with a fan, "Yes, dear, and make it double!"

"AH!" Jessie and Meowth cried out before falling backwards. James fell back by force.

The mother smirked, "Oh, James dear, we're so happy you've come back home."

The father smiled, "And you're even wearing a suit. How thoughtful."

Jessie stared in shock, "Wha- what the?"

Meowth stared as well, "What's goin' on here? Are dey ghosts?"

James tore off the sash before glaring at the Normal-type, "They aren't ghosts, you furry imbecile!" He looked at Jessie, "It's just like them to pull a stunt like this!"

Meowth's eyes narrowed, "Wait. Den does dat mean-"

Jessie deadpanned as she continued for Meowth, "You were faking having amnesia?"

James tensed up before glaring at her and pointing at his parents, "Well, can you really blame me after seeing this?!"

James's father took a step forward, "You've made it just in time, James. Any longer and your fiancée might've grown impatient."

James's mother smiled and looked at the butler, "Hopkins, begin the preparations."

Hopkins smiled and lifted the entire tRio under his arms, "At once, madam!"

The butler ran up a flight of stairs with the tRio in tow. The parents ran after them; laughing the entire time.

The group walked inside a moment later and stared up at the second-floor doorway in shock.

Electra blinked, "_What just happened?_"

"So," Brock said in a daze, "James's parents and Hopkins faked this whole thing ... just to bring James home ... and get him married."

Ash blinked, "And James knew all along and pretended to have amnesia to try escaping."

Soot frowned, "Crag. He looked so freaked out that I couldn't even tell."

Pikachu sweat dropped with his ears drooping, "_So this is what it feels like to be manipulated._"

Clefairy and Electra slumped forward and groaned.

Misty looked at the others worriedly, "Should we follow them or…"

Ash frowned, "Normally, I'd say no. But if it's bad enough to have James that scared, I think it's better that we do."

Brock frowned, "I'm not sure about that. They are still his family, after-"

"Do I have a duty to be manipulated?!" James shouted.

Everyone flinched and looked at the doorway in surprise.

"Okay, never mind." Brock said before he and everyone else hurried up the stairs.

.

*tRio, James's parents, and Hopkins

"Do I have a duty to be manipulated?!" James shouted angrily as his teammates held him down in a chair.

Jessie and Meowth slapped a hand over his mouth. The three of them failed to notice the twerps peaking in.

James's mother smiled softly, "We only want what's best for us." She tensed up and forced a smile, "I- I mean, best for you."

James's father crossed his arms, "A man who can't settle down is like a combee without a nose. It'll never sniff the daffodils of life."

Misty leaned closer to Ash and whispered, "Do combee have noses?"

Ash shook his head, "They don't even have nostrils. It's all the antenna."

The mother smiled again and brought the fan to her face, "You'll learn to be a real gentleman once you marry the right girl." She moved closer and spun the chair around, "And here she is."

James looked ahead and tensed up. Jessie and Meowth moved closer to follow his gaze and looked curiously.

A woman with red, curled hair and a yellow bow sat in a wicker chair with a fan over her face.

"As James's wife," James's mother said to the woman, "it'll be your duty to change him from a worthless do-nothing into a respectable gentleman. My dear, Jessebelle."

The group frowned at the mother's words.

"As you wish, mother." Jessebelle said happily; face still covered by the fan. She slowly started moving the fan away.

Ash and Soot perked up and blinked in surprise upon hearing her voice. Pikachu, Clefairy, and Brock noticed and looked at them in confusion.

Brock raised a brow and whispered, "What is it?" Misty and Electra looked at the pair as well.

Ash looked at the others with a frown, "Nothing, I think. It's just … something about her voice."

Soot nodded, "Yeah. It's weirdly familiar."

Misty blinked in surprise, "Familiar?" She looked back inside, and her eyes widened in shock, "Oh my Arc."

Everyone else followed her gaze and their jaws dropped.

Jessebelle had fully removed the fan from her face to reveal that she looked like a carbon copy of Jessie. Meowth and the actual Jessie were staring in shock.

**Nuevo: Okay, but why, though?**

**Omega: *looks at clipboard before smirking* PokéSins brought up the same thing.**

"_Doppelganger, right?_" Electra asked in a daze.

Soot nodded; equally dazed, "Y- yeah. Seems like it."

Ash blinked, "Doesn't make it any less weird."

Clefairy sighed in relief, "_Oh, thank Arceus! You see it too!_"

"Freaking Yvel." Meowth said in shock, "Dat girl looks exactly like you, Jess."

Jessie raised a brow, "Really? I don't see it."

James glanced at her and sweat dropped, "You're kidding right? I seriously thought you were her in a bad disguise up until we joined the bicycle gang."

Jessie glared at him, "What do you mean 'bad disguise'?"

"Later." James said before he looked back and forth between his teammates, "Right now, we have to get out of here!"

"Don't be ridiculous." Jessie said; still glaring, "How can we get your inheritance if you don't get married? You've got to go through with it."

Meowth looked up at James, "If you won't do it for ya'self, den do it for da team. We're countin' on you to make us all filthy stinkin' rich."

James glared at him, "That isn't the problem!" He started struggling in the chair, "Now let me go! I'm not doing it!"

Jessebelle smiled calmly as she watched, "Is something wrong? Why ever do you keep talkin' to yourself like that, James?"

The group deadpanned, 'S_er_iou_sly_?'

"Say," Jessebelle said happily before standing up, "here's an idea. Let's go down to the vault and count all the money you'll inherit."

Jessie and Meowth smiled excitedly with the former covering James's mouth again.

Jessie cleared her throat before using her disguised voice again, "Sounds great."

James's father smiled and clapped, "Wonderful! We'll go get everything ready for you to meet us down there."

The group tensed up and moved away from the door. The parents and Hopkins hurried out of the room and ran down the hall a moment later. Soon after, Jessebelle and the tRio exited and walked down the same hall.

After they all left, the group reappeared pressed up against a wall. The humans were kneeling down, and each had a hand on the banette-eyed mightyena in some way. The Mouse and Fairy Pokémon all stood on her back. The humans let go before they stood back up. The rest of the Pokémon jumped back to their respective spots on their trainers.

Everyone let out a relieved sigh.

"Okay," Brock said, "that was close."

Pikachu frowned, "_Yeah. Too close._"

Misty looked down the hall worriedly, "Should we follow them? I don't want things getting out of hand."

Soot shifted her eyes back to normal, looked where the family and the tRio went, and sweat dropped, "I don't think that'll be a problem. We're pretty much past the point of no return, already."

Ash glared while following Soot's line of sight, "Besides, I have a really bad feeling about this."

.

*Jessebelle and Rocketrio

The quartet made their way down an unlit subterranean staircase. Jessie and Meowth were forcing James along as Jessie covered James's mouth again.

Jessebelle held a lit, three-pronged candelabra as she led the way, "After you disappeared, your mother and father were so worried about you. As was I of course." She smiled and glanced back at James, "But I knew one day you'd come back to me."

James tried to argue. But it failed.

Jessie smiled, "I'm sorry for running away. But everything is going to be just fine now that I'm back here with my money."

Jessebelle blinked in surprise, "What?"

Jessie grimaced before sweat dropping with a forced smile, "I- I mean back here with you … h- honey."

The group looked down at them from a hallway near the top of the stairs.

Misty looked around before sweat dropping, "This place needs better security."

They followed the four of them slowly.

Jessebelle came up to a large metal door and looked back with a smile, "Here we are at the vault. Let's go inside." Her smile turned sly, "Your inheritance is inside." She pressed a button next to the door.

Jessie and Meowth's eyes lit up and they smiled excitedly as the door started opening. James stared in wary confusion, 'This isn't the vault…'

"Cha-ching." Jessie said happily as she pushed James inside.

Jessebelle smirked before slipping in as well.

"WHAT THE YVEL?!" Jessie and Meowth cried out from inside.

Ash and co. perked up before hurrying towards the door. They peaked inside and their eyes widened in pure shock.

The contents consisted of a wide selection of workout equipment such as punching bags, a treadmill, some vault boxes, and a weightlifting bench. There were also some … other items like a wrecking ball, a small obstacle course with spikes, a pendulum saw, and a spinning knife throwing wheel with a mannequin strapped to it.

**Luke, Laura, and Amber Mewtwo: WHAT THE YVEL?!**

**Omega, Mizuro, Nuevo, Illavera: WHAT THE ####?!**

**Shadow Peridot: ... This seems rather concerning.**

Electra gulped, "_S- so ... this isn't normal for a human house. Right?_"

Ash just continued staring in shock, "No, Electra, this is just about the opposite of normal."

Meowth looked around in shock, "What's goin' on here?! Why does dis place look like a workout dojo mixed with an armory?!"

"What kind of inheritance is this?!" Jessie blurted out; equally shocked.

James broke out of their grips and glared at them, "Don't you fools get it?! Jessebelle and my parents tricked you two into getting me down here!"

Jessie blinked in surprise, "Huh?"

Meowth looked over his outfit, "But how could dey of spotted us?"

James's eye twitched before shouting, "IMBECILES!" His teammates flinched as a response.

A small drum sounded out through the room and a spotlight shined down on a crate. Everyone looked over to see James's father holding the drum in question and glaring at James.

"Your mother and I are tired of waiting for you to grow up." The man said before hitting the drum twice.

A flute sounded as another spotlight lit up over the mother; catching everyone's attention.

James's mother smiled wickedly with the flute in her hands, "James, it's time to face the music." She started playing again.

Everyone jumped as a whip cracked and they looked over one more time. A third spotlight lit up over Jessebelle. She was dressed up in a dark red circus tamer's outfit with white pants and maroon heeled boots that stretched well past her knees.

"You can't just do whatever you feel like anymore." The doppelganger said before cracking the whip again, "Now you'll obey" She smiled slyly, "Jessebelle." She giggled and held her arms out to the side, "Let the taming begin!"

Ash, Brock, Misty, Soot, Pikachu, Clefairy, and Electra just stared at the woman in shock. None of them knew what to say about … that.

Meowth stared in shock, "Okay … maybe dis was a mistake."

Jessie sweat dropped with a nervous smile, "B- but I'm sure that inheritance will make it all worth it."

"Inheritance?!" James's mother said as she jumped down and looked at the pair with a sly smirk, "What makes you think you two are gettin' that?!"

The female Rocket and Normal-type flinched and looked at the woman in shock.

James's father jumped down and smirked too, "Once our boy becomes the man he supposed to be, he'll have no need for you ruffians."

"W- wait!" Meowth blurted out, "You can see us?!"

Jessie took a step back, "But our invisibility suits!"

James face palmed.

The father's smile finally faded as he sweat dropped, "Are you referring to those stagehand uniforms? What sort of fools do you take us for?"

The mother smirked, "We just ignored you until you brought James down here to the dungeon."

Meowth placed the side of his forepaw into the pad of his other, "Dat's da word I was lookin' for."

Jessie glared, "In that case, we're out of here! No money means no wedding!"

She pulled out a smoke bomb and threw it to the ground. The cloud shrouded the entire room near instantly. James and his parents could be heard coughing.

"Jessie! Meowth! Don't leave me!" James cried out from the smoke.

"At last, we're together." Jessebelle's voice followed cheerfully, "I'm so happy."

"AH!"

"You won't escape from me again, James!" Jessebelle called out happily.

The group tensed up when they heard whipping, crashing, and screaming come from the cloud. The smoke cleared momentarily, and their eyes widened in shock.

James's parent sat at a small table with an umbrella. Each had a teacup in their hands. Hopkins stood next to them and smiled casually with a teapot in his right hand. He also had a dazed Jessie and Meowth under his left arm.

During this, Jessebelle was chasing James around the room with the whip. The male Rocket was screaming the entire time.

"Those two were made for one another." The father said happily, "Just like you and I, my precious."

The mother smiled calmly, "It's a perfect match."

James ran by the table with Jessebelle behind him and shouted, "If you two weren't such lousy parents, you'd stop this mad woman!"

Hopkins smiled calmly and held up the pot, "Would anyone care for another cup?"

Electra stared in shock, "_Okay … really not insane._"

Pikachu sweat dropped, "_Well, it is, but not in the good way._"

Clefairy frowned, "_No wonder James ran away from home._"

Brock looked at the others warily, "We should help, right?"

Soot stared at the breeder in shock, "Wha-" She glared and whispered harshly, "Yes! Why the Yvel is that even a question?!"

Ash glared at the scene, "Even with all the trouble they've caused us up until now, this isn't something I can just ignore." He ducked away and started dialing on the watch, "Soot, you've been keeping track of the path down here, right?"

Soot nodded as she ducked away too, "Yeah. I have the route memorized." The Gym Leaders moved away from the opening as well.

"Good." The watch user responded; still focused on the device, "I'll cause a distraction and get James out of there. Pikachu, you're with me. Everyone else, get Jessie and Meowth back to the surface. We'll meet you there with James."

Everyone else nodded, "G_o_t i_t_."

Pikachu and Clefairy jumped down from Ash's shoulders. Clefairy then ran over to Soot and jumped on her back.

Misty smirked, "So what kind of distraction did you have in mind?"

Ash stopped spinning the dial and smirked, "The big kind." He ran to the center of a hallway and slapped down the dial.

**.**

*In the room

"AH!" James shrieked as Jessebelle's whip wrapped around his ankle and forced him to the ground. He managed to sit up and looked back at her fearfully.

Jessebelle smiled and pulled out a pokéball, "Oh, James. I just knew you'd fall for me." She reeled back and threw the ball, "Go Vileplume."

The Flower Pokémon appeared in a flash and turned to face James, "Vileplume."

James grimaced, "No! Not again!"

Jessebelle smirked wickedly, "I'll make a gentleman of you even if it destroys us!" She held out a hand, "Vileplume, keep my James from escapin' with Stun-"

"NIDOOOOO!"

Everyone in the room -except Jessie and Meowth- flinched and looked at the door in surprise. The two Rockets managed to come to and looked at the door in tired confusion.

A loud, heavy stomping could be heard outside. And it was getting louder.

James's mother blinked in surprise, "What is that?"

Her answer came in the form of a nidoking charging through the door headfirst and knocking it to the ground. Jessie and Meowth flinched and their eyes widened in shock.

"KING!" The Poison/Ground-type shouted triumphantly.

James's father jumped to his feet and stared in shock, "What on earth?!"

The Drill Pokémon glanced down at James and smirked before glaring at Jessebelle. James's eyes widened in surprise.

Jessebelle grimaced before looking at her Grass/Poison-type, "Vileplume! Stop that monster!"

'_Well, she got one of the Egg Groups right._' The nidoking thought.

He opened his mouth and charged a Fire Blast. Vileplume tensed up and took a step back.

Jessebelle stared at her Pokémon in shock, "Vileplume!"

Nidoking smirked before unleashing the Fire Blast on the ground. Everyone present shielded themselves as a large cloud of smoke filled the room again. Hopkins let go of the duo in the process.

James managed to get himself out of the whip's grip and back to his feet. He started looking around warily.

"Ka-pika!"

James flinched and looked down to find the Twerp's pikachu looking up at him.

Pikachu gestured for him to follow, "Chu pi!" He ran off into the smoke cloud.

James stared in shock. After weighing his options for less than a second, he decided to follow the Electric-type. He exited the smoke cloud only to come face to face with the nidoking. Before he could do anything, the Poison/Ground-type slapped a claw over his mouth, lifted him up, and ran out the door. Pikachu ran alongside them.

"Mmph!" James cried out with the massive hand over his face.

By the time they reached the steps, James managed to wriggle out of the nidoking's grip and fell to the ground. Nidoking and Pikachu stopped and looked back at him.

James flinched before calling out, "SOMEONE, HEL-"

"Nido!" The Drill Pokémon whispered harshly as he put a claw over his mouth in a shushing manner. He put the claw down and smiled.

James blinked in surprise, "Wait. You really are helping me?"

Nidoking nodded as Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder.

James's eyes widened in realization, "You belong to the twerp?"

Nidoking smirked slyly and shook his head.

James flinched and his eyes widened even further, "TWER-"

"King!" Ash whispered harshly before pointing to the door.

"Right, sorry." James whispered back before he flinched and looked back where they came, "Wait! Jessie and Meowth! Hopkins still has them!"

Ash sighed before crossing his arms. He became engulfed in green light before reappearing in human form; having tapped the watch's symbol with a claw without James seeing. James jumped slightly upon seeing the change. Ash held out a hand to catch Pikachu before placing him on his shoulder.

Ash smiled and crossed his arms, "It's fine, James. Soot and my friends got them back to the surface."

James stared at Ash in shock, "Then why are we just standing here?!" He ran past him and up the staircase.

Ash and Pikachu sweat dropped and shared a look before Ash ran after the Team Rocket agent. They caught up to him in a matter of seconds.

"Hey!" Ash said while still running, "Sorry about agreeing to help Hopkins find you. We really thought we were doing a good thing."

"Don't worry about it." James said without looking, "My parents have always been good at tricking people." He frowned, "Some family I have, huh?"

Ash looked at the man sympathetically, "If you ask me, Jessie and Meowth seem like a better family to you than your real one."

James glanced to the side sorrowfully, "But it's their fault I'm all the way down here."

"Sure. But they care enough to actually realize they made a mistake."

James stopped in his tracks and looked back at Ash in confusion, "What?"

Ash smiled sadly, "Well, yeah. Jessie and Meowth may have been pretty greedy, but they still tried to help after finding out the truth. That combined with a lot of the other stuff I've seen shows you all care about each other."

Pikachu glared back down the stairs, "_A Yvel of a lot more than your meemas, by the looks of it._"

The male Rocket blinked in surprise before looking down thoughtfully. He smiled softly, "huh…" He perked up and shook it off before looking back up the stairs, "We need to keep moving. Jessebelle doesn't give up that easily."

Ash and Pikachu nodded before the three of them continued running.

.

*Mansion front door

Jessie was tapping her foot and looking at the door worriedly. Meowth was pacing around with his forepaws behind his back. Brock, Misty and Soot stood off to the side with Electra on Brock's shoulder and Clefairy in Misty's arms.

"Where are they?" Jessie asked impatiently.

Brock looked at her, "Be patient. We got a big head start."

Electra nodded, "_I'm sure they're close._"

Meowth looked at them worriedly, "But what if somethin' happened? James and da twoip are on deir own and defenseless."

Clefairy tilted in confusion, "_But Ash still has Pikachu and everyone else with him._"

Soot sweat dropped, "And, you do realize that dad was that nidoking, right?" She followed this by translating for Clefairy.

Jessie looked back at her and frowned, "But, still-"

Everyone jumped a bit when the doors burst open. They looked over to find Ash and James running towards them with Pikachu still on Ash's shoulder.

Jessie and Meowth perked up and ran over to their teammate. Ash ran over to the others.

The tRio met up before James glared, "You tried to leave me!"

Jessie glared back, "No we didn't! We tried to find you in the smoke, but that butler got to us first!"

Meowth frowned, "I still don' know how he found us so fast."

James perked up and glanced to the side, "Okay, fair. Hopkins has always been a freak like that." He glared again, "But it's still your fault I wound up down there in the first place!"

Jessie continued glaring back, "Well you could've told us your fiancée was a raving lunatic!"

James raised a brow while giving an incredulous look.

Jessie pointed at him and was about to say something. She stopped before groaning, "Alright, I get it. I'm sorry."

Meowth sighed, "Yeah. Me too. I guess our greed got the best of us."

James sighed before smiling softly, "Well, we are members of Team Rocket. Greed's kind of in the job description."

"Hey!" Misty called out; catching their attention, "Can you save the weird reunion until after we're all out of here?!"

James perked up and looked at Jessie and Meowth, "The twerpette's right. Jessebelle could be right behind us."

"Right, you are, my sweet."

Everyone flinched and looked back to find the woman and her vileplume standing in the doorway.

"It's time for the weddin'!" Jessebelle called out as she swung her whip forward, wrapped it around James's waist, and pulled.

"EEH! James shrieked as he was forced to the ground again.

"James!" Jessie and Meowth cried out.

The trainers all glared and pulled out a pokéball. Pikachu and Clefairy jumped down and got into their fighting stances with Soot. Electra remained on Brock's shoulder but still glared as her cheeks started sparking.

"Vulpix!" Brock said as he reeled back.

"Staryu!" Misty followed in the same fashion.

Ash reeled back as well, "Char-" He was cut off and his eyes widened when he heard glass shattering.

Everyone looked over as a fire ball burst through the window to the doghouse, landed, and rolled towards Vileplume. The Flame Wheel struck Vileplume clean in the chest and shot them back. The wheel then cut through the whip before the growlithe cut off the attack and skidded to a halt between James and Jessebelle. He crouched down and growled at the woman.

James's eyes widened in shock, "Growlie!"

The Fire-type glanced back at him with a smile.

Jessebelle looked back at her Pokémon in shock, "Vileplume!" She looked back at Growlie and grimaced, "You horrid thing! How dare you mess with our weddin' plans again!"

The Puppy Pokémon glared at her again and inhaled quickly before unleashing a Roar. Jessebelle covered her ears and closed her eyes in response.

Growlie quickly got James onto his back and ran to the doghouse, "_Open the door!_"

Soot perked up, shifted her eyes, and ran up to the door. She placed a paw on the lock before pushing the door open.

Growlie's eyes widened slightly. He quickly shook it off before running inside.

Ash ran up to the door, "Come on!"

Everyone else followed him inside immediately and closed the door behind them.

Jessebelle recovered a moment later, looked at the door, and smirked, "That won't work, James dearest."

James's parents and Hopkins stood a few feet back as they watched everything that just happened.

"That Jessebelle," The father said happily, "she's as delicate as a flower."

"She's much too good for our delinquent son." The mother said before pulling out a Cherish Ball and handing it to the butler, "Hopkins, be a dear and help Jessebelle get him back."

The father pulled out a Premier Ball and handed it to him as well, "And do try to make it fast."

Hopkins smiled and bowed with an arm across his chest, "At once." He took the pokéballs.

.

*Inside the doghouse

James let out a relieved sigh as he fell back onto the lime green couch. Growlie jumped up to sit down next to him. Meowth sat in a same-colored chair next to the couch as Jessie leaned back against it with her arms crossed.

Soot, Brock, Misty, and Pikachu sat on the second, four-seater couch next to the one James and Growlie were on. Clefairy and Electra sat in Misty and Brock's laps, respectively.

Ash was currently moving towards the third and smallest of the couches to use as a barricade. Everyone jerked a bit and their eyes widened as he lifted it effortlessly.

The boy looked up at the large piece of furniture with a raised brow, "Huh…" He looked at James and Growlie, "Do either of you know how much this weighs?"

Both just shook their heads; still staring in surprise.

Ash sighed, 'I really need to test this next time I'm in a workout gym.' He walked over to the door and set the couch down against it.

Growlie blinked in surprise, "_Woah. Strong human._"

Pikachu looked at him with a smirk, "_You don't know the half of it._"

Ash sat down next to Soot before Pikachu jumped into his lap, "Hopefully that'll give us enough time to catch our breath."

James nodded with a small smile, "Thanks." He looked at the Fire-type, "And thanks to you too, Growlie. You saved me again."

"Grow Grow!" Growlie barked before he started licking James.

James laughed a bit before pushing him back, "Hey, come on. That tickles."

Jessie frowned, "Well, James, that fiancée of yours is truly despicable."

Meowth nodded, "Yeah. She's even worse den Jessie."

Ash frowned and nodded, "I've heard that arranged marriages could be tricky, but this takes the cake."

James looked down sorrowfully, "Actually, it wasn't an arranged marriage."

Brock stared at him in shock, "Wait, you wanted to marry her before?"

James shot him a glance, "I was a child and didn't know anything." He sighed and looked down sadly again, "She and I had only just met, and I was already head over heels for her. It wasn't until after the engagement was announced that I found out what kind of person she really was. She began following me everywhere; trying to change everything about me. I was never refined enough for her." He clenched a fist and scowled, "But the final straw was when she told me to get rid of Growlie."

Everyone's eyes widened in shock. The Fire-type looked up at James worriedly before licking his cheek. James snapped out of it and looked at him.

The male Rocket smiled softly and petted the Fire-type, "Growlie's one of the few things about my old life that I ever miss. He was my only real friend on this stuffy estate."

Misty frowned, "So why did you leave him here?"

James frowned again, "Because I've always hated the overbearing rules of upper-class society. Marrying Jessebelle would've been the worst mistake of my life."

"That doesn't answer Misty's question." Ash stated.

James looked at him in confusion, "What?"

Brock frowned, "If Growlie means that much to you, why'd you leave him here? I mean, he had to have missed you as much as you missed him. Maybe more."

Soot sweat dropped, "That and you just said that Jessebelle wants to get rid of him."

James's eyes widened before he looked at the growlithe, "I … hadn't thought about all of that."

Jessie looked down sourly; arms still crossed, "And here I thought living in a mansion meant that you had it easy."

Meowth frowned and crossed his forepaws, "I guess uppa-class life ain't all it's cracked up ta be."

Everyone heard creaking and looked over at Jessie and Meowth. Everyone except the pair grimaced instantly. Jessie and Meowth looked back to find a handful of cracks stretching across the wall.

Jessie blinked in shock, "uh…"

The wall exploded and threw them and the chair through the roof of the building. The group stared at the hole in the roof in shock.

"How…" Soot mumbled.

James stood up and looked at the destroyed wall in shock, "Now what?!"

The dust cleared to reveal Jessebelle and Hopkins with vileplume standing in front of them.

Jessebelle smiled slyly, "You know you can't escape me, my sweet James."

James glared at them, "Leave me alone, already!"

Growlie ran up and crouched down in front of James defensively.

Hopkins smiled and held up the megaphone, "I'm afraid that is not an option. Your parents have requested that I retrieve you at once." He put the megaphone away before pulling out a Cherish and Premier Balls and tossing them into the air, "And I intend to deliver!"

James's eyes widened in shock as the balls burst open. An escavalier and leavanny emerged on either side of Vileplume. All three stared down the growlithe. Growlie started sweating nervously but stood his ground.

James took a step back, "M- my parents' Pokémon..."

Jessebelle smirked, "That's right."

Hopkins held out a hand and glared determinedly, "Escavalier! Leavanny! Use X-sci-"

He was cut off as a pair of Shadow Balls with orange centers struck the Pokémon and detonated violently on impact.

"VANNY!" "LIER!" The pair cried out as they were thrown to the non-destroyed portions on the wall.

They slid down and laid in a pained heap. Hopkins looked at them in shock.

Soot sighed, "They just had to have Pokémon that were both double vulnerable to Fire-types."

Misty sweat dropped, "That can't just be a coincidence, right?"

Jessebelle grimaced and pointed, "Vileplume! Stun Spore!"

Vileplume pointed their head forward before a tornado of orange spores erupted from their aperture. Growlie smirked before inhaling and unleashing a Heat Wave.

The flaming winds destroyed the spores before washing over Vileplume and the struggling Leavanny and Escavalier. The three of them cried out in response.

Vileplume fell forward after the winds stopped. Leavanny and Escavalier lied on the ground with their eyes in swirls.

Hopkins and Jessebelle stared around at the downed Pokémon in shock.

Hopkins glared at Ash, "What do you think you're doing?! You're supposed to be on our si-" He stopped, tensed up and his eyes widened.

Jessebelle tensed up before looking ahead again. She grimaced as the black-haired kid glared with his pupils constricted.

The orange haired girl and squinting boy had their eyes covered. James faced away from the kid but was trembling with a frightened expression.

"You're side?!" Ash shouted angrily, "After his parents faked their deaths?!" He pointed at Jessebelle, "After they tried to force James to marry this control freak?! After you tricked his team into taking him to that ... DUNGEON?!" His glare intensified, "Why the Yvel would you still think we'd help you?!"

Jessebelle didn't respond and just continued staring.

Hopkins trembled and stuttered, "Th- th- the masters ... or- orders-" he trailed off.

Soot sighed, "Should have guessed." She glared at the stunned pair, "With a family like this, it's no wonder James ran away."

Ash cut off the ability and looked at James, "Have Weezing use Smokescreen! Now!"

James snapped out of it before pulling out a pokéball and tossing it upwards, "Weezing! Smokescreen!"

The Poison-type emerged and started spewing black smoke immediately. Jessebelle and Hopkins grimaced and covered their mouths in response to the Fire-type move.

"James! This way!" Ash could be heard shouting.

The smoke cleared to reveal the front door wide open and the barricade couch lying on the ground upside-down. They couldn't see anyone else in the room.

Hopkins returned Escavalier and Leavanny before breaking into a sprint through the door, "After them!"

Jessebelle returned Vileplume before following, "I'm comin' James!"

After they left, James, Growlie, and Weezing peaked out from behind the couch.

The male Rocket blinked in surprise, 'I can't believe I never thought of that. Not bad, twerp.' He held up a pokéball, "Thanks Weezing."

The Poison Gas Pokémon disappeared in the red beam before James and Growlie hurried through the hole Jessebelle and Hopkins came through. They ducked into a bush and peaked through.

His parents were casually feeding a few magikarp in the river without a care in the world. Jessebelle and Hopkins were running down the road as they chased the twerps.

James flinched slightly as the Phantom brought out a pidgeotto, charizard, and aerodactyl. All the twerps and their other Pokémon loaded on to them and flew away. Jessebelle and Hopkins stopped running and glared.

James blinked in shock, 'The twerp caught that aerodactyl?! Seriously?!'

Growlie blinked in surprise, "_huh..._" He looked up at James and smiled.

James looked at him, smiled sadly, and petted him, "Thank you again, Growlie. I couldn't have made it out without you." He frowned, "Which only makes this all the harder."

Growlie frowned worriedly.

James sighed sadly, "I'm sorry, Growlie. I don't like it either. But I need you to stay here and take care of-" He stopped as his eyes widened slightly.

'Jessie and Meowth seem like a better family to you than your real one.'

'I mean, he had to have missed you as much as you missed him. Maybe more.'

'With a family like this, it's no wonder James ran away.'

'Well, the first and last ones are only partially true.' James thought to himself.

James stared at the Fire-type for a moment before looking back at his parents. He glared, "no."

Growlie blinked in surprise, "_James?_"

"Growlie," James said while looking at the Puppy Pokémon with a determined smile, "I want you to come with me! To join Jessie, Meowth, and I, so we can all be free together! What do you say pal?!"

Growlie's eyes widen before he smiled brightly with his tail wagging.

.

*Jessie and Meowth

The pair sat on either side of a trail as they tried to figure out their next move.

Jessie clenched a fist, "What if we just charge in and grab him?"

Meowth frowned, "With just me and Arbok? You and I couldn't even overpower dat butler."

Jessie scratched her head furiously, "Well, what are we supposed to do?! Leave him there?!"

Meowth glared at her, "Like Yvel we are!" He looked down in frustration, "We just have ta think of a way ta-"

"Prepared for trouble?!"

The pair jerked and their eyes widened in shock. They looked up to find James smiling down at them from the balloon as it descended slowly.

The pair smiled brightly, "James!"

They ran up to the approaching basket as James held out a hand. Jessie grabbed onto his hand as he pulled her into the basket. Meowth jumped up and grabbed the rim to climb in.

Jessie and Meowth pulled James into a group hug immediately.

"You made it out!" Meowth said happily.

"_Yeah we did!_" Growlie cheered.

"Gah!" Meowth flinched, jumped back in shock, and looked at him, "What da?!"

Jessie blinked in surprise, "James, is that-"

"Yup." James said with a smirk before pulling out a pokéball, "Growlie's one of us now."

The Puppy Pokémon smiled with his tongue out as his tail wagged.

Meowth smiled and crossed his forepaws, "Whadda ya know? We didn't come outta dere empty handed dis time."

Jessie shot him a glare, "Meowth..."

Meowth sighed, "Yeah, I know. It just slipped out."

Growlie looked at Meowth and blinked in confusion, "_This time?!_"

The Scratch Cat looked at him and waved a paw, "Don' worry about it." He looked up at James with a sad smile, "Still, sorry about gettin' ya inta dat whole mess in da first place."

Jessie sighed before looking at her human teammate with a sad frown, "Yeah. Our bad."

James looked at his teammates with a soft smile, "It's okay. Besides, how can I stay mad at family that really care about me?"

Jessie and Meowth perked up as their eyes widened.

Jessie stared blankly, "Where the freaking Yvel did that come from?"

Meowth deadpanned and sweat dropped, "Yeah. Real sappy, James."

James rubbed the back of his head and chuckled nervously, "Sorry. I guess the twerp got into my head."

Jessie frowned and pointed at him, "Well keep him out from now on. That was just weird."

Meowth glared, "He probably said dat junk ta butta ya up and get ya ta talk us inta leavin' him alone."

James clenched a fist with a determined smirk, "Well, no way in Yvel is that gonna happen. That Phantom will be ours. And with Growlie on our side, we'll stand an even better chance!"

Growlie smirked and glared determinedly, "_I don't really know what you mean by that, but yeah!_"

Meowth grinned, "Dere's da James we know."

Jessie smirked wickedly before tensing up and yawning. "That's good and all," She said, "but let's save our usual scheming for tomorrow. It's been a long day."

James nodded while smiling, "I'll steer for a bit and get us anchored down once we're far enough away. You two take it easy."

Meowth smiled tiredly, "Thanks."

The woman and Scratched Cat Pokémon moved to the opposite side of the basket and lied down. James looked at them with a soft smile before grabbing the cord for the burner and looking ahead. Growlie walked closer and nudged up against his trainer. James looked down and petted him before looking ahead again; still smiling softly.

As the tRio flew off into the distance, they failed to notice a familiar braviary watching them from a few meters back. The Valiant Pokémon smiled softly before turning and flying off in the opposite direction.

.

.

**Illavera: ... I kinda have mixed feelings about Growlie joining him.**

**Mizuro: Yeah. I mean, *holds out right hand* on one hand, well deserved happy ending for James and the dog. *holds out left hand* On the other hand, the bad guys got a new fighter.**

**Seishin: *shrugs* Eh, define 'bad'.**

**Omega: Yeah, I actually have to agree with the freak. After everything I've seen, they're nothing like the ones from our world.**

**Faux: That and Trix's team alone still has those three outnumbered by almost two to one.**

**…**

**The new comment response will be posted on "Random-ish stuff on the side" on 9/2/2020 at approximately 11:00 p.m. Central Standard Time.**


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